{"id":453922,"date":"2025-06-19T22:47:53","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T22:47:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=453922"},"modified":"2025-06-20T00:12:53","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T00:12:53","slug":"fresh-twist-after-disturbing-leaked-video-of-aussie-olympian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=453922","title":{"rendered":"Fresh twist after 'disturbing' leaked video of Aussie Olympian"},"content":{"rendered":"

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT\ufeff<\/strong><\/p>\n

Equestrian's world governing body, FEI, has launched an investigation into Australian Olympian Heath Ryan after a video from two years ago surfaced online.<\/p>\n

The footage was shared on the YouTube channel "Dressage Hub" with a narrator describing Ryan as "savagely" whipping a horse 42 times.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Labuschagne finally dumped in Test team shake-up<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\ufeffREAD MORE:<\/strong> Origin clash 'boils over' as wild shot sparks all-in melee<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> 'In the past': Leniu and Mam end feud with Origin embrace<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Ryan, 66, \ufeffsaid he was acting in "the horse's best interest" however, the FEI has provisionally suspended the rider pending an investigation.<\/p>\n

"The scenes depicted are profoundly disturbing and stand in stark opposition to the core values of FEI horse welfare," FEI secretary general Sabrina Ibanez said.<\/p>\n

"The FEI has opened an investigation to thoroughly examine all the facts and determine further disciplinary action under the FEI rules and regulations.<\/p>\n

"We are committed to ensuring that any behaviour which puts horse welfare at risk is dealt with firmly and fairly."<\/p>\n

Sam Jones, the CEO of Equestrian Australia, added: "It is both appropriate and welcome that FEI leads the investigation of this matter.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

"Equestrian Australia remains extremely concerned about the incident and allegations, and we will support the FEI in any way we can.<\/p>\n

"We know our community is keen for answers, but we would ask for patience as the FEI rightly follows a thorough and fair process, in line with their policies and procedures."<\/p>\n

Horse whipping is not allowed at elite levels and is heavily regulated against.<\/p>\n

The 66-year-old could face expulsion if he is found to have breached the code of conduct from EA and the international governing body.<\/p>\n

Ryan defended his actions, which he believed were in the "best interests" off the horse named Nico.<\/p>\n

"I am so sad this was caught on video. If I had been thinking of myself I would have immediately just gotten off and sent Nico to the knackery, he said via Facebook.<\/p>\n

"I'd never run into anything like that before. It would just stop, but it would also turn around and try and grab you like a stallion and rip you out of the saddle. It had done this with its previous owner, who had never hit it.<\/p>\n

"[The whipping] turned everything around. This horse went on to have its best interest looked after. Clearly, in hindsight, it wasn't horse abuse. It was actually saving its life.<\/p>\n

"It's just that when you look at it, I understand it. It's bloody horrendous.<\/p>\n

"And if you think I enjoyed that, I did not. I hated it, but I just felt I was desperate. This horse was maybe as good as dead as I thought it could be."<\/p>\n

The FEI has suspended riders in the past for horse abuse.\ufeff<\/p>\n

Britain's three-time Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin missed the Paris Games last year after a video emerged of her repeatedly striking a horse. She was banned for a year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT\ufeff Equestrian's world governing body, FEI, has launched an investigation into Australian Olympian Heath Ryan after a video from two years ago surfaced […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":453924,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/453922"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=453922"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/453922\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":453925,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/453922\/revisions\/453925"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/453924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=453922"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=453922"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=453922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}