Who is Heath Ryan? All about Olympic equestrian suspended over whipping horse 42 times

Heath Ryan, a 66-year-old Australian equestrian and Olympian, has found himself under fire after a video emerged of him whipping a horse 42 times.

The video, taken two years ago, led to widespread outrage after clips began to circulate on the YouTube channel “Dressage Hub” before it was pulled down. Equestrian Australia responded by initiating an inquiry and temporarily suspending Ryan’s membership.

Now 66, Health Ryan is a legend of the Australian equestrian scene. Born in Sydney, New South Wales, he made his Olympic debut at the age of 50 at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Competing in dressage, Heath Ryan finished 35th in the individual standings, and his team placed eighth for Australia. According to the reports by the Olympics, before his Olympic debut, he was an assistant coach to the Australian equestrian team at the 1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney, and 2004 Athens Olympic Games, helping guide the Australian eventing team to gold medals in Atlanta and Sydney.

Aside from his achievements as a competitor, Ryan is celebrated as a horse trainer who has taught countless riders, along with his wife, Rozzie Ryan, who is also a horse rider. They both spent a lifetime working at the New South Wales Equestrian Centre (NSWEC) at Lochinvar, where they trained countless generations of equestrian riders.

More about Heath Ryan's recent controversy

In the now-deleted video that sparked the outrage, Heath Ryan can be seen smacking a horse named Nico. Equestrian Australia said in a statement that the video was “extremely alarming” and is at odds with the organization’s commitment to high levels of animal welfare.

According to the group, these policies are in place to ensure both those taking part and any animals associated with the game are kept out of harm's way.

"Equestrian Australia’s Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy includes high standards to protect all participants and their horses against any adverse physical, social, and emotional conditions." They said.

Heath Ryan, who posted in response to his actions on Facebook, said he had been trying to save Nico, whom he referred to as “a problem child,” from being put down after being involved in a bad accident.

"Prior to this really bad accident Nico had always been a problem child and would just stop. This gradually got worse and worse until the accident." He wrote on Facebook.

He said the harsh punishments were actually in the best interest of the horse, and as a result, Nico had been successfully rehomed. “It’s a terrible scene!” Heath Ryan wrote in a message expressing regret that the scene had been recorded, but saying it was a matter of life or death for the horse.

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"I am so sad this was caught on video. If I had been thinking of myself I would have immediately just gotten off and sent Nico to the Knackery. That video was a life or death moment for Nico and of that I was very aware." He added.

The situation has sparked a wider discussion about training practices, animal welfare, and responsibility in equestrian sports. Ryan's suspension is ongoing as EA investigates the matter further.

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