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Oct 8,2026 07:30 PM IST

Australian Olympic Equestrian Heath Ryan Suspended Over Horse-Whipping Video

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Sports Home Equestrian News Australian Olympic Equestrian Heath Ryan Suspended Over HorseWhipping Video

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Australian Olympic Equestrian Heath Ryan Suspended Over Horse-Whipping Video

Olympian Heath Ryan has been suspended by an "extremely alarmed" Equestrian Australia after a video showed him whipping a horse...

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File photo of Heath Ryan.© X (formerly Twitter)

Olympian Heath Ryan has been suspended by an "extremely alarmed" Equestrian Australia after a video showed him whipping a horse more than 40 times. The 66-year-old, who represented Australia in dressage at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, said in a statement he had been acting in the animal's "best interests". The video, originally shared to US-based Facebook account Dressage Hub, showed him striking the stallion repeatedly with a narrator saying the horse was "traumatised in every state". Equestrian Australia said it was "extremely alarmed and concerned".

"Equestrian Australia has imposed a provisional suspension of this person's membership of Equestrian Australia and their rights, privileges and benefits associated with their membership," it added.

The ban will remain in place pending an investigation by its integrity unit.

Ryan, a former three-time Australian three-day event champion, defended his actions, saying it had been a "life or death moment" for the horse, named Nico.

He said the six-year-old had always been a "problem child" and was destined for the knackery after an incident with a family friend that left her in intensive care.

"I felt obliged to the horse to just have a look and see if it was possibly salvageable," he said.

"That video was a life or death moment for Nico and I genuinely had to try my very hardest to see if Nico would consider other options.

"All of this transpired sincerely with the horse's best interests the sole consideration. Unbelievably, it was so successful for everyone except me with the release of this video."

He claimed the video was two years old and posted by a disgruntled ex-employee, with Nico now thriving in a new home.

Three-time Olympic dressage gold medallist Charlotte Dujardin missed the Paris Games last year following a different horse-whipping controversy.

The British rider was banned just days before the start of the Olympics after a video emerged showing her repeatedly striking a horse on its legs.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Asian Games 2026 Medals Tally

No. Country G S B Total 1

People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China 169 89 83 341 2

Japan

Japan 83 95 91 269 3

Republic of Korea

Republic of Korea 39 43 68 150 4

India

India 21 27 37 85 5

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan 21 25 24 70

Full Medals Table

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