A triple Olympic medal winning equestrian rider who has been stood down after a video emerged of him riding a horse wearing nothing but a mankini has apologised for the cheeky stunt.
But Shane Rose, 50, doesn’t believe it was ‘overly offensive’.
Mr Rose posted the revealing footage to Facebook after competing in a fancy dress competition at the Wallaby Hill Extravaganza in the NSW Southern Highlands last weekend.
The footage showed a delighted Rose donning only a fluorescent orange mankini, helmet, boots and a cheeky smile on his face as he rode across the arena, much to the amusement of onlookers, including one man who yelled out ‘that’s Australian’.
However, the stunt ‘offended’ some attendees which prompted a complaint to the Equestrian Australia (EA) and Sports Integrity Australia.
The three-time Olympian has stood down from further events while an investigation into the incident takes place.
Rose’s hopes of competing at a fourth Olympics in Paris and winning that elusive gold medal are now limbo, having previously won two silvers and a bronze.
Australian equestrian legend, Shane Rose, has had his Olympics hopes put in limbo after he was filmed riding a horse in a mankini at an event on February 11 (pictured)
Taking to Facebook shortly after EA’s decision, Mr Rose apologised for his actions and took down the video so it could not be ‘escalated any more’.
‘If my costumes offended anyone I am truly sorry as this was never my intention, I would like to apologise to anyone that I offended,’ he wrote.
‘I will no longer take part in these types of events to ensure I do not cause similar issues in the future.
‘I hope that the result of the EA review allows me to return to competition and not affect my campaign towards the Paris Olympic Games.’
Rose later removed the statement and issued a much shorter message.
‘It is not my intention to have this issue escalated any more so my previous post has been removed,’ he posted.
Rose currently has three horses qualified for the Paris Olympics and is regarded as a strong chance to compete at his fourth Games.
‘Hopefully it shouldn’t affect me if it goes my way,’ he told The Daily Telegraph.
‘In a few days (I hope) we can move on and laugh about it.
‘I don’t think I’ve done anything overly offensive. I can understand others might not feel the same.’
‘I’m very focussed on my training towards Paris and confident the team is shaping up as a competitive chance.’
In a statement released on Sunday, EA said it had an obligation to uphold codes of conduct which Mr Rose is bound by and are ‘reviewing the matter’.
‘To be clear, Shane has not been suspended or sanctioned. As is usual in these circumstances for all high performance athletes, he has been stood down from competition for several days while the review is carried out,’ the statement reads.
‘This process should take no more than a matter of days and we expect a resolution in the coming week.
‘Equestrian Australia is dedicated to supporting our athletes in their Olympic campaign and works collaboratively with them to achieve their Olympic dreams.’
Having won three medals at three prior Olympic Games, Mr Rose (pictured) can not perform at any events until an investigation by Equestrian Australia is concluded
After taking down the video from his Facebook, Mr Rose (pictured with wife Nikki) apologised for his actions and to anyone he offended
The decision has shocked the Australian equestrian community.
Many has leapt to Rose’s defence and labelled EA’s ruling ‘rash and over-the-top’.
A petition on Change.org objecting the EA decision to stand Rose down has already gained almost 10,000 signatures.
‘Shane Rose has dedicated his life to equestrian sport and the equestrian community,’ the petition reads.
‘He is also one of our most successful athletes.’
The petition also requested for clarity on what rule Mr Rose had broken during the event and stated the outfit is ‘no different to what’s seen on many an Aussie beach’.
Rose previously competed at the 2008 Games in Beijing, 2016 in Rio and 2020 in Tokyo.
His two silver and one bronze medals were won in team eventing.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
