Penelope Leprevost: FEI takes no further action after Gothenburg warm-up incident
Penelope Leprevost will face no further action over her riding of Vagabond de la Pomme in the Gothenburg warm-up, the FEI has announced.
A spokesman said the French showjumper has been “spoken to” about the collecting ring incident, which was caught on film during the Longines FEI World Cup final last month (28 March).
Horse & Hound reported that the rider was seen catching Vagabond de la Pomme hard in the mouth after he stumbled while trotting on a long rein.
The FEI said at the time that Penelope had “reacted very roughly”, while the rider later issued a public apology on social media, admitting she had “over-reacted” and “was too strong”.
But an FEI statement issued on Friday (22 April) read: “The FEI has investigated the full circumstances of the incident with Penelope LePrevost and her horse Vagabond de la Pomme in the warm-up arena at Gothenburg.
“Reports have been received from the chief steward, who had been briefed about the incident by the steward on duty at the time. The rider has also been spoken to.
“Penelope Leprevost has stated publicly that she regrets her actions and expressed her remorse for over-reacting in the heat of the moment. She has said that this sort of incident will not happen again and that the welfare of her horses is extremely important to her.
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“After the incident, Vagabond de la Pomme was given a thorough check-over in the stables by the French team vet Jérôme Thévenot who reported that the horse was fit to compete.
“The FEI is assured that such an incident will not occur again and, in light of this, no further action will be taken.”
Penelope’s statement of 30 March read: “My horse was trotting, very relaxed and with his head down, when he stumbled. It was actually quite frightening and I really thought that both of us were going to fall down.
Related links:
- Penelope Leprevost apologises for ‘over-reaction’ in Gothenburg
- H&H readers’ views: Gothenburg warm-up incident
“I immediately checked that he was not injured. I then wanted him to pull himself together. My goal was to wake him up but not to push him too hard…
“I am deeply sorry that I over-reacted and was too strong with my horse and I want to express my sincere apologies.”
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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.