The Australian showjumper Shane Rose has been stood down from competition after wearing a mankini during an equestrian event in Sydney.
Rose, a three-time Olympic medallist, has apologised for any offence caused by his outfit choice at the fancy dress event at Wallaby Hill last weekend. Equestrian Australia is reviewing the matter after concerns were raised about Rose’s unusual attire, but the governing body said he has not been suspended.
The 50-year-old sported three outfits at the event, where riders were encouraged to wear fancy dress. Rose entered the arena in a gorilla suit, a Duffman outfit inspired by the Simpsons – and the mankini, a skimpy swimwear item popularised by Sacha Baron Cohen’s comedy character Borat.
“I took part in this fancy dress competition with the aim of providing lighthearted entertainment for those in attendance,” Rose wrote in a Facebook post, which was later deleted. “If my costume/s offended anyone I am truly sorry as this was never my intention. I would like to apologise to anyone that I offended.”
Rose won team‑eventing silver at the 2008 and 2020 Olympics and bronze in 2016, and is hoping to represent his country again at the Paris Games this summer. He said he hoped the incident would not affect his Olympic preparation, while expressing a desire for the situation to be resolved quickly.
“With a bit of luck this will all be a bit of a laugh in a few days and we can all move on,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald. “I wore a costume which you could see at a theme park or a beach. Potentially no one has done it on [a] horse, but there you go.
“I think I am a good person and I do a lot for the sport, and for people in different situations. I don’t feel like I have done anything particularly bad. In hindsight, I should have rethought what I did but, at the time, I thought it was just a bit of fun.”
The Equestrian Australia chief executive, Darren Gocher, said a complaint was made about how Rose was dressed and that there were children at the event. “Whether it is one [complaint] or 1,000, we have an obligation to review it,” he said.
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“He hasn’t been sanctioned, he hasn’t been suspended. He has been stood down from competition while we review and we have committed to getting the review done this week.” Gocher said.
Several members of the equestrian community were not impressed with Rose being stood down. Many have posted messages in support of the rider, while some changed their Facebook profile pictures to Borat in a show of solidarity.