Warning: This article contains graphic images and video which some readers may find distressing.
Just days before she was due to travel to Paris for the 2024 Olympics, Charlotte Dujardin withdrew over a video which she said showed her making a 'huge error of judgment'.
The video in question is from four years ago and showed her whipping a horse's legs several times while someone else rode it.
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Dujardin, who has won six Olympic medals for Team GB, withdrew from Paris 2024 and the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) launched an investigation.
The institution later confirmed that she had been handed a provisional six month ban from competing.
The day after her statement was released the video in question was shown on Good Morning Britain, and the former Team GB Olympian said that her actions in the video were 'completely out of character'.
Her full statement made on 23 July reads thusly: "A video has emerged from four years ago which shows me making an error of judgement during a coaching session.
"Understandably, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports is investigating and I have made the decision to withdraw from all competition – including the Paris Olympics – while this process takes place.
"What happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils, however there is no excuse.
"I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment.
"I am sincerely sorry for my actions and devastated that I have let everyone down, including Team GB, fans and sponsors.
"I will cooperate fully with the FEI, British Equestrian Federation and British Dressage during their investigations, and will not be commenting further until the process is complete."
A legal representative for the person who released the video said that their anonymous client had 'hesitated' about making their complaint.
However, lawyer Stephan Wensing said his client 'could not bring themselves to allow Dujardin to win medals at the Olympics'.
He said: "It’s unacceptable that dressage sport should be accompanied by animal abuse.
“If top-level sport can only be performed in such a way that the welfare of the horse is compromised, then top-level sport should be abolished.
"Everyone who deals with horses has their own responsibility in this, and this also applies to bystanders who become aware of excesses.
“Equestrian sport must regulate itself and ensure that there can never be a discussion about horse welfare in sport again.
“This is a very important task for the jury members who have lost sight of the core value of dressage for far too long and have overvalued spastic movements of horses.
“It’s extremely sad that one of the most successful riders in the world has to pay the price.
“But this rider has also not taken any responsibility and this cannot go unpunished.
“The federations and in particular the FEI can be expected to take even more adequate action against animal abuse, precisely to ensure the continued existence of equestrian sports.”
The 2024 Olympic Games have their opening ceremony tomorrow (26 July), while the dressage and individual equestrian competitions will begin on 30 July.
Joe Harker