Alessandra Reich reported by PETA and banned by the OEPS on suspicion of violating the Animal Welfare Act

As reported by the Austrian Equestrian Sports Federation OEPS, Alessandra Reich, European Championship bronze medal winner with the 2023 team, has been provisionally banned for three months. The background to this is videos of several competitions at the Sunshine Tour in Spain, which allegedly show the 29-year-old hitting horses on the head and neck with a riding crop.

The association’s website states:

On April 23, 2026, the Penalty Committee of the Austrian Equestrian Sports Federation (OEPS) imposed a provisional measure against the rider Alessandra Reich (D-87740 Buxheim) in accordance with § 2021 ÖTO.

Alessandra REICH is banned from participating in equestrian events for a period of three months and is to be banned from all competition venues. Her license is suspended for the duration of the ban.

The measure is based on allegations of a disciplinary offense pursuant to § 2011 ÖTO Z 2 (2.1, 2.2 and 2.4), according to which the accused is alleged to have treated horses inappropriately by repeatedly hitting them on the head and neck with a riding crop at several competitions of the Sunshine Tour in Spain/Andalusia, thereby massively damaging the reputation of equestrian sport.

Disciplinary proceedings were initiated immediately after the allegations became known. The provisional measure applies with immediate effect.

The actual sanction has therefore not yet been imposed.

FN joins

The German FN has announced that Alessandra Reich’s provisional ban also applies in Germany. “With this decision, the German Equestrian Federation is following the principle of mutual recognition of sports law measures within organized equestrian sport and is thus sending a clear signal for the protection of horse welfare. The humane treatment of horses is an indispensable foundation of our sport and has top priority. Equestrian Sport Germany is in close contact with the OEPS and will follow the further course of the proceedings.”

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On 21 April, the PETA organization published an article stating that it had filed charges against Alessandra Reich with the Munich II public prosecutor’s office on 9 March on suspicion of violating the Animal Welfare Act. However, the background to the complaint is not the incidents in Spain, as the German judiciary is not responsible for this. However, Reich was also filmed hitting a horse with a riding crop at a tournament in Munich in September 2025.