- Modern pentathlon authorities have proposed a new set of rules to protect animals.
- It comes after a German coach was expelled from the
Tokyo Olympics for punching a horse. - The changes include modifying courses to have fewer jumps and lower, simpler obstacles.
Modern pentathlon authorities have proposed a new set of rules to protect animals after a coach was disqualified from the Tokyo Olympics for punching a horse.
Kim Raisner was thrown out of the games after she lashed out at rider Annika Schleu's horse, Saint Boy, during the show-jumping round of the women's event on Friday.
The German coach could also be heard urging Schleu to "really hit" the horse, which had been refusing to jump or trot.
The incident and a number of issues with the horse riding portion of the modern pentathlon caused outcry both inside and outside the sport, and there were immediate calls to make changes to how the modern pentathlon operates.
Now, in less than a week, changes have been announced.
On Thursday, the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) announced it had "started urgently working" on a range of measures aimed at improving horse welfare within the sport.
The measures include modifying current UIPM Competition Rules so that courses have fewer jumps and lower, simpler obstacles, as well as adding animal welfare modules to its Coaches Certification Programme (CCP) and Judges Certification Programme.
The organization will also form of a "Riding Working Group" which it says will exist to "review the
UIPM President Dr. Klaus Schormann said: "UIPM remains fully committed to Riding as an integral part of the Modern Pentathlon based on the vision of Baron Pierre de Coubertin.
"Our Union has already adapted Modern Pentathlon in many innovative ways based on expert advice and feedback from both inside and outside of our global sporting community.
"The UIPM 2021 Congress provides an opportunity for National Federations to have their say.
"On behalf of the UIPM Executive Board I look forward to working with all parties concerned to ensure we make the adjustments needed to provide a safe and secure future for the Riding discipline within Modern Pentathlon."
UIPM's statement comes in the wake of animal-rights charities calling for changes to the sport following the events in Tokyo.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called for the removal of equestrian disciplines from the Olympics, while World Horse Welfare called for the UIPM to change its rules.
"To be ethical, the welfare of horses in any sport must be put first alongside that of the riders," Tony Tyler, the deputy chief executive of World Horse Welfare, said.
"This was not demonstrated in all the rides at the Olympics on Friday, where some of the horses were in obvious distress and their treatment was unacceptable."