US eventing rider Andrew McConnon is being investigated for alleged horse abuse following video footage which appears to show him striking a horse in the head several times during a training session.
The United States Eventing Association (USEA) says on its website that it learned of allegations of equine abuse on Saturday 7th September, at which time Andrew McConnan was competing at Defender Burghley Horse Trials, and were provided links to videos of a rider striking a horse.
“Horse welfare is a core principle of our educational organizations, and we take this very seriously. The USEA staff notified the United States Equestrian (USEF), the governing body of U.S. eventing, within two hours of being provided those videos. We were supplied with the following related statement from the USEF” says the statement on the USEA website.
“USEF takes reports of animal abuse very seriously and prioritizes the safeguarding of horse welfare. We have received the videos in question and the matter is currently under investigation with the FEI. To ensure the integrity of the disciplinary process, we have no further comment at this time.”
