PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — WPTV reported last week that an Olympic dressage horse trainer has been temporarily suspended by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) due to "disturbing" videos allegedly showing his training techniques.
One of the riders who reported the videos to authorities is now speaking about the case.
"I'm glad everything's coming out," Wendy Petrik, owner of Candoit Stables in Jupiter Farms, told WPTV.
Petrik told WPTV she sent a series of video clips to authorities last week.
The clips were also sent to WPTV by an anonymous source who asked not to be identified but has connections to Olympian and dressage trainer Cesar Parra's farm in Jupiter Farms.
"There's been a lot of whispers, and once I started seeing the videos and had some inside information, we thought it was time," Petrik said.
According to an incident report from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, the videos were first reported to deputies by a man who also saw them online.
The report reads, "SUBJ (subject) is whipping the S/70S viciously & has the S/70S tied incorrectly around the necks."
Deputies said S/70S is referring to the horses in the video clips.
The report also said the caller told authorities the "subject's name is Dr. Cesar Parra."
The sheriff's office said the investigation is in the early stages.
No criminal charges have been filed against Parra or his farm.
The International Federation for Equestrian Sports sent WPTV the following statement:
"The FEI confirms that Dressage Athlete Cesar Parra (USA) (FEI ID 10000031) has been immediately provisionally suspended while the FEI investigates the disturbing and abhorrent images and videos in relation to his training techniques that have recently emerged. Equestrian sport is built on a foundation of respect for our equine partners, with a duty of care to ensure their mental and physical wellbeing comes first, ahead of all competition and/or training ambitions. Through the FEI's Rules and Regulations, the welfare of the horse, and any action or omission which causes or is likely to cause pain or unnecessary discomfort to a horse constitutes a violation of our rules and will be sanctioned. The FEI remains resolute in its commitment to upholding the highest standards of equine welfare and sanctioning behaviour which deviates from these principles, and will be actively investigating this case as a matter of urgency. As this is an open investigation, no further comment will be provided in relation to the alleged offences while the investigation is ongoing. The FEI is also collaborating and liaising with US Equestrian and the FEI’s provisional suspension and any subsequent sanctions will be recognised at the national levelThe FEI is committed to ensuring that horses involved in sport experience positive welfare throughout their lives, and that the FEI's regulations, policies and practices, as well as the wider community's actions reflect these principles, and we will continue to address actions and behaviours that are in contradiction with our values."
WPTV has stopped by Parra's farm several times over the past few weeks. It is gated, so our news crew was unable to get inside to ask him questions.
Our team has also left Parra several voicemails, but he has yet to return our calls.