Sir Mark Todd faces a British Horseracing Authority (BHA) probe after a video of the Olympian-turned-trainer repeatedly hitting a horse appeared on social media.
The footage, believed to be two years old, shows the New Zealander, who won eventing gold at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 and at Seoul four years later, striking a reluctant horse on the rear 10 times with a branch in order to make it cross a water obstacle.
As the animal consents to enter the water, cheering can be heard in the background – but the video sparked widespread outrage when it was published on Saturday.
