Aussie Olympian hit with 18-month ban for animal abuse
Australia’s Heath Ryan has been hit with an 18-month ban by the international equestrian association (FEI) for animal abuse following a lengthy investigation.
The Olympian was stood down from the sport last June after leaked footage of him whipping a horse 42 times emerged online.
Heath Ryan representing Australia in dressage at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Getty Images
A narrator of the video described Ryan to be “savagely” whipping the horse, but the now 68-year-old later said he was acting in “the horse’s best interest”.
An investigation into the leaked video has now come to an end with the tribunal in Switzerland concluding he had brought the sport into disrepute with his actions.
An 18-month suspension was then directed to Ryan, with the 12 months of his provision suspension he received last year accounting for time he has served.
Ryan will therefore not be able to return to competition until December.
Along with the suspension, Ryan was hit with a $5170 fine and ordered to contribute a further $5170 towards the FEI’s legal costs.
Ryan has not publicly commented on his ban.
Horse whipping has is heavily regulated against in the equestrian world and is not allowed at elite levels. Suspensions are common for those who are found guilty.
Ryan had instigated proceedings against the national federation Equestrian Australia in the NSW Supreme Court in July in attempt to clear his name.
But according to the FEI veterinarian’s report, the whips were delivered at an average of 1.3 strikes every 0.75 seconds.
The FEI took into account Ryan’s unblemished record when finalising his ban.
“Weighing against the respondent are the gravity of the conduct as shown by the number and force of the strikes delivered to the horse,” it said in a statement.
