Medal-winning rider Andreas Helgstrand has been got rid of from the Danish nationwide dressage group – and reported to the police – following the printed of the Operation X documentary filmed undercover at Helgstrand Dressage.
Final night time (23 November) Danish tv manufacturing corporate TV2 aired section probably the most documentary Operation X: The Secrets and techniques of the Horse Billionaire. Phase two is out on 29 November, however at this time the documentary is most effective to be had to audience in Denmark.
The programme, hosted by way of investigative journalist Morten Spiegelhauer, is in response to photos filmed on a hidden digital camera by way of a reporter who went undercover as a groom at Helgstrand Dressage in January.
Phase one – which H&H has get right of entry to to and has considered in its entirety – starts with Morten telephoning Andreas Helgstrand and providing him the chance to view the photos and partake in a tv interview. Andreas declined this and took felony lawsuits, as reported by way of H&H in June.
Undercover journalist Rebecca is noticed beginning her function at Helgstrand Dressage in Denmark. All the way through the programme photos filmed on a hidden digital camera is proven together with conversations between Rebecca and grooms and participants of workforce (who’re all blurred out) about horse welfare, and whip and spur marks.
In a single dialogue, a member of workforce asks Rebecca if she has noticed the whip marks on horses – sooner than appearing her photographs on a cell phone of 1 horse with marks. The member of workforce confirms that she has noticed this occur to horses ceaselessly. Video photos is then proven of a horse’s quarters on which marks will also be noticed.
Later photographs are proven on a cell phone of spur marks on a horse. Pictures then presentations a groom who states she continuously places cream on a horse named Devolution for spur marks, which is able to ceaselessly be bleeding – and in spite of this his rider continues to put on spurs. The groom claims Devolution additionally now and again returns from workout with whip marks.
In some other dialogue Rebecca raises issues about whip marks on a horse named Floss Dance. The member of workforce responds that it was once “no longer odd” – and when requested what would occur if any person was once coming to view a horse, and horses had marks on their backs, the workforce member responds that those horses would have rugs on to hide them.
All the way through the programme Morten conducts interviews with mavens together with equine vet Heidi Nielsen, instructor John Randskov, and previous group rider Susan Kjaergard. They’re proven the pictures and pictures, and all 3 state those are accidents led to by way of fallacious and forceful use of whips and spurs.
The Operation X documentary additionally options interviews with former workforce and riders from Helgstrand Dressage, together with Nanna Moller, Camilla Christensen, Silke Smevik, and Sverre Smevik.
Camilla, a former rider, states that there have been “a large number of unhealthy studies” at Helgstrand Dressage, and that staff needed to signal a freelance blocking off them from talking out about what went on.
“I lied like hell what it was once love to be there, as a result of I couldn’t say how terrible it was once,” she mentioned, including later within the interview that spur marks on horses could be coated with shoe polish.
Silke, a former strong supervisor, mentioned the concept that at Helgstrand Dressage was once about “promoting up to conceivable, as briefly as conceivable”, and that animal welfare was once no longer mentioned.
Morten said that all over manufacturing he was once contacted by way of a former rider at Helgstrand Dressage who wanted to stay nameless, owing to issues that it will “harm her occupation if she spoke out negatively”. Morten mentioned the rider despatched detailed descriptions of the way horses are matter to “mistreatment” – and that following one specific episode a couple of years in the past, workforce have been known as to a gathering and reminded in their “accountability of confidentiality”.
Any other speaking level within the documentary was once the operating prerequisites for the workers. Rebecca stories operating a 47-hour week on an hourly fee of slightly below 80 Danish krone (round £9.32). There’s no necessary minimal salary in Denmark.
Rebecca will also be heard speaking to a groom who’s in tears about the way in which she was once spoken to by way of a rider. One member of workforce instructed Rebecca that she was once operating when it must had been her time off, and some other mentioned she had had most effective sooner or later off in two months.
