PRANCING elegantly around an arena on a beautiful horse, it’s easy to see how three-time Olympic dressage gold medallist Charlotte Dujardin gained her glowing rep as “the girl on the dancing horse”.
The 39-year-old was lauded as the sport’s “poster girl” – until last year, when her reputation was left in tatters and she was given a one-year ban after a shocking video emerged of her ‘excessively’ whipping a horse.
Times Footage of Charlotte Dujardin whipping a horse was at complete odds with her public image within the sport of dressage[/caption]
Dujardin was given a ban and withdrew from the Paris Olympics after footage emerged
PACharlotte Dujardin, pictured here with her Tokyo 2020 Olympic winning horse Gio, left, and former Olympic gold medal winner Valegro, right[/caption]
While she will be allowed to return to the sport imminently, the shockwaves the incident caused will continue to reverberate.
But while the disgraced Brit athlete was made an example of, a whistleblower has told the Sun that this sort of incident is far from a rarity.
Former equestrian journalist Julie Taylor says it’s just “the tip of the iceberg” in a sport that has fought controversy over recent years, particularly regarding the training techniques used to make the animals perform.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Julie, author of the book I Can’t Watch Anymore, called for the removal of equestrian sport from the Olympics, saying: “It’s a circus show.”
She said: “I know people watching from the outside will see dressage as a very beautiful, elegant sport.
“If you don’t focus on the details of what you’re really seeing, you’re watching a really beautiful, impressive horse flexing their muscles with wide eyes – and it’s all very beautiful.
“But they say the dolphin’s smile is the dolphin’s curse, because they always look happy, even when they’re not.
“I think the same way with horses – their curse is really that they are almost at their most beautiful when they are the most frightened.
“Dressage is nothing more than a beauty pageant. It’s a kind of display event.”
“Poster girl” just “tip of iceberg“
While most dressage athletes put the welfare of the horse as the most important part of training, sadly some bend the rules to get faster results.
One of the biggest recent scandals occurred last July, when Charlotte Dujardin pulled out of the Paris Olympics.
The “deeply ashamed” rider apologised profusely after the video -said to have been filmed four years prior – was leaked, saying: “I am sincerely sorry for my actions and devastated that I have let everyone down.”
She was handed an international ban by The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) – the world governing body of equestrian sports – and will be allowed to return in July.
Sunday TimesThe sports star’s reputation was left in tatters when a damning video emerged of her ‘excessively’ whipping a horse during training[/caption]
But Julie said: “She’s just the tip of the iceberg. Before that video, [she] was the ‘poster girl’ for ethical and humane riding.
“It was the worst person, from the perspective of the international equestrian community, to be outed like this.”
A bloody issue
On the surface, spectators of the sport – a discipline Katie Price has trained in – are treated to a visually beautiful display within the arena, with the FEI describing it as “the ultimate expression of horse training and elegance.”
Fans often refer to the bond between human and equine athletes in the sport, which was first introduced at the Olympics in 1900 – but some of the training techniques have attracted criticism.
These using spurs – designed to be an extension of the riders leg – to cause deliberate pain or injury by digging into the horses sides – and winching their nosebands too tight around the sensitive nose skin.
In their welfare plan British Dressage state: “Happy, healthy horses are at the heart of everything we do” and there are rules in place to try to curb misuse.
There’s a “zero-tolerance policy” for blood on horses, and judges must stop competitors if they think they see fresh blood anywhere on the horse.
We all have a role to play when it comes to equine welfare, from officiating at a show to watching as a spectator – we can no longer be passive bystanders.
Jason Brautigam
In 2023 Danish dressage rider Andreas Helgstrand was banned from the Danish team after an undercover documentary claimed to find horses with welts from whips, mouth sores and spur marks hidden with shoe polish.
Julie told The Sun: “Spurs, which are typically made of metal, are little studs attached to the rider’s boot.
“Officially they’re used to give very specific signals to the horse… but if you look at how they’re actually used, the riders are often just digging into the horse’s side or kicking.
“Sometimes this means they draw blood, wearing away the hair and skin.”
AlamyAndreas Helgstrand was banned from the Danish team until recently after an undercover investigation revealed horses suffered various injuries[/caption]
Blue tongues and “joker smiles”
Just last year, Italian rider Emiliano Portale was eliminated from the Olympics after his horse was found to be bleeding from the mouth following the eventing dressage qualifiers.
It was revealed the horse had accidentally bitten his tongue or lip, although the FEI again stated elimination didn’t suggest any intention of harm.
Last April British athlete Charlotte “Lottie” Fry was eliminated from the dressage World Cup Final in Saudi Arabia, after her stallion Everdale was judged to have blood in the mouth.
FEI vet director Göran Åkerström said: “[It] will heal extremely fast, it was not much blood at all… It was extremely unlucky.”
Everdale’s owners, the Van Olsts and Lottie said: “We are of course upset… the horse’s welfare always comes first so [we] completely respect the decision.”
It had to become more extreme in order to be entertaining… today I wouldn’t really call it a dance or a form of gymnastics – it’s more like horses squirming in pain.
Julie Taylor
Another big issue is “blue tongue”, a sign the muscle is deprived of oxygen due to restricted blood supply, caused by bits pulled too tight in the mouth, and tight bridles and nosebands.
