The ground jury spoke to 35-year-old Townend, who was hoping to win the Grand Slam at Badminton, about his use of the whip at the three day event which he admitted "did not look good".

Show jump manufacturer Jump 4 Joy were the first organisation to confirm that they would not be continuing their involvement with the British rider.

As reported by Horse and Hound, their statement read: "We take animal welfare very seriously and are committed to the highest standards of well-being for all horses."

Lincoln Equestrian have also confirmed that they have reached the same conclusion.

"For some time now we have been reviewing Lincoln Equestrian's sponsorship terms," they said in a statement.

"After the weekend's events, we feel that now is the time to make some changes going forward.

"The welfare and care of all horses is fundamentally important to us as people and our brand, therefore with this in mind, following much deliberation and after reviewing the thoughts of our loyal customers, we have taken the decision to end our association with Oliver Townend.

"Looking to the future, Lincoln Equestrian will continue to support Piggy French and Ros Canter, however moving forwards our focus will now be to support up-and-coming riders who are passionate about the sport and their horses."

Two other companies, Irish feed manufacturer GAIN and Zebra Products Ltd, have said they are reviewing the situation.

The British Horse Society (BHS) has raised concerns about Townend to the International Equestrian Federation.

He was officially warned at Badminton but the BHS said this sanction "was not high enough".

"It didn't look good and I don't want to look like that," Townend said at the time.

"I fully accept the warning I received from the ground jury. 

"My competitive instincts got the better of me and I will work hard to improve in this area."

Townend missed out on sealing the Grand Slam at Badminton as New Zealander Joelle Price won the event.