Silke mentioned when she labored there workforce have been very drained and pissed off, and “it was once standard to search out riders and grooms crying”. She mentioned she approached control about bettering the operating prerequisites and extending workforce wages, and was once instructed that grooms come and cross – and that new ones might be sourced.
Silke’s husband Sverre, who labored as a farrier at Helgstrand Dressage, mentioned he had “by no means noticed such a lot of adults cry” all over his time on the stud. Silke and Sverre left Helgstrand Dressage in March 2019, after a yr.
A preview for section two of the Operation X documentary, out on 29 November, presentations hidden photos captured all over coaching periods. Clips display horses being exercised in rollkur, horses exhibiting explosive behaviour all over coaching, and one horse being kicked aggressively by way of a rider. It additionally presentations Rebecca elevating issues with Andreas Helgstrand – and him asking if she is filming the dialog.
Final night time Helgstrand Dressage issued a observation that mentioned TV2’s photos had made “a large impact” at the stud.
“It isn’t good enough. That is unhealthy using and remedy of horses that we don’t wish to see at Helgstrand Dressage. It does no longer reside as much as our pointers and values set, and it isn’t an expression of our tradition. We need to repair that,” learn the observation.
“We will be able to see that there was a shift in our worth set, and it’s our accountability as control to make sure that our coaching and remedy of horses takes position in the easiest way. We will be able to see within the programmes that this has no longer took place. We will be able to and will have to do higher.
“This is the reason we take the content material of the programmes very severely. The recordings are from January 2023, and we’ve – each previous to the recordings and because – totally reviewed our paintings processes and offered a lot of measures and development issues for our animal welfare, trade habits and stipulations for our staff.”
The observation added that it’s central to the stud’s paintings that “horses really feel excellent”, and that it trains elite horses who, with their riders, “will have to be capable to carry out on the absolute best degree”.
“We will be able to most effective be successful on this if our horses thrive and there’s accept as true with between rider and horse. Elite game is difficult. However a sports activities horse, like different athletes, will have to really feel excellent in an effort to ship effects, and due to this fact we will have to all the time pay attention to the way in which we educate our horses,” it learn.
“Right here at Helgstrand Dressage, we educate roughly 350 horses an afternoon. Just like the mavens, we will additionally see that during probably the most instances there’s warfare behaviour within the programmes. That is unacceptable and we’re reacting to it.”
The observation mentioned Helgstrand Dressage employs 60 skilled riders and grooms, and it’s the stud’s accountability that pointers are adopted and that coaching strategies are “used appropriately and all the time have horse well being and wellbeing as a very powerful precedence”.
“We will be able to see that a few of our coaching apparatus has been used incorrectly all over filming. It will have to information and proper the pony, however they will have to by no means be used as punishment,” it learn.
“We wish to state that rollkur and overuse of whips or ‘sliding reins’ don’t seem to be permitted with us. The similar applies to protecting observe marks with colored cream. Subsequently, we’ve made it transparent that no form of colored cream is permitted with us.
“We discover that our horses can now and again have sores of their mouths. This will also be from choosing at their mouth or tongue or grinding their enamel. Having mentioned that, no horse must be ridden with wounds that require care and relaxation. Now we have since offered an intensive test of our horses each and every 14 days, the place our strong managers overview the horses’ bodily and mental situation.”
The observation concluded that Helgstrand Dressage had selected no longer to take part within the Operation X documentary, because the stud is in opposition to TV2’s use of hidden recordings.
“However there will have to be unquestionably that we take the content material very severely,” it learn.
“Subsequently, we’ve additionally listened to the complaint and feature already offered a lot of enhancements in our trade”. H&H reported on those enhancements previous within the week.
For the reason that broadcast there was robust response from around the equestrian business.
Now not-for-profit animal welfare organisation Dyrenes Beskyttelse (Animal Coverage Denmark) was once probably the most first to sentence Helgstrand Dressage. In a observation issued the day past the organisation mentioned it was once “appalled” by way of the documentary.
