A Canadian equestrian rider’s horse has been disqualified from Olympic competition with what team officials say is just a scratch.
Tiffany Foster’s horse Victor was found to have hypersensitivity in the left front leg by competition veterinarians shortly before the individual and team jumping events began Sunday.
Greenwich Park - site of showjumping competition
Tiffany Foster’s horse Victor was found to have hypersensitivity in the left front leg by competition veterinarians shortly before the individual and team jumping events.
Team captain Eric Lamaze accused judges of "destroying Tiffany's dream." Lamaze added: "The horse was only sensitive on that cut, which is normal, but it was not something that could put him in danger of jumping and it was not something that was going to make him gain an advantage in jumping.
“This is something the horse did in the stall, which any horse could do, and they have destroyed Tiffany's Olympic dream."
Canada lodged a protest but decisions on injuries cannot be overturned.
In a statement, the Federation Equestre International [FEI] said: "The Canadian horse Victor, ridden by Tiffany Foster, has been disqualified under the FEI's hypersensitivity protocol due to an area of clear and obvious hypersensitivity on the front of the left forelimb.
"There is no accusation of malpractice, but the horse has been deemed unfit to compete by the Ground Jury."
The decision was announced just 15 minutes before Foster was due to began the first round of the team showjumping competition and Foster, who was competing in her first Olympic Games, left the arena in tears.