Good Job Olympic Officials!

Two riders have been disqualified in the first round of equestrian Olympics. Nicola Philippaerts was disqualified for excessive use of her spurs after her horse refused a fence twice. She was an individual rider from Belgium. The other rider who rides for the Netherlands, Jur Vireling was disqualified from the individual events after drawing blood by whiping his horse with his crop. He will however compete in the Team Jumping event. Here is the rule they were disqualified with...

Article 242.3.1 of the FEI Jumping Rules reads: Horses bleeding on the flank(s), in the mouth or nose or marks indicating excessive use of spurs or of the whip anywhere on the Horse (in minor cases of blood in the mouth, such as where a Horse appears to have bitten its tongue or lip, Officials may authorize the rinsing or wiping of the mouth and allow the Athlete to continue; any further evidence of blood in the mouth will result in Disqualification.)


So good job to the Olympic officials to keeping true to the rules and pulling these riders out and punishing them. No one should be able to get away with whipping or spurring a horse to the point of bleeding even if you are an Olympic rider....