A correctly fitted noseband can enhance a horse’s performance, and allow the rider greater precision and control.
However, nosebands can be too tight, stopping horses opening their mouths – something that is penalised within dressage competitions.
Two separate studies have found that the tighter the noseband, the more sensitive the horse can be to bit pressure.
Julie said: “The horse will open their mouth to try and stop the pain, but the riders don’t want that because judges will mark them down.
“You will also sometimes get a ‘joker smile’ – when the riders have pulled the reins so hard the corners of the lips are ripped.”
The issues raised are taken seriously by regulating bodies.
In their welfare plan, British Dressage Chief Executive Jason Brautigam, said: “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that we maintain the highest standards of equine health, care and well-being.
“We must all consider our own values, attitudes and behaviours, whether that involves looking after horses at home, training them, or riding in the arena.
“We all have a role to play when it comes to equine welfare, from officiating at a show to watching as a spectator – we can no longer be passive bystanders.”
Supplied/ Julie TaylorSpeaking exclusively to The Sun, former equestrian journalist Julie Taylor has revealed her concerns about horse welfare[/caption]
Creating a ‘frenzy of fear’
Another practice is hyperflexion, where the horse’s neck is pulled into a contorted, unnatural angle to control them.
Also known as Rollkur, this technique has been controversial for years, and was banned by the FEI in 2010, but is reportedly still used.
Julie says: “The rider forces the horse to bend the neck so excessively that the horse really can’t wrestle free.
“If you can force the neck of the horse into a sort of an artificially enforced bent position, you can control a horse that would otherwise probably unseat you.”
She adds that it might also be used to encourage the horse to move in a more exaggerated fashion.
She said: “That’s sometimes achieved by creating a ‘frenzy of fear’.
“They use this enforced position to subdue the horse by pulling on the reins and kicking the spurs at the same time so that they have no choice.”
The sport is in crisis – if they had really cleaned up their act, then they would want everyone to come in and see how the horses are prepared ahead of shows.
Julie Taylor
Julie argues these techniques affect a huge number of horses competing at international level.
She told The Sun: “If abuse happens within the public arena, it’s probably safe to assume what’s happening behind the scenes will be even worse.
“In many places you can no longer access the warm-up arena [The FEI argues this only happens if there are layout or space restrictions, or public safety requirements].
“The sport is in crisis – if they had really cleaned up their act, then they would want everyone to come in and see how the horses are prepared ahead of shows.”
Artist and photographer Crispin Johannessen has been passionate about horses all his life, and for the last 30 years he has attended equestrian events around the world capturing with his camera the subtle signs of mistreatment within the performing horses that can’t be spotted at first glance.
He said: “We can’t see everything with the naked eye, whereas a photograph reveals the detail, so a lot of it is ‘hidden in plain sight’.
“I’m photographing the details that I can’t see myself [in real time]. We’re all looking at the same thing, but we don’t really know what we’re seeing and what we’re not seeing.
“The horse’s whole face is full of welfare indicators, from the mouth, to the nostrils, eyes and ears.
“When you’re sitting in a huge arena, the audience isn’t going to be able to see these details – the subtle signs that could be interpreted as mistreatment that often isn’t spotted at first glance.
“There’s a huge problem with the whole system.
“There have to be changes – but how this takes place is another matter.”
‘It’s horses squirming in pain’
Julie hasn’t always felt this strongly. Between 2005 and 2017 she was an equestrian journalist, after growing up with horses.
She says: “We thought of the horses as members of the family.
“It was only when I was older, I began to question the industry.”
While many argue it’s a historically significant discipline, Julie argues it’s unrecognisable from what it was originally designed for.
She adds: “Originally dressage was a form of gymnastics. It was used by cavalries but when horses were no longer needed, it became solely a sport.
“It had to become more extreme in order to be entertaining for people to watch, especially for the Olympics.
“They had to make it more and more like a circus so that today I wouldn’t really call it a dance or a form of gymnastics – it’s more like horses squirming in pain.”
Now, Julie is calling for equestrian sport to be discontinued from the Olympics, and hopes this will encourage change.
She says “Now, we can see the anguish and the pain in that horse’s face [and] it’s forcing the sport to make changes very quickly.”
An FEI spokesperson added: “Equestrian, like any sport, is not immune to individuals who breach the rules.
“We are aware that public perception has recently been shaped by serious but isolated cases of abuse and alleged cover-ups, which do not accurately reflect the true commitment of the vast majority.
“Some groups fundamentally oppose the use of horses in competition and may amplify concerns in ways that do not always reflect the full picture. While the FEI of course remains open to discussion, our priority must be meaningful progress.
“The FEI has always had strict regulations in place to safeguard horse welfare, including clear rules on blood and the misuse of spurs and whips. These rules are actively enforced, with sanctions for those who do not comply.
“However, the FEI recognises that maintaining high welfare standards is not just about rules and enforcement. It is also about continuous education and collaboration.”
PAGreat Britain’s Charlotte Fry with her bronze medal following the Dressage Individual Grand Prix Freestyle on the ninth day of the Paris Olympics[/caption]
ReutersThe sport is known for its grace and elegance, but there has been increasing criticism and speculation on some training practices[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
