Ben Maher has received an apology from the FEI following accusations of the mistreatment of one his horses while competing at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).
Outcry
A spectator took a video of Ben riding, which shows Wings Sublieme refuse the second part of a double and run out to the right. Ben then reined back the horse, causing the gelding to lose his balance and stumble backwards.
The video was put on YouTube which provoked an outcry of disapproval, with some viewers claiming the rider was too harsh with the 11-year-old gelding.
No reprimand
Ben was officially reprimanded by the ground jury at the time and the FEI investigated the incident. The organisation has since released a statement explaining “no reprimand, no warning nor any other sanction has been imposed”.
It also offered an apology from the secretary general for the “inconvenience an earlier statement from FEI Headquarters might have caused for the athlete and his entourage.”
Vindicated
Ben has since responded to the incident, which he described as “most unfortunate”.
“The allegations that my actions were reprehensible and indeed reprimanded are quite without foundation and by the FEI’s enquiry, they have been vindicated,” he said. “The welfare of my horses is always paramount and I wish to make it clear that I have the fullest respect for my horses and their owners, the governing bodies of the sport and the ground jury members at HOYS.”