Pair accused of treating horse cruelly

TORONTO • The German Animal Welfare Association said on Friday that it has filed a complaint of cruelty to animals against a German modern pentathlete and a coach, who was thrown out of the Tokyo Olympics for striking a horse during the women's event.

Annika Schleu and German coach Kim Raisner are accused of "cruelty to animals" and "aiding and abetting cruelty to animals", said the association in a statement.

The incident happened as Schleu was leading the Aug 6 competition in Tokyo but could not bring her horse Saint Boy under control.

The mount refused to jump the fences in the showjumping segment.

A frustrated Schleu repeatedly used her whip on the horse with Raisner overheard encouraging her to "hit it" during live coverage.

The International Modern Pentathlon Union said footage then showed Raisner "appearing to strike the horse with her fist", which resulted in the coach being thrown out of the Olympics.

The German Animal Welfare Association criticised Schleu for having "roughly beaten the frightened and overtaxed the horse several times".

Raisner is accused of urging the athlete "to commit this act of cruelty to animals".

"Of course, an athlete fixated on Olympic gold is under enormous stress at that moment, but that is no excuse for cruelty to animals," said Thomas Schroder, president of the association.

In a later interview, Raisner admitted "I said 'hit it'. But she (Schleu) didn't torture the horse, not in any way".

Schleu insisted to German daily Die Zeit that she had not treated the horse "extremely harshly". But she admitted she could have reacted "a bit calmer".

Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to eliminate equestrian events from future Games.

It noted two other incidents in the equestrian eventing competition.

Jet Set, a horse ridden by a Swiss Robin Godel, was injured so badly during a cross-country event that it had to be euthanised while Irish rider Cian O'Connor forced his mount Kilkenny to finish the course despite it bleeding from its nostrils. It was later withdrawn.

"The Olympic Games showcase human athletes, not the ability to terrify and injure horses who don't choose to compete yet are doing all the work, sometimes at the cost of their very lives," said Peta president Ingrid Newkirk.

"Just as the Games have evolved to include modern sports like skateboarding, Peta is calling on the International Olympic Committee to relegate abusive equestrian events to the history books."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS