Patrik Kittel

Patrik Kittel
Kittel in 2018
Personal information
Full namePatrik Alexander Kittel
Born (1976-06-10) 10 June 1976
Österåker, Sweden
Height186 cm (6 ft 1 in)
SpouseLyndal Oatley
Medal record
Equestrian
Representing  Sweden
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place2011 RotterdamFreestyle dressage
Bronze medal – third place2017 GothenburgTeam dressage
Bronze medal – third place2019 RotterdamTeam dressage
World Cup
Gold medal – first place2024 RiyadhIndividual dressage

Patrik Alexander Kittel (born 10 June 1976) is a Swedish dressage rider. He was born in Stockholm. He competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he placed fourth in team dressage.[1] At the 2012 Summer Olympics he competed in the team dressage events and qualified for the Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle, finishing 14th.[2]

In 2024, Kittel was chosen to represent Sweden at the 2024 Olympic Games, where he placed 14th in the individual competition.[3]

Controversy

In 2009, a video of Kittel riding Watermill Scandic using rollkur, or hyperflexion of the horse's neck during warm up at a competition in Denmark caused international outcry.[4] The horse's tongue appeared to turn blue as a result of the maneuver, leading to the "blue-tongue scandal".[5] Tens of thousands of letters in protest were sent to dressage's world governing body, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI), who banned the practice of rollkur after public pressure.[6][7][8] At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Kittel was pictured riding Scandic in rollkur in the warm up prior to the competition.[9][10] In response to public outcry, the FEI reported the images were taken during an "inopportune moment".[11][10][12]

In 2024, Kittel was pictured riding in competitions in Amsterdam and Neumünster where his horse's tongue was noticeably blue, suggesting his mount was in pain and had lost oxygen.[13] The FEI claimed to be looking into the allegations.[14] At the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, Kittel's horse Touchdown was again pictured with a blue tongue.[15] When asked about the incident, Göran Åkerström, the International Equestrian Federation chief veterinarian said a blue tongue was unacceptable.[16]

Personal life

He is married to Australian dressage rider Lyndal Oatley.[17]

References

  1. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Patrik Kittel". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "Patrik Kittel". London 2012 Olympics. Archived from the original on 1 May 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  3. ↑ "TNT Sports is not available in your region". eurosport.com. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  4. ↑ "At the Heart of the Matter at the 2009 Global Dressage Forum". Eurodressage. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  5. ↑ McVeigh, Tracy (3 January 2010). "Olympics row over horse 'cruelty'". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  6. ↑ MacArthur, Jenny (10 February 2010). "Public outcry brings ban on controversial equestrian warm-up". The Times. Archived from the original on 3 June 2010.
  7. ↑ Butcher, Abigail (12 November 2009). "Rollkur row under discussion by FEI". Horse and Hound. Archived from the original on 11 September 2010.
  8. ↑ ""I've had hate mail" days dressage rider at centre of blue tongue row". Horse and Hound. 6 November 2009.
  9. ↑ "Patrik Kittel trainiert nicht mehr mit Sjef Janssen -". St.GEORG. 1 November 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  10. 1 2 StraightArrow (5 August 2012). "Controversial Photos Cast Shadow Over Olympic Dressage". Dressage-News. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  11. ↑ "Rollkur: Is It Really That Bad?!". Tack N Tails. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  12. ↑ Nyheter, S. V. T. (3 August 2012). "Kittel anklagas för plågeri". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  13. ↑ "Patrik Kittel's horse lost oxygen: "The tongue is blue-purple"". aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). 21 March 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  14. ↑ StraightArrow (22 March 2024). "FEI "Actively Looking Into" Swedish Newspaper Report on "Blue Tongue" in Horses Competed by 3 of World's Top Dressage Riders". Dressage-News. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  15. ↑ "The Swede's horse had a blue tongue: "Unacceptable" | Sweden Herald". swedenherald.se. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  16. ↑ "Svenskens häst hade blå tunga: "Oacceptabelt"". aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). 5 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  17. ↑ Kelly, Eugenie (23 March 2022). "Lyndal Oatley's German fairytale". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
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