Australian Olympic equestrian Shane Rose faced scrutiny for wearing unconventional costumes during a show jumping meet near Sydney.
Initially under investigation by Equestrian Australia, Rose’s attire, including a mankini and a gorilla costume, sparked controversy.
“With a bit of luck this will all be a bit of a laugh in a few days and we can all move on,” Rose said. “I wore a costume which you could see at a theme park or a beach. Potentially no one has done it on [a] horse, but there you go.”
Despite apologizing and being temporarily stood down from competition, the investigation concluded that he did not breach the code of conduct.
“I think I am a good person and I do a lot for the sport, and for people in different situations. I don’t feel like I have done anything particularly bad. In hindsight, I should have re-thought what I did, but at the time I thought it was just a bit of fun,” Rose wrote.
Equestrian Australia confirmed no wrongdoing, emphasizing the need for high standards in the sport.
“Equestrian Australia has an obligation to look into any concerns of this nature that comes from the community,” Equestrian Australia CEO Darren Gocher stated. “Having now thoroughly reviewed the incident and spoken to relevant parties, Equestrian Australia has confirmed that there was no breach of the code of conduct by Shane Rose.
One of our Olympic equestrian riders is jumping for joy after being cleared of any wrongdoing for wearing a mankini in competition.
The risqué outfit was meant for fun – but one spectator took offence, putting Shane Rose's Paris Games hopes in jeopardy. #9News @DamoNews #9News pic.twitter.com/OXgJMSnGfo
— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) February 19, 2024
“We take the recommendations on board and will move quickly to ensure the relevant actions are taken.”
Gocher noted that Rose apologized and “understands the high standards expected of everyone involved in our High Performance program.”
“With the matter now resolved, Shane and his teammates are now looking forward to continuing to focus their attention on qualifying for Paris,” Gocher said.
Rose, a multiple medalist, including silver in 2008 and 2020, and bronze in 2016, looks ahead to qualifying for Paris.
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