Summer Games in Paris: Gold hunt in the shadow of scandal

When asked about the whip scandal, Isabell Werth gets emotional. The world’s most successful rider gets teary-eyed when she is asked about the video with Charlotte Dujardin in Versailles, in which the British dressage rider can be seen hitting a horse several times with a whip. “I cannot understand what happened,” says Werth: “We are all stunned.”

The issue of animal abuse hangs like a shadow over the Olympic dressage competition that began on Tuesday in the park of the Palace of Versailles. “It is a very destructive situation for a person and also for sport,” says Werth, briefly trying to keep his composure. “It weighs heavily on my heart.”

Only one canoeist is more successful

The 55-year-old from Rheinberg does not avoid the difficult topic and takes a stand. But: “Talking about the sport is definitely easier.” And there is also an issue: With another Olympic victory, Werth would become the German record Olympic champion. The rider has won seven gold and five silver medals so far and can draw level with Birgit Fischer in terms of triumphs in Versailles. The canoeist has won eight gold medals in her career, among other things. In the overall balance, Werth has one more silver medal than Fischer.

Of course she knows that, says Werth. However, she doesn’t want to attach too much importance to the statistics. “I want to concentrate on riding here,” emphasises Werth. “I’m looking forward to it, everything else will be seen later.” She has a chance in the team competition on Saturday and in the individual competition on Sunday.

Animal welfare relevant case

The curious thing is that Werth owes his chance of winning more Olympic medals to another case involving animal welfare. In November, the Danish broadcaster TV2 broadcast footage from the stables of Danish rider Andreas Helgstrand. The footage included horses with open wounds from spurs and welts from whips, as well as aggressive riding. Helgstrand, who was not seen in the footage, said he was “shocked” in an official statement. But he was still banned from the Olympics.

This was the only reason why Werth’s patron Madeleine Winter-Schulze was able to acquire shares in Helgstrand’s Wendy. And after a nail-biting last-minute race, the rider managed to qualify for the Olympics with the mare.

Wendy was injured at the first Olympic trial, but was fit again in time for the second. At the CHIO in Aachen, Werth won the Grand Prix, the Special and the Freestyle with the mare – and received the Olympic ticket.

Werth’s recovery: “Mega for our team”

“That was crazy,” says Jessica von Bredow-Werndl. “That is obviously great for our team. That makes us very confident after their Aachen series.” The rider from Tuntenhausen, who won double gold in Tokyo, is part of the German Paris trio with Dalera and Frederic Wandres (Hagen aTW) with Bluetooth.

Werth, who usually trains her horses herself over several years, has only been riding Wendy since January, a horse that is already “very well trained.” This change in concept “came about by chance,” says the rider. “I didn’t drive around and say I needed a finished horse.” But when the opportunity presented itself, Werth took it.

It is also curious that her possible Olympic record has become much more likely due to the whipping scandal. The British team was considered the favorite to win gold until Dujardin was banned and has been significantly weakened by his absence. Werth has a clear opinion on this too: “I would give a lot if the incident had not happened – then, if in doubt, I would rather be second.”