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For immediate release:
August 13, 2021
Contact:
David Pearl 202-483-7382
Tokyo – After German pentathlon athlete Annika Schleu was spotted on camera trying to haul a terrified Saint Boy’s horse onto the track during the Tokyo Olympics, PETA called on IOC President Thomas Bach this morning to exclude all equestrian events from the competition. games.
Schleu’s coach, Kim Reisner, was also caught hitting Saint Boy and was expelled from the games. Jet Seth, the horse the Swiss competitor rode, was so badly injured that he had to be euthanized, and the Irish competitor forced a horse named Kilkenny to complete the race despite bleeding from his nostrils.
“The Olympics showcase human athletes, not the ability to scare and injure horses that don’t want to compete but do all the work, sometimes at the cost of their lives,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “Just as games have evolved to include modern sports such as skateboarding, PETA is urging the International Olympic Committee to classify offensive equestrian competitions as a history book.”
PETA, whose motto is in part that “the animals are not ours to be used for entertainment” – opposes arrogance, a worldview focused on human superiority. For more information please visit PETA.org or subscribe to the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram…
This is followed by a letter from PETA to Bach.
August 13, 2021
Thomas Bach
The president
International Olympic Committee
Dear Herr Bach!
I am writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and our 6.5 million members and supporters around the world, requesting that all equestrian competition be excluded from the Olympic Games. As you no doubt already know, the controversy over equestrian sports has intensified, especially during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The world was shocked when the apparently upset German pentathlon athlete Annika Schleu was filmed throwing and whipping Saint Boy’s horse after he refused to enter the field. Then Schleu’s trainer, Kim Reisner, was shown hitting the horse. Reisner was rightfully excluded from the Olympics, but fines and disqualifications are not enough to protect other horses from coaches who might commit similar violations.
The Jet Seth, which was ridden by the Swiss athlete Robin Gödel, was so badly injured during a cross-country race that he had to be put to sleep. And although Kilkenny was bleeding from his nostrils, Irish racer Cyan O’Connor made him finish the distance. No effort was made by the officials to stop the competition immediately to inspect the horse.
Just as the Olympic Games have evolved to include sports that are of current interest, such as skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing, in a world that increasingly refuses to accept abuse in any form, it is time to eliminate sports that are no longer supported by the public. Otherwise, you risk losing your social work license.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this important issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Katie Guillermo
Senior vice president
Equine Department
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