Lyndal Oatley withdraws from Tokyo 2020 contention

Please see below a statement issued today by dressage rider Lyndal Oatley regarding the withdrawal of her horses Elvive and Eros from Tokyo 2020 contention. 

 

“It is with great disappointment that I announce I have made the difficult decision, in consultation with my family and husband/trainer, to withdraw my horses Elvive and Eros from Tokyo 2020 Olympic contention.

To represent your country at the Olympic Games is the ultimate goal and a privilege for any athlete. However, the impact of Covid-19 has presented significant challenges and has placed constraints on our preparation.

 Although both horses have qualified for the Games, Elvive and Eros are inexperienced at international level. While they show great promise for the future I feel it’s too much to ask of both horses to be in the form I would want them to be in for the Games. My horses’ wellbeing will always come first, and we will instead look ahead to the World Equestrian Games in 2022.

I have notified EA High Performance and the Australian National Selectors directly, and everyone has been understanding and supportive of my decision. I will be cheering on our Australian team and all those competing at Tokyo 2020 from afar and wish all horses, athletes and teams a safe and successful Olympic Games.

I would like to thank my family, EA High Performance, the National Federation, our team Chef d’Equipe and the entire Australian equestrian community for all their continued support throughout our journey.”

– Lyndal Oatley