Trust between rider and horse on display at the Paris Olympics shows the best of a sport that has been rocked by scandals | Calla Wahlquist

The oldest horse ever to compete at the Olympics , Forever Young Wundermaske, popped his rider out of the saddle going into the second water obstacle and loped off.

I felt a rush of joy at the partnership and trust between horse and rider to compete in such a difficult and dangerous sport.

The scandal that has grabbed the headlines is the suspension of British gold medal dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin .

The horse world is prone to falling into cliques, to the detriment of evidence and reasoned thinking on all sides.

There’s a certain amount of glee at top riders getting their comeuppance, as well as scorn from those who say only people who have ridden at the highest level should cast stones.

There was good horsemanship on show; far more good than bad.