Sexual harassment claim jumper failed to clear, until now

After two years of inaction, promising young show rider, Kate Crauford, 21, is now taking a sexual harassment complaint to the Human Rights Commission.

Kate Crauford. Picture: Supplied

After two years of inaction, a promising rider is now taking a sexual harassment complaint to the Human Rights Commission.

A young equestrian rider claims she was sexually harassed and groomed by a state show jumping selector during an “unfathomably stressful” 1244km journey from Mt Gambier to Sydney in December 2020 in which the alleged harasser also allegedly kicked his horse in the head.

Kate Crauford, 21, has taken her claims against the man to the Australian Human Rights Commission after she says multiple complaints were not adequately addressed by Equestrian South Australia or the national body despite repeated requests by her and her mother, Sophie, over a period of more than 20 months. 

Equestrian Australia and Equestrian South Australia are also listed as respondents in the human rights submission. 

The complaints about the man include him allegedly “squatting/laying over the complainant on her bed”, sending “inappropriate” texts ending in a kiss, referring to Crauford as “the hot young girl”, rubbing her leg while she was driving in heavy traffic, standing in the doorway semi-naked with a towel around his waist and “forcing” her to hug him after she raised concerns about his behaviour. 

Crauford had just turned 20 at the time of the alleged sexual harassment and the accused was more than two decades older.

The alleged harasser was a serving member of the South Australian State Showjumping Committee and a state selector at the time.

The Oz is not suggesting the allegations about him are true, only that they have been made.

The man told The Oz he denies the allegations “100%”.

Talented young rider Kate Crauford. Picture: Supplied

Crauford's 53-page personal statement to the commission outlines a series of complaints and allegations of inappropriate conduct.

Crauford set out for Sydney from South Australia on December 1, 2020 after she agreed to help the alleged harasser transport him and his horse in her trailer to a showjumping competition. During the journey Kate alleges the man's behaviour grew increasingly inappropriate.

In one instance she writes she felt paralysed after the man allegedly walked into her room and “squatted” over her on her bed.

“After dinner I am laying on my bed, on my laptop researching the draw for the Sydney Jump Club beginning the next day when [redacted] enters my room squatting/laying on the bed half over me just looking at my screen,” she claims. 

“I lay still feeling extremely uncomfortable, almost paralysed. I can’t move. When I finally realise I need to do something to remove myself from the situation, I very intently look at [redacted] and question what he’s doing. He has no response except to stand up and motion towards the door. Where he then stands in my doorway for approximately 60 seconds just staring at me, not saying anything.”

She also alleges the man was cruel to his horse, kicking it in the head and engaging in an illegal practice called “rapping” where a horse is struck in the leg to make it jump higher. 

“As I was going over the trot poles, he would kick the rail up into [redacted's] knees. Shocked by this I continue to do my flatworm before I’m asked to go through them again … This experience upset me for not only is it extremely cruel, but also very illegal and I had unknowingly been dragged into it and publicly on someone else’s property.” 

Things came to a head on December 4 when they had an argument that ended with Crauford calling her mother.

She asked her mum to immediately travel from regional South Australia to Sydney because she didn’t feel comfortable being alone with the man. 

“This man manipulated his way onto my trailer with bad intentions making me feel uncomfortable, unsafe and affecting my level of confidence,” Kate‘s signed statement reads. “No other young girls (or boys) should be involved with such a manipulative, childish man that behaves inappropriately as well as cruel”.

Sophie told The Oz she felt compelled to speak out because the man was still riding and she didn’t want other young equestrian enthusiasts to find themselves in the same position. 

It also states within the human rights commission submission that after lodging complaints with Equestrian South Australia, Sophie felt as though the man then discriminated against her daughter by backflipping on his decision to select her for a prestigious Youth Development Program.

Emails seen by The Oz confirm Crauford was originally one of the man's picks for the scholarship before he changed his mind. 

Crauford's mum also writes in the HRC complaint she is concerned neither Equestrian South Australia nor Equestrian Australia have ever spoken to her daughter about her sexual harassment allegations. 

“They have never asked if she’s okay. They have never interviewed her about anything,” she writes. “I think this in itself is disturbing/ And now EA have advised that they do not intend speaking with Kate.”

“This complaint could be resolved if EA acted more efficiently with the handling of the complaint. I would like the Human Rights Commission to oversee the conduct of EA so that this complaint is dealt with ASAP. Twenty months for handing such a serious complaint is a disgrace.”

A spokesman for Equestrian Australia told The Oz the matter was handled under the old member protection policy. 

“Last year, we recognised the need to update and improve the MPP, which is the reason we partnered with SIA (Sport Integrity Australia) and were one of the first sports to register under the National Integrity framework, and adopted the NIF MPP,” a spokesman said.

“We have spent a lot of time improving and strengthening policies and believe the current policy and process is strong.”

The Oz understands that while Equestrian Australia investigated three separate complaints from Crauford and two other women regarding the man‘s behaviour on social media, the sexual harassment claims have not yet been explored. 

Attempts to take the complaints to the National Sport Tribunal were ultimately blocked by the alleged harasser as this mechanism requires both parties to be willing participants.

Equestrian South Australia had conducted its own tribunal in June 2021, which was dismissed after it “ran out of time” to make a decision.

“As at the date of this letter, the Tribunal has not reached a determination of the complaints it was asked to consider,” a letter from Equestrian South Australia to Crauford reads.

“The Tribunal is now out of time. As such, these proceedings have closed with no outcome having been reached. Given that no outcome has been reached, there is not right of appeal.”

The Craufords found this unsatisfactory and continued to lobby the state and national body for action. 

A year later, on July 25, 2022 Sophie received a letter from Equestrian Australia advising her the alleged harasser had been sanctioned for three months over three different complaints that did not include Kate‘s original sexual harassment claims. 

These involved breaches of EA‘s Code of Conduct, Social Media Policy and State Squad Agreement. These sanctions were never made public.

Two weeks later Equestrian Australia was taken to the SA Supreme Court by the man where he is fighting for an injunction against the suspension. He has asked the court to restrain Equestrian Australia from sending the animal cruelty and sexual harassment complaints to a tribunal.

Kate Crauford has since moved to America where she works as a riding trainer. Picture: supplied

A spokesman for Equestrian Australia told The Oz the Craufords' complaints were referred to the national body in "late 2021" when a resolution "couldn’t be reached.”

“Since then, the matter has undergone a thorough process,” he said.

But the Craufords claim Equestrian Australia was copied into their first letter of complaint more than a year earlier on December 23, 2020. 

The Equestrian Australia spokesman also told The Oz the alleged victim was offered support by one of its employees after the national body took carriage of the issue from the South Australian arm.

"There has since been numerous and regular communication with the alleged victim and their family," the spokesman said. 

“All parties want to make sure the process is proper and follows the policy. EA and ESA takes these complaints extremely seriously and want to ensure they are being handled properly and thoroughly.”

The Craufords contacted SA Police about the matter in early 2021 but were told they would need to contact their NSW counterparts as that was where the alleged sexual harassment had taken place. 

On contacting Windsor police station in Sydney’s northwest they were told they would have to make the complaint in person, but by that time the South Australian border was shut due to Covid. That‘s when the Craufords decided to lodge a complaint through Equestrian Australia’s member protection policies. 

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