The Saint Boy affair - named after the horse struck by Annika Schleu during the 2021 Olympics - will set a precedent in the world of modern pentathlon, whose federation (UIPM) announced earlier this week that it wanted to modify its riding test.
"The UIPM quickly started working on measures to improve the welfare of horses in modern pentathlon and to create a safer riding event for all participants," she said in a statement issued in last weekend.
“These actions were decided following incidents that occurred during the women's event at the Tokyo Olympics, sources of distress for horses, riders and spectators around the world,” explained the UIPM.
A simplified riding test
As part of this reform, which will be presented at the next UIPM congress at the end of November, its leaders will meet their counterparts from the International Equestrian Federation and have planned to set up an equestrian event from 2022 " with fewer obstacles and lower and simpler obstacles ”.
On the other hand, the principle of the draw of the horses, particularity of the modern pentathlon, is not called into question.
Athletes draw lots for the horse they are going to ride during the show jumping event and only ride it for 20 minutes before the event.
Saint Boy was tired
During the Tokyo Olympics, the German Annika Schleu, who was leading the competition at the time, had all the trouble in the world to control Saint Boy.
In tears, the German pentathlete had given many blows of the whip and spur to Saint Boy who then multiplied the refusals of obstacle.
His trainer Kim Raisner was then excluded from the Olympics for hitting the horse.
The UIPM specified that Saint Boy, made available by a Japanese owner for the duration of the Olympics like all the horses used in Tokyo, was in "good health, although tired by the competitions".
Sport
Olympic Games 2021: The pentathlete Annika Schleu and her coach targeted by a complaint for animal abuse
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Olympic Games
Tokyo Olympics 2021
horse riding