Rider guilty of horse abuse shows ‘sincere remorse’ as much evidence against him discredited
Five-star event rider Andrew McConnon showed “sincere remorse” for his actions that constituted horse abuse, the FEI Tribunal found – and was not guilty of most of the allegations made against him.
H&H reported that the US rider had been suspended for 20 months. The full FEI Tribunal report into his hearing has now been published.
The Tribunal panel disregarded most of the evidence from the FEI’s multiple witnesses, as the FEI sought to prove Andrew had committed abuse, including preventing horses from breathing and riding in hyperflexion.
It found that he had “slapped Horse A on the top of his neck seven times”, that his use of the reins on the same horse was “firmer than necessary” to keep his head to the right and that he “jabbed Horse A in the mouth three times by crossing the rein over Horse A’s midline”.
“There was no evidence to suggest that the pain or discomfort was long-lasting or resulted in any enduring harm,” the Tribunal report states.
The panel did not find that Andrew had intentionally left horses without enough food or drink, or used spurs excessively.
Much of the FEI’s video and photographic evidence was also discredited by the panel, including footage the FEI said showed him hitting a horse with a whip but in which, the panel noted, he was not carrying a whip.
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Witness statements
The FEI submitted eight witness statements, including former employees, neighbours and a vet, as well as video and photos. The witnesses claimed to have seen the rider engage in multiple abusive behaviours, but the Tribunal cited issues including inconsistencies and contradictions in their evidence.
In his testimony, before he described videos that had been posted online, Andrew said: “I’m absolutely willing to explain what happened. I just want to be clear that in my explanation, this isn’t justifying my actions. You’ll hear throughout my testimony and in my thoughts at the end that it’s absolutely unacceptable.”
He acknowledged that slapping Horse C was also “absolutely unacceptable”.
He said he believed some of the submitted photos had been edited; he believed he had been cut out of one that would have showed him washing a horse down, and that another had been Photoshopped to add marks.
“The owners of Horse A communicated that they were having financial difficulties and were unable to fulfill past due payments of tens of thousands of dollars, creating a significant financial strain,” the report states. “Furthermore, in February 2024 [Andrew] learned that his father had been diagnosed with cancer.
“These challenges compounded around February 2024, and while [Andrew] did not realise it at the time, the emotional impact of this difficult period began to have a palpable effect on him, both inside and outside of the barn.”
Rumours spread
The report states that Andrew became aware of the FEI investigation “from rumours spread by FEI Witness 1 that she wanted to end [Andrew’s] career”.
In a final statement to the panel, Andrew said he wanted to apologise.
“In the beginning of last year, I acted out of character with my values as a horseman,” he said. “As a professional athlete and an upper-level competitor, it is my responsibility to set an example.
“However, in March 2024, I was extremely thankful to [FEI Witness 1] for kindly speaking with me after a difficult ride about what she had witnessed. That conversation helped me put my then current struggles into focus. I made the necessary changes that day and I was thankful for her forgiveness for my behaviour.
“This isn’t a case of I’m sorry I got caught. I’m genuinely sorry for my actions. Being a private and independent person, I incorrectly tried to handle my struggles alone. Because of the overwhelming things that were going on in my personal life, I inappropriately allowed it to carry over into my work and what I need, what I needed, was help.”
Andrew said he sought professional help and cited his sanction- and warning-free career.
“My reputation has been destroyed. My income has been halted, and my future in the sport I love has been threatened,” he said. “I have learned from my mistakes and I still believe that I can be a valuable and contributing member of the FEI community. My passion is to produce horses, compete and to give back to the sport, and help mentor junior and young riders.
“I’ve dedicated myself to horses and the sport. It has been my entire life.
“I can’t undo what has happened, but I wish to be a positive influence moving forward. I hope you accept my apology and admission of wrongdoing. I will never repeat these behaviours.”
Social media targeting
The Tribunal heard from witnesses including former staff, friends, a clinical social worker – from whom Andrew had sought help – and a vet, who had never witnessed abuse or signs of it and praised Andrew’s patience, integrity and horsemanship.
“Respondent Witness 8 wrote about a ‘pack of horse women’ who have used social media to target the respondent,” the report states. “Respondent Witness 8 described their ‘cancel culture vengeance’ as ‘alarming, biased and truly destructive’.” The panel assigned “high to full weight” to Andrew’s evidence and moderate to full to all his witnesses.
The FEI had sought a life ban, but the panel found this “not warranted”.
“The panel finds that his acknowledgment of wrongdoing, proactive steps to address his behaviour, and demonstrated understanding of the responsibilities of a professional athlete reflect a genuine effort to learn from the incident and mitigate future risk,” the report states. “The panel considers these factors as indicative of sincere remorse, which is relevant to the assessment of the respondent’s overall character and conduct.”
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You may also be interested in:
‘We owe our horses better than this’: top rider speaks out as five-star eventer suspended for horse abuse
How horse abuse is penalised in sport – and the challenges of bringing a case before the FEI Tribunal
Five-star rider Andrew McConnon provisionally suspended over horse abuse allegations
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.