Olympia: Dressage rider Anabel Balkenhol: “Equestrian sport has lost nothing in the modern pentathlon”

Interview

For Annika Schleu, gold was within reach, but then she sat on her frightened horse, tearful. She could not get the animal under control and desperately hit the horse that had been assigned to her again and again with the whip. “Hit it right! Hit it!” Said national coach Kim Raisner to the Berliner. Schleu could not calm the animal. At the end of the biggest sporting drama of her career and 31st place in Tokyo, she also had to deal with severe criticism from home. She and the national trainer are particularly accused of “modern animal cruelty” or “no respect for animals” on social media.

the stern spoke to the German dressage rider Anabel Balkenhol, daughter of the well-known dressage rider and trainer Klaus Balkenhol, who herself took part in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. She tells what triggered these scenes in her and what the consequences of this incident would be.

Ms. Balkenhol, you saw the pictures in Tokyo. Annika Schleu sits desperately on her horse, can’t get it under control, repeatedly hits the animal with her whip. What did that trigger you?

The pictures are relevant for animal welfare. It is clear to me that equestrian sport does not belong in modern pentathlon and has nothing in common with us, with our equestrian sport.

Why do you feel that way?

The riders are assigned strange horses and do not know what to expect. It is an absolutely exceptional situation and there is no symbiosis between horse and rider that is so important. In order to achieve a good performance with your sport partner horse, you need enough preparation time in advance.

Social media raged after the Tokyo incident. The national coach shouted “Hit it right! Hit it!”. Is that custom in equestrian sport or cruelty to animals, as it is accused of?

Of course, what happened was not right. In such a case, officials should have intervened to defuse the situation.

Shouldn’t the national coach have intervened?

Of course, she should have intervened for the good of the animal. She should have said it was no use. Or you have to give her constructive assistance at this moment.

You don’t want to be stuck in Annika Schleus shoes now …

I feel sorry for her because she now has to deal with this destructive kind of criticism and hatred on the internet. However, constructive criticism is appropriate. Nevertheless, one has to consider the situation in which she was. She had the gold within reach, but no sports equipment in hand, she worked with her partner, the horse. When I go to a tournament with my horse, I prepare myself with him.

Schleu did not have this basic requirement. She had 20 minutes to adjust to the horse.

It is especially difficult in show jumping when a horse has had a bad experience beforehand. You don’t know any of that. With a horse, it is always together, you have to work for that. It’s not like swimming, it’s all about your own performance. But no matter how you twist and turn it: the horse didn’t want to, it was afraid and struggled. And Schleu did not react correctly.

What would have been the correct response to that?

She should have broken off, ticked off the dream. Equestrian sport has no place in the modern pentathlon. The seven-time Olympic champion Isabell Werth put it well in relation to the modern pentathlon: “The horses are a means of transport there that the athletes have no relation to. You could just as easily give them a bike or a scooter.”

The German Equestrian Association and the German Olympic Sports Confederation are calling for a change in the rules. Is that your opinion too?

If equestrian sport is to stay in, the rules have to change, yes. For example, 20 minutes of preparation is not enough for show jumping. The rider has to adjust to the horse and vice versa. In the end it has little to do with the performance of the rider, as you can see in Schleus’ situation, you can just be unlucky. The incident in Tokyo will have consequences. Another sport would be ideal.

You yourself participated in the Olympic Games. How great is the pressure to deliver there?

For every professional athlete, the Olympic Games are the big goal. How great the pressure is is up to you, but of course there is tension. Schleu was simply overwhelmed with the situation and did not act for the benefit of the horse. But now I’m sorry for the mud battle on the net. That is a completely different pressure again. It will suffer an immense damage to its image. With all the criticism, you have to be careful not to destroy people.