Bernhard Maier, the Austrian jumper whose poor riding at the Vienna Neustadt CSI in June caused a social media storm, has been suspended for five years.
The Austrian equestrian federation also took other allegations of mistreatment by the 57-year-old and argumentative behaviour on other occasions into account when grounding him through December 2022. Maier, who is appealing against the decision, is also barred from training or even attending shows on foot.
The federation’s disciplinary panel justified the sanction because of the “severity” of the offences. It said he was guilty of “unlawful and unsportsmanlike conduct, threat and aggression towards third parties, the unfair treatment and overburdening of the horse he has ridden as well as damaging the reputation of the equestrian sport.”