Penelope Leprevost of France will not face disciplinary action for an incident that occurred in the warmup area at the World Cup Final in Gothenburg last month.
Leprevost’s horse, Vagabond de la Pomme, tripped and fell to his knees as he trotted on a long rein. In response, the French rider repeatedly kicked the horse forward simultaneously pulling on the reins. A video recording released on local news left many questioning her harsh response to the stumble.
The steward at the warmup arena reported the incident immediately, the FEI then launching an investigation.
In a statement, the FEI explained:
“The FEI has investigated the full circumstances of the incident with Penelope LePrevost and her horse Vagabond de la Pomme in the warm-up arena at Gothenburg. Reports have been received from the Chief Steward, who had been briefed about the incident by the Steward on duty at the time. The rider has also been spoken to. Penelope Leprevost has stated publicly that she regrets her actions and expressed her remorse for over-reacting in the heat of the moment. She has said that this sort of incident will not happen again and that the welfare of her horses is extremely important to her. After the incident, Vagabond de la Pomme was given a thorough check over in the stables by the French team vet Jérôme Thévenot who reported that the horse was fit to compete. The FEI is assured that such an incident will not occur again and, in light of this, no further action will be taken.”
Ashley Fairfield-Remeza
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