Three-time Olympic medalist Shane Rose of Australia has been removed from competition after wearing a mankini during show jumping.
Equestrian Australia said it had “raised concerns” about the 50-year-old's “attire” during an event at Wallaby Hill near Sydney last weekend.
The governing body said: “We have a duty to address these concerns and are currently considering the matter.”
Riders were encouraged to wear costumes at the event.
Rose, a Paris 2024 contender, wore three outfits: a fluorescent orange mankini, a gorilla costume and a Simpsons' Duff Man costume.
He wrote on Facebook: “If my costume made anyone uncomfortable, I am truly sorry as this was not my intention.”
He also said he hoped the incident would not affect Olympic preparations.
He later deleted the post to defuse the issue.
Rose, who won team night silver medals at the 2008 and 2020 Olympics and bronze in 2016, told the Sydney Malling Herald., external He hoped the situation would be resolved soon.
“With a little bit of luck, within a few days it will be a laughing matter and we can move on,” he said.
“I dressed up in costumes that you would see at a theme park or at the beach. Maybe no one has ever done that before.” [a] It's a horse, but that's about it.
“I think I'm a good person and I do a lot for the sport and for people in different situations. I don't think I've done anything particularly bad.
“In hindsight, I should have reconsidered what I had done, but at the time I thought it was just for fun.”
Equestrian Australia CEO Darren Gotcher said complaints were made about Rose's attire and the fact that there were minors at the event.
“Even if it's just one [complaint] Or if it's 1,000 people, we have an obligation to review that,” he said.
Equestrian Australia said in a statement that Mr Rose was bound by the High Performance and Equestrian Australia Code of Conduct and the Athlete Agreement and expected a resolution to be reached this week.
“To be clear, Shane has not been suspended or sanctioned.”
“As is common with high-performance athletes in these situations, he will be away from competition for several days while the review is carried out.
“This does not affect his ability to train or participate in sport and Equestrian Australia encourages Shane to provide a description of the event if he wishes.”
Several Olympic equestrian athletes have accused Equestrian Australia of overreacting.
