Sumo wrestler's butt spooks horses, statue removed from Olympic course

Kellen Forrest
·Writer
·2 min read
A sumo statue was apparently wreaking havoc during an equestrian event. (Photos via Getty)
A sumo statue was apparently wreaking havoc during an equestrian event. (Photos via Getty)

Sumo wrestling is not an official Olympic sport, but that didn’t stop the traditional Japanese activity from making some headlines at the Tokyo Games.

During the qualifying rounds of the equestrian show jumping events, some riders believed their horses may have been spooked by an incredibly realistic statue of a sumo wrestler.

The worst part about the ordeal is that it wasn’t the front of the statue causing the issues.

When the competitors approached obstacle No. 10, they and their steeds had a lot to take in.

“As you come around you see a big guy’s (butt),” British rider Harry Charles told the Associated Press.

“It is very realistic,” added Israel’s Teddy Vlock.

And while realism is often applauded when it comes to artistic endeavours, when it spooks the animal you’re relying on to win a medal for your country, it’s understandable that some riders were upset with the placement of the statue.

“You know, horses don’t want to see a guy, like, looking intense next to a jump, looking like he’s ready to fight you,” Vlock continued.

Seems like a fair complaint.

However, some riders had no problems with the statue, saying it is something to be expected at the Olympic Games.

“You know it’s going to be colourful coming here,” Britain’s Scott Brash said of the Sumo controversy. “You know it’s going to be decorative. And it’s beautiful, you know? It’s fantastic. That’s what makes it a championship. If it was just plain old jumps, it’d be just like any other week.”

The statue was replaced by a samurai and jumbo sushi on Friday, but officials said it was a part of a scheduled change to the course, rather than succumbing to rider complaints.

It seems far-fetched that Olympic medal hopes were dashed by a plastic butt, but at Tokyo 2020, that may have very well been the case.

More from Yahoo Sports

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • BBC’s Clive Myrie reacts to Huw Edwards’ resignation

    BBC’s Clive Myrie has responded to Huw Edwards’ resignation on Good Morning Britain.

  • Biden to announce preliminary deal with Micron for up to $6.14 billion in chip grants

    U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Syracuse, New York, on Thursday to announce a preliminary agreement with memory chip maker Micron Technology for up to $6.14 billion in subsidies for two chip factories, the White House said. The agreement signed by the U.S. Commerce Department will fund facilities in New York and Idaho under the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to boost domestic manufacturing of chips and reduce reliance on supplies from China and Taiwan. The Commerce Department said the federal grants would support the construction of a fabrication plant, or fab, in Clay, New York, a first step toward Micron's plans to invest about $100 billion in New York and create 13,500 jobs.

  • Should Americans be worried about the border? The first Texas border czar says yes.

    Cartels weaponize immigration by controlling the flow of migrants across America's southern border, Texas' border czar Mike Banks says.

  • As Biden celebrates computer chip factories, voters wait for the promised production to start

    President Joe Biden has a great economic story to tell voters a decade from now, less so in 2024. On Thursday, the Democratic president will head to upstate New York to celebrate Micron Technology's plans to build a campus of computer chip factories made possible in part with government support. Staring down a rematch with Republican Donald Trump, Biden is asking voters to believe in a vision for the U.S. economy that is still largely a promise.

  • Will I get seasick on a cruise? Here's what travelers should know.

    Getting seasick can put a damper on a cruise, but there are ways to keep it from ruining your trip.

  • AI spending worries cast gloom over Alphabet, Microsoft

    Investors appear to be losing patience with Big Tech's prodigious artificial intelligence investments this week after Meta Platforms signaled deeper spending and a long road to profitability. The concession from Meta in its quarterly report late on Wednesday cast a cloud over Microsoft and Alphabet, which will both report quarterly earnings on Thursday. Meta's stock sank 15% in extended trade after it forecast higher AI spending next year, while Microsoft was down 2%, Alphabet fell 3% and Nvidia dropped 1.4% in reaction.

