An Australian equestrian has been disqualified from competing for wearing a mankini during a show jumping event.
The place of three-time Olympic medalist Shane Rose in this year Paris games It came under suspicion after some at the event complained about him competing in revealing Borat-inspired outfits with children present.
Equestrian Australia said “concerns were raised” about the 50-year-old's “attire” during the event at Wallaby Hill near Sydney last weekend.
The authority said that it is “obligated to address these concerns and is currently reviewing the matter.”
Riders were encouraged to dress up for the event and Rose wore three outfits – a fluorescent orange mankini, a gorilla costume, and a Doveman costume from The Simpsons.
Al-Faris, who won team silver in the 2008 and 2020 Olympics and bronze in 2016, wrote on Facebook: “If my costume offends anyone, I am truly sorry because that was never my intention.”
He also added that he hoped the incident would not affect his preparations for the Olympics before later deleting the post.
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Rose said: “With any luck, this will be a laughing matter in a few days and we can all move on.
“I wore an outfit that you would see in a park or on the beach. And no one would probably wear it.” [a] Horse, but there you go.
“I think I'm a good person and I do a lot for the sport and for people in different situations. I don't feel like I've done anything particularly bad.
“In hindsight, I should have rethought what I did, but at the time I thought it was just a bit of fun.”
Rose dressed as Doofman from The Simpsons at the event Pic: Shane Rose/Instagram
Equestrian CEO AustraliaDarren Gosher said the complaint was made about how Rose was dressed and the fact that there were minors at the event.
“Whether it's one or 1,000, we have an obligation to review it,” he said.
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Equestrian Australia said in a statement that Rose is committed to Equestrian Australia's Code of Conduct and the Athlete Agreement, and expects to reach a resolution this week.
“To be clear, Shane has not been suspended or punished,” the statement read.
“As is usual in these circumstances for all high-performance athletes, he was ruled out of competition for several days while the review took place.
“This does not affect his ability to train or participate in the sport. Equestrian Australia has also encouraged Shane to provide a description of events if he wishes to do so.”
Many Olympic equestrian riders and people on social media accused Equestrian Australia of overreacting.
