BRITISH show jumper Ben Talbot (32) has announced that he will step back from the sport after he was handed a two-month suspension by the FEI following the alleged abuse of his horse, Everglade, at the four-star show in Gross Viegeln, Germany, last weekend.

A YouTube video showed Talbot repeatedly whipping and kicking the horse after he stopped at the water jump in a 1.45m two-phase competition. The nine-year-old gelding by Clinton, who has been seen under Talbot since December 2017, has now been removed by his owners.

A statement from the FEI said: “The FEI has today notified British jumping athlete Ben Talbot of a two-month suspension following receipt of a yellow warning card for abuse of horse and incorrect behaviour at last weekend’s CSI4* Groß Viegeln (GER). The athlete struck the horse Everglade with his whip a number of times and spurred him repeatedly after a refusal on course and the onsite Ground Jury reacted immediately, ringing the bell and calling the athlete up to the jury box on the public address system.

“The athlete was disqualified from the entire event with all his horses and asked to leave the showgrounds. The athlete was given a yellow warning card by the Groß Viegeln Ground Jury. As he had received a yellow warning card for incorrect behaviour at the CSI4* Arezzo (ITA) in April of this year, and in line with Article 169.7.2 of the FEI General Regulations, the athlete has now been suspended for two months from the date of notification (20 June 2018).”

Under Article 169.7.2, any athlete to receive more than one yellow warning card within one year will automatically be suspended for two months.

The horse had been eliminated or retired every day at the four-star show in Poznan, Poland the week before. A number of sponsors have cut ties with Talbot.

Speaking to Horse & Hound, Talbot said he has received death threats since the incident. “I don’t want this anymore. I don’t want the death threats. I had to close my Facebook page because of the multiple death threats – it’s been absolutely horrible. What I did was 100% wrong but people don’t see the back story, or what was going on around it. It’s a sport I love.”