Paris Olympics doubt for top Australian equestrian after ‘mankini’ ride, Rose ‘stood down’ after complaint
- Shane Rose stood down from competition for wearing the Borat-inspired attire at lighthearted showjumping event
- Three-time Olympic medallist wore the skimpy fluorescent orange outfit near Sydney
A leading Australian equestrian’s build-up to a fourth Olympics was thrown into disarray Sunday after he was stood down from competition for wearing a ‘mankini’ swimsuit during a showjumping event.
Three-time Olympic medallist Shane Rose wore the skimpy fluorescent orange outfit – popularised in the movie “Borat” – on his horse during a competition near Sydney last weekend where riders were encouraged to wear “extraordinary costumes”.
Rose, 50, said on social media he had been stood down by governing body Equestrian Australia (EA) while it conducts a review after receiving complaints.
“I am truly sorry if I have offended anyone,” Rose said on Facebook. “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.”
Equestrian Australia said in a statement that “as with any high performance athlete, Shane is bound by the High Performance and Equestrian Australia Codes of Conduct and Athlete Agreement”.