I haven’t had many of these, as you might imagine. In fact, I’m not even sure that this is one.

British Olympic dressage medalist Charlotte Dujardin holds six Olympic medals, three of them gold, in equestrian events. She just dropped out of the Paris Olympics, however, after a video was uncovered that reportedly shows her repeatedly whipping a horse on its legs.

“A video has emerged from four years ago which shows me making an error of judgement during a coaching session,” she said in her statement withdrawing from the Games. “Understandably, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) is investigating, and I have made the decision to withdraw from all competition — including the Paris Olympics — while this process takes place,” she said. The statement continues, “I am sincerely sorry for my actions and devastated that I have let everyone down, including Team GB, fans and sponsors.”

Some have described this as Ethics Hero-level contrition. She did wrong, she has admitted it without qualifications, and has administered her own sanctions. OK, I’m buying that, sort of. Maybe. With major misgivings.

Dutch lawyer Stephan Wensing, who represents a 19-year-old who filed the complaint described the video, according to the Guardian.

“Charlotte Dujardin was in the middle of the arena,” he said. “She said to the student: ‘Your horse must lift up the legs more in the canter.’ She took the long whip, and she was beating the horse more than 24 times in one minute. It was like an elephant in the circus.”

“At that time, my client was thinking, ‘This must be normal. She is an Olympic winner. Who am I to doubt?’ My client asked around and was warned against speaking out in the U.K. But last year my client saw others suspended in the U.K. and elsewhere,” he said. “And this weekend, she eventually made a decision to let me admit the complaint to the FEI, and that happened yesterday. The FEI took this immediately very seriously.”

The FEI  announced that Dujardin requested a suspension in a statement on its website. The suspension covers the Olympics and any other events regulated by the federation:

“On 22 July 2024, the FEI received a video depicting Ms. Dujardin engaging in conduct contrary to the principles of horse welfare. This video was submitted to the FEI by a lawyer representing an undisclosed complainant. According to the information received, the footage was allegedly taken several years ago during a training session conducted by Ms. Dujardin at a private stable.”

Maybe the horsewoman is genuinely remorseful and contrite. Yet it is equally likely, maybe even more-so, that she knew the jig was up, knew she was going to be humiliated if she won medals at these Olympics and then was revealed to be an animal abuser, and decided, as any good PR consultant would have advised her, to get out in front of the story with damage control before the worst was revealed.

Let’s see: She apologized to everyone but the horse. She equivocated regarding her conduct by describing it as “an error in judgment.” At least Kristi Noem didn’t try to weasel out of her dog-shooting scandal by describing it as an “error in judgment.” If Dujardin was as honest as Kristi, maybe she would have said, “Damn right I whipped that horse! And I’d do it again!”

I’m also considering the fact that the video depicts Dujardin’s training methods more than a year ago. Why would we assume that she hadn’t been doing the same thing to horses before and hasn’t been abusing her steeds since? She was caught, that’s all, so now she’s sorry. Moreover, isn’t whipping a horse on its legs even once signature significance for an experienced equestrian? Would someone who respects and cares about animals ever do such a thing?

I was afraid this would happen…I’ve just about convinced myself that “Ethics Hero/Dunce” in the headline above should be changed to “Ethics Villain.” If Grace were still here with me, I guarantee that she’d insist on it.

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Pointer: Willem Reese