Old case highlights confusion in curtailing Olympic abuse

Judges, event organizers and riders were caught off-guard earlier this year when a well-known equestrian judge got booted out of one of the year’s biggest horse shows.

The judge’s name had been flagged by the U.S. Center for SafeSport because he pleaded guilty to misdemeanour sex assault five years earlier.

Had he been working as a trainer, however, his case may have never been discovered. Trainers, who have the most direct contact with young riders, are considered independent contractors, while judges, who don’t have as much contact with competitors, are subject to the equestrian federation’s full vetting process.

The case at the Devon Horse Show over Memorial Day offers an eye-opening window into some of the difficulties and unintended consequences presented by the U.S. Olympic movement’s mission to combat sex-abuse.