Olympic show jumper Rich Fellers was arrested this morning in Oregon in relation to an indictment on four counts of second-degree sexual assault.
Rich Fellers and Flexible at the 2015 World Cup Show Jumping Finals. (Photo © 2015 by Nancy Jaffer)
Fellers, who gained stardom in 2012 by becoming the first U.S. rider to take the World Cup Finals in a quarter century, was being held at the Washington County, Ore., Jail today, according to a statement from the Tualatin, Ore., police. He had been placed under interim suspension in February by the Center for SafeSport and the U.S. Equestrian Federation, while in April, his wife, Shelley, was put on the USEF’s suspension list due to accusations of abuse of process, retaliation and failure to report.
Over the course of an investigation lasting several months, with witnesses in multiple states, “Tualatin Police established that Mr. Fellers had a sexual relationship with a female victim who was 17 years old. Mr. Fellers was the victim’s horse trainer and the alleged crimes occurred at the victim’s apartment, located at Eddyline Apartments in Portland,” the police statement said.
Fellers was released from jail hours after his arrest after posting 10 percent of his $40,000 bail. He is due to be arraigned next month.
The U.S. Center for SafeSport delivered the original disclosure information in the case of Fellers, 61, who was the highest-placed U.S. show jumper at the 2012 London Games. He was best known for his partnership with the gallant Flexible, a stallion he rode in both the World Cup finals and the Olympics.
The victim, Maggie Kehring, now 18, is a former student of Fellers. She has spoken out about the matter on social media, saying she originally did not want to participate in the SafeSport process, knowing it could “lead to someone America came to love to possibly be banned from the sport.”
Following the Grand Jury’s decision, Kehring said she was “relieved and grateful to see that my truth, The Truth, was heard, understood and believed. The power in me has been restored by protecting others and ensuring that no one else will be scarred by this same experience.” She expressed gratitude for the work of the Tualatin Police Department and the FBI.
Fellers did not respond to a request for comment.
The federation issued a statement in the wake of the arrest, saying “USEF strongly believes that sex abuse has no place in sport. Protecting athletes from all forms of abuse should be the collective concern of our community. USEF urges all participants to respect the privacy of the victim and her family at this time. Please be reminded that sexual abuse involving athletes under 18 must be reported to the U.S. Center for SafeSport and the authorities. Let’s stand together by supporting victims and survivors of abuse in our sport.”