Riding in a riot after another abuse
After the golden days of Versailles, the equestrian sport is fighting to regain its image. The next "disgusting" video of a world champion beating her horse is heating up the emotions just four weeks after the abuse scandal involving Charlotte Dujardin. More are said to follow. What is really behind it?
The story behind the story is quickly told. A stable hand of dressage rider Carina Cassoe Krüth films her training work at her boss's request in 2022. Among other things, it shows team world champion Cassoe Krüth striking her mare Danciera's right hindquarters twice with full force with the whip. Two years later, the stable hand leaves her employer in a state of discord, and a few days later, the video goes viral on social media. Coincidence?
No, says Isabell Werth, there's little coincidence involved. "It's not about animal welfare," the most successful rider in history told SID: "If it were about documenting the completely wrong and senseless handling of the horse, the video would have been passed on directly to the responsible authorities, not two years later." But that's not what happened, and it's not hard to guess that personal vanity is behind it. Similarly, in the case of three-time Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin, who is seen striking horse legs with a whip in a video. There are different reports on when the video was shot, maybe two years ago, maybe four. It only became public two days before the start of the Olympic Games in Paris. Coincidence?
"Disturbing and disgusting videos"
Isabell Werth speaks of "human failure" in what is seen on the videos, behavior that "should never happen in the partnership with the horse." A horse must be corrected in its education, "but not with brutality and raw violence." It's senseless, useless, completely wrong, but: "If you really want to help the horse, you have to intervene immediately, not two years later."
Now, despite the questionable motivation behind the publication of the videos, the damage to the sport cannot be denied. Especially since such cases have been occurring more frequently in recent times. In December 2023, for example, the Danish broadcaster TV2 brought disturbing images from the training operation of rider Andreas Helgstrand to the public, and in February 2024, the FEI spoke of "disturbing and disgusting videos" of the training methods of US dressage rider Cesar Parra.
"The situation is very negative and depressing for our sport," Monica Theodorescu told SID in Paris. Depressing and especially dangerous, as equestrian sport has to prove itself as Olympic-worthy again and again. Incidentally, the show jumpers also seem to have a bad feeling. According to the increasingly louder rumors, various videos from daily training work are apparently already in the queue for publication.
The equestrian sport, try as it might, continues to struggle with its tarnished image. Despite the efforts of champions like Carina Cassoe Krüth, disturbing videos of horse mistreatment persist, such as the one involving her and Danciera's right hindquarters.
The media frenzy surrounding these videos poses a significant threat to the sport's reputation, making it imperative for equestrian organizations to take action and address these issues promptly.
