Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty
Kaley Cuoco is speaking out about the headline-making incident at theTokyo Olympicsinvolving a German modern pentathlon who hit a horse with her fist during the Aug. 6 competition.
TheFlight Attendantactress and avid equestrian — who is married tohorse trainer Karl Cook— shared a series of impassioned Instagram Stories on Friday condemning the coach and offering to buy the abused horse, Saint Boy.
“I feel it’s my duty and heart to comment on this disgrace,” Cuoco wrote. “This is not Olympic show jumping. This is a disgusting, classless, abusive representation of our sport in so many ways. This team should be ashamed of themselves.”
Alongside her words were photos of rider Annika Schleu, crying while struggling to get Saint Boy to jump at Friday’s competition.
“You and your team did not do your country proud or this sport. You make us look bad,” Cuoco wrote. “Shame on you and godspeed to any animal that comes in contact with you.”
“Pure classless behavior right here. Disgusting on all levels. This is not our sport. This does not represent our sport,” Cuoco said in another post. “This rider and her ‘trainer’ are a disgrace.”
Later, Cuoco clarified that she “wasn’t kidding,” sharing news stories of her offer.
Dan Mullan/Getty
The governing body for the modern pentathlon event, the UIPM, released astatementon Saturday regarding the incident, revealing that Raisner would not be able to participate in any additional events, including Saturday’s men’s individual competition.
Prior to the UIPM’s statement, Germany’s Olympic team chief Alfons Hoermann had already said she had been pulled out of the men’s individual competition.
“We were all in agreement that the coach will not be at the competition on Saturday,” he said, perReuters.
“We also consider that an urgent review of the incident is necessary, especially in terms of animal protection, and that the national and international federations draw their conclusions,” Hoermann added.
Kaley Cuoco and her horse Bionetty.Kaley Cuoco/instagram
Themodern pentathloncontains five different events: fencing, freestyle swimming, equestrian show jumping, and a final combined event of pistol shooting and cross country running. For show jumping, the athletes do not use their own horses but rather draw one at random and are given 20 minutes to warm up with it before the competition.
Horse-riding is a huge part of Cuoco’s life. She’s been riding horses since childhood, and met Cook at an equestrian competition in 2016.
The actressowns several horses, and often shows them off on social media.
It’s something she has in common withFlight Attendantcostar Zosia Mamet, who on Friday documented the experience of flying her horse from New Jersey to California, where she and Cuoco will be filming season 2 of the acclaimed HBO Max show.
source: people.com