  • Meta AI spending plans cause share price slump

    Investors react badly to the Facebook and WhatsApp owner spending more than anticipated on AI.

  • Toyota pilots EV pickup trucks in key Thai market

    Toyota launched a public transport pilot on Thursday with nine fully electric Hilux Revo pickup trucks in Thailand, a key Southeast Asian battleground for electric vehicles where Chinese players are challenging the dominance of Japanese automakers. "The battery EV Revo have been modified into song-taews for public transportation," Toyota Motor Thailand Executive Vice President Surapoom Udomwong said Thursday, referring to the pickup trucks that have been re-purposed for public transit.

  • Pack it up, pack it in: average snowpack in province favours West Kootenay

    The West Kootenay is the wet Kootenay compared to the rest of the province when it comes to snow accumulation this spring. According to the Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin — issued by the B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship on April 1 — the West Kootenay region was sitting at 72 per cent of normal. That figure is one of the highest in the province, with the provincial average sitting at a paltry 63 per cent — last year it was 88 per cent — the lowest average snowpack sinc

  • Riot police clash with pro-Palestine protesters on college campuses across US

    Riot police clashed with pro-Palestine protesters as they were ordered to clear college campus demonstrations that have spread across the US.

  • London travel news LIVE: Euston rush-hour disruption after train hits obstruction near Watford Junction

    Disruption has hit the morning rush-hour on Thursday after a train crashed into an obstruction near Watford. Trains to and from Euston are among those affected. National Rail warns trains are having to run at reduced speeds on the line towards Milton Keynes Central.

  • Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool do not deserve to win Premier League title

    Jurgen Klopp’s final season is likely to end with just the Carabao Cup.

  • Ship comes under attack off coast of Yemen as Houthi rebel campaign appears to gain new speed

    JERUSALEM (AP) — A ship traveling in the Gulf of Aden came under attack Thursday, officials said, the latest assault likely carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels over Israel's ongoing war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The attack comes after the U.S. military said early Thursday an allied warship shot down a Houthi missile targeting a vessel the day before near the same area. The Houthis claimed that Wednesday assault, which comes after a period of relatively few rebel attacks on shipping in the reg

  • Biden has a favorite stop when he hits the road: chipmaking plants

    Visiting chipmakers has become one of President Biden's most common reasons for getting on the road. He will do so again Thursday as he travels to Syracuse to award Micron $6 billion in federal money.

  • More people prefer cow’s milk over plant-based milks, new Yahoo/YouGov poll finds. Here’s what nutritionists think about that.

    Whole milk and 2% cow’s milk emerged as the top choices of milk, beating out plant-based milk.

  • Jay Baruchel, Caitlin Cronenberg explore morality of murder in 'Humane'

    Star Jay Baruchel and director Caitlin Cronenberg discuss their characters' reactions to a fictional global crisis in "Humane," in theaters Friday.

  • Movie review: 'Idea of You' never finds its groove

    "The Idea of You," on Prime Video May 2, follows in the footsteps of "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" and "Notting Hill" but does not live up to either film.

  • Republican Senator Rubio calls for blocking of all US sales to Huawei

    Republican China hardliner Marco Rubio is calling on the Biden administration to block all sales to Huawei after the sanctioned Chinese tech company released a new AI-enabled laptop powered by an Intel AI processor chip. The release of Huawei's first AI-enabled laptop, the MateBook X Pro powered by Intel's new Core Ultra 9 processor, last week drew fire from Republican lawmakers, who said it suggests that the Commerce Department had given the greenlight to Intel to sell the chip to Huawei.

  • Biden Finalizes Plan To Overhaul Dirty Power Grid And Reduce Blackouts

    The regulatory package will set the first greenhouse gas limits on power plants and halve the time it takes to get new transmission lines permitted.

  • Congressional commission sanctions NC lawmaker over anti-Biden newsletters

    Congressman Chuck Edwards is facing penalties for violating the rules regarding franked mail after making accusations against the Biden family in newsletters he sent in 2023.