Kaley Cuoco Offers to Buy Olympic Horse Punched by 'Classless' Coach in Tokyo
Not every story out of the Tokyo Olympics had a feel-good spin, and one that was quite [...]
Not every story out of the Tokyo Olympics had a feel-good spin, and one that was quite uncomfortable occurred during the modern pentathlon event. German coach Kim Raisner was reprimanded after punching a horse, Saint Boy, when he refused to jump for his rider, Annika Schleu. The incident drew quite the public firestorm, and The Big Bang Theory actress Kaley Cuoco has responded to the incident by offering to buy the horse. Cuoco, who is a competitive equestrian, addressed Raisner's actions on her Instagram story.
"I feel it's my duty and heart to comment on this disgrace," Cuoco wrote. "This is not Olympic showjumping. This is a disgusting, classless, abusive representation of our sport in so many ways. This team should be ashamed of themselves." Cuoco also shared the viral photo of Schleu sobbing while riding Saint Boy on the course. "You and your team did not do your country proud or this sport," she continued. "You make us look bad. Shame on you and godspeed to any animal that comes in contact with you." Cuoco said the incident was "pure classless behavior" and "disgusting on all levels."
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"This is not our sport. This does not represent our sport," the star of The Flight Attendant wrote, before adding "this 'rider' and her 'trainer' are a disgrace." After condemning the behavior, Cuoco offered to buy Saint Boy and give him a new home. "I'll buy that horse outright and show it the life it should have. Name your price," Cuoco said, before sharing a number of Instagram posts encouraging her decision to speak out.
According to reports, Raisner was allegedly seen hitting Saint Boy before Schleu entered the showjumping arena. The executive board (EB) of the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) addressed the incident in a statement. "The EB reviewed video footage that showed Ms Raisner appearing to strike the horse Saint Boy, ridden by Annika Schleu, with her fist during the riding discipline of the women's modern pentathlon competition," they said."Her actions were deemed to be in violation of the UIPM competition rules, which are applied to all recognized modern pentathlon competitions including the Olympic Games."
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