Leprevost and Vagabond De La Pomme. Ph. Michael Van De Velde
Penelope Leprevost of France will not face disciplinary action regarding an incident in the warm up ring on March 28th, 2016 during the Longines FEI World Cup Final in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Leprevost was recorded pulling her horse, Vagabond De La Pomme, up sharply and spurring him forward after he tripped and fell to his knees. The world’s leading lady rider quickly and publicly expressed deep remorse after video of the incident made the rounds on social media, lighting up the internet with criticism of her actions.
The steward at the warmup arena reported the incident to the Chief Steward at the time of the incident, and the FEI subsequently conducted an investigation to determine if any other action should be taken.
In a statement, the FEI explained:
“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. 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.”