The scandal engulfing dressage at the Olympics continued as Brazilian rider Carlos Parro was issued a warning by the equestrian governing body for potentially causing “unnecessary discomfort” to his horse Safira.
The Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) received a letter and photos that were sent to its president, Ingmar De Vos, from animal rights group Peta on Friday accusing Parro of mistreatment.
One photo shows Parro hyper-flexing Safira’s neck in a prohibited movement called Rollkur – whereby the horse’s breathing is compromised – and the FEI responded 24 hours later by warning Parro about his conduct.
“The FEI Officials have issued a yellow warning card (to Parro) as the action of the athlete could have caused unnecessary discomfort to the horse,” the FEI said in a statement.
“Additionally, the Ground Jury has directly addressed the situation with the athlete and the chef d’Equipe of Brazil. The FEI Stewards are aware of this incident and will be vigilant at all times for any behaviour that is not in line with horse welfare and are prepared to take immediate action if such behaviour occurs.”
Peta’s letter, which was shared with The Associated Press, said Rollkur also damages the horse’s spine and leads to long-term health issues.
“The pain this horse must be enduring is almost unimaginable,” Peta said. “The public is unlikely to accept this, as illustrated by the mass outrage over the Charlotte Dujardin abuse video.”
Following the FEI’s warning to Parro, Peta’s vice president Kathy Guillermo released a statement saying: “The FEI is looking over its shoulder now and that can only be good for horses but it needs to do more than warn riders and coaches that they are violating rules of which they are fully aware.
“We’re relieved the FEI addressed our complaint and took action, we remain deeply concerned about the horse, Safira. The unnatural bend of the neck can be achieved only through physical abuse and for that the rider should have been disqualified by the safety team before anyone had to send photos to Peta. A warning is humiliating for the Brazilian team but we need action to protect the horses.”
The 45-year-old Parro took in the dressage section of eventing on Saturday morning at the Palace of Versailles and he had finished competing before the warning was issued.
Also on Saturday, Emiliano Portale and his horse Future were eliminated during the dressage event after blood was found in the horse’s mouth during post-competition checks.
However, this was in line with horse welfare protocol and “does not imply that there was any intention to hurt or harm the horse,” the FEI said in a statement.
On Thursday, the FEI produced a series of reforms for horse welfare following the withdrawal of Team GB star and three-time Olympic gold medallist Dujardin from Paris 2024.
A video had emerged that showed Dujardin repeatedly whipping a horse and she withdrew from the Olympics just days before she was due to compete.
She apologised in a statement that said: “A video has emerged from four years ago which shows me making an error of judgement during a coaching session. 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.”
Dujardin is provisionally suspended from all events, pending an FEI investigation into her actions.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
