Overview

• Equestrian Australia has imposed a provisional suspension on Ryan’s membership, barring him from national and international competition pending the outcome of its integrity investigation.
• The footage, shared by US-based Dressage Hub, was filmed at Ryan’s New South Wales stables and shows him whipping a stallion named Nico 42 times during a training session.
• In a Facebook statement, Ryan defended his actions as a “life-or-death” effort to save the six-year-old horse from the knackery and said an unhappy ex-employee posted the video online.
• Nico was later sold to another Grand Prix dressage rider and is reported to be thriving under its new owner.
• The case follows last year’s one-year ban of British Olympian Charlotte Dujardin for a similar incident, highlighting tighter enforcement of animal welfare rules in the sport.