Equestrian sport: Dressage scandal shortly before the Olympics: 24 blows to horses’ legs

Shortly before the start of the Olympic Games in Paris, a new dressage scandal is causing a stir. There were also discussions in the German team’s training camp about the case of the now banned British Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin because of a training video relevant to animal welfare. “That is not good for dressage,” said team boss Klaus Roeser. The team does not want to comment further on the topic at the moment.

Secretly recorded videos

Cases of animal cruelty in the USA and Denmark have been preoccupying the dressage scene for several months. Secretly recorded videos had caused horror – and that’s what happened now. Dutch lawyer Stephan Wensing reported the incident to the world federation on behalf of a client and said in the Guardian about the video: “Charlotte Dujardin was in the middle of the arena. She told the student: ‘Your horse has to lift its legs more when galloping.’ She took the long whip and hit the horse more than 24 times in a minute. It was like an elephant in the circus.”

The video is said to be four years old. His client thought at the time that this must be normal because Dujardin was an Olympic champion, said lawyer Wensing. But then there were other cases. “And this weekend she finally decided that I could submit the complaint to the FEI,” explained the Dutchman.

“Allegations are serious”

The world association FEI then began investigations and announced on Tuesday evening that Dujardin had been suspended until further notice. The 39-year-old had also asked for this to be done until investigations into the video were completed. The video shows Dujardin acting against the welfare of a horse. She herself admitted that she was the person in the video and that her behavior was inappropriate.

“We are deeply disappointed by this case, especially with regard to the Olympic Games,” said FEI President Ingmar De Vos. “However, it is our responsibility and crucial that we address all cases of abuse, as the welfare of horses must not be put at risk.”

According to the British association BEF, “misconduct in animal welfare” is being investigated in the Dujardin case. “The allegations are serious and the consequences far-reaching,” it continued. Dujardin herself apologized in a statement without going into detail about the video of a student’s training. “I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example at that moment,” she wrote in a statement.

Sporting impact

The German Olympic team was surprised by the latest incident. “We first heard about it from the media,” said delegation leader Dennis Peiler to the German Press Agency. “But such news is always bad for the sport.” He said of the video: “The limits of horse-friendly training have clearly been exceeded here.” The person in the video “hit very hard and almost continuously, so that the horse reacts in panic and fear and has no chance of understanding the meaning of this violent action.”

The British team, which was previously considered the favorite to win gold, is significantly weakened by the absence of Dujardin. In the British team’s team victory at the European Championships last year, she once again proved to be a reliable rider with top ratings. Due to the suspension, one of the biggest competitors of the German dressage team, including double Olympic champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, will be missing in Paris.

Peiler did not want to comment on the sporting consequences. “We are concentrating on ourselves and not looking at the possible results of other teams,” said the sports director of the German Equestrian Federation. “We have to deliver our best performance.”