TRIPLE Olympic dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin has been banned from competing for one year and fined 10,000 Swiss Francs (£8,886) for "excessively" whipping a horse.

Historic video footage was revealed just days before the start of the Paris 2024 Olympics, showing the 39-year-old Newent-based sports star striking the horse, which led to her suspension and withdrawal from the Games, where after six medals she was posied to become GB's most medalled woman ever.

The FEI – the world governing body of equestrian sports – said the ban would be backdated to the start of her provisional suspension and she will be able to compete again from July 2025.

Dujardin, who trained at fellow Olympic medallist Carl Hester’s Malswick stables just a few miles over the English border from Monmouthshire, famously rode 'dancing horse' Valegro to double gold in London 2012, followed by gold in Rio 2016.

A bronze statue of the horse is now in pride of place beside Newent's Market House, some 15 miles from Monmouth.

British Equestrian and British Dressage have endorsed the suspension, preventing Dujardin from competing in national competition or training events until next summer.

The rider was provisionally suspended on July 23 for "engaging in conduct contrary to the principles of horse welfare".

The FEI said the footage of the training session did not constitute any other rule violations and there have not been any further complaints raised.

FEI secretary general Sabrina Ibanez said: "These significant sanctions send a clear message that anyone, regardless of their profile, who engages in conduct that compromises the welfare of the horse will face serious consequences.

"We believe this outcome reaffirms the FEI's commitment to equine welfare and to its role as guardian of our equine partners."

She said it was "regrettable" the case had put the sport in the news for "all the wrong reasons" leading up to the Paris Games, but said the FEI had acted decisively.