A Dyrenes Beskyttelse spokesman mentioned the organisation had reported Helgstrand Dressage, Andreas Helgstrand, and the related riders to the Danish police for animal cruelty. The organisation also known as upon the Danish equestrian federation, Dansk Trip Forbund (DRF), to sanction Andreas and the collaborating riders.
“It’s merely unforgivable what has took place at Helgstrand Dressage. It might swimsuit the DRF to be completely transparent that that is a ways past what is suitable and must have penalties,” mentioned the spokesman.
A spokesman for Denmark’s North Jutland Police instructed H&H that the pressure has won a record regarding the documentary – however that “at this early level” they can not give any more remark.
In a observation issued the day past, DRF showed that its board held a gathering after observing the Operation X broadcast. Andreas’ father Ulf Helgstrand is president of DRF, however took go away from this place in September, and the performing DRF president is Jacob Ravnsbo.
The result of the assembly is that Andreas, who has represented Denmark at 8 championships and was once a part of the Eu bronze medal-winning group in September, is excluded from the nationwide group and group actions.
“The board strongly distances itself from the unacceptable strategies of using, coaching, and treating horses the announces obviously display,” the observation learn.
“Subsequently, it’s now transparent that Andreas Helgstrand, in response to the announces, can now not constitute the Danish equestrian federation as a countrywide group rider. As a countrywide group rider, you might be, amongst different issues, obliged to agree to our code of habits, pointers for ethically proper use of horses for equestrian sports activities, in addition to act as excellent function fashions.”
The DRF has appealed to riders at Helgstrand Dressage filmed within the Operation X documentary to return ahead.
“The riders collaborating in TV2’s recordings are blurred. The board due to this fact strongly encourages the riders within the recordings, to carry themselves sooner than the disciplinary committee,” learn the observation.
“DRF will start up measures with the aim of figuring out the riders and reporting them to the disciplinary committee, must this request no longer be met”.
DRF has also known as a prevent to DRF competitions run with Helgstrand Tournament. The organisation has hosted Danish nationwide championships, Countries Cup occasions, and showjumping competitions.
“Helgstrand Tournament is part of the Helgstrand Crew. The unacceptable tradition and strategy to coaching and remedy of the horses, which the announces obviously display, isn’t suitable with the elemental values and ideas of horse welfare,” learn the DRF observation.
“Which means the board determined to let all collaboration with Helgstrand Tournament finish. This comprises nationwide upper degree competitions in addition to nationwide and world championships in the meanwhile.”
This comprises the Danish championships in Would possibly 2024 for seniors, under-25s and para dressage, and the Nordic Baltic Championships for dressage, showjumping and vaulting in June.
The observation added that Helgstrand Tournament had an settlement with the FEI to host a Eu Equestrian Federation Countries Cup showjumping festival in Would possibly, and that DRF will ask the FEI to “think again the settlement”.
H&H has approached the FEI, and Andreas Helgstrand for remark.
The Danish Driving Trainer Affiliation (DRIA) raised issues in regards to the photos within the broadcast and mentioned in a observation that it distances itself from “any type of violent using” that isn’t most effective opposite to the affiliation’s pointers, but additionally lacks attention for horse welfare.
“The DRIA is devoted to making sure that the pony’s wellbeing and well being are all the time in center of attention, and that using is practised in some way that respects the animal as a spouse and no longer as a device,” learn the observation.
“Sadly, the demonstrated tradition at Helgstrand Dressage turns out to lack consistency with our elementary values and moral ideas. Excessively violent using and professionally fallacious practices are unacceptable in our affiliation, and we distance ourselves from any type of abuse in opposition to the pony as a coaching way.”
The observation added that as a “direct outcome of those critical violations”, the DRIA board has really helpful that the events concerned must be excluded from the affiliation. It added that the DRIA and the DRF cooperate on coaching lessons for instructors, and that it recommends that Helgstrand Dressage’s standing as a coaching supplier is reviewed.
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Credit score: Benjamin Clark
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