Andreas Helgstrand has been given a three-month suspension for his part in the Carina Cassøe Krüth training video, in which he says “give it a proper one”.
H&H reported that Carina was reported to the Danish federation’s disciplinary committee, following a video filmed two years ago, showing her whipping a horse multiple times (news, 12 September). Carina was fined 5,000 Danish krone (£560), but following a review by the federation’s appeals committee, she was given an eight-month suspension.
In the video a man’s voice can be heard, now confirmed to be Andreas’. The appeals committee launched a separate case against Andreas “as a result of the trainer’s violation” of the federation’s rules on “ethically correct use of horses”, for stating “give it a proper one”.
In the decision published on 1 October, Andreas confirmed that he made the remark, but said it was “not a call for excessive use of the whip, as has happened, but a call for consistent and quick correction in the situation”. He claimed it was the “correct instruction which, as acknowledged by the rider, was carried out excessively and too violently”. He denied being responsible for Carina’s reaction – and added that the video does not show what happened after.
The committee said that in training, the “rider complies with the trainer’s instructions” – and Andreas’s comment was an “intentional call” to Carina to punish the horse. Andreas was suspended for three months from 3 October, and fined 5,000 krone.
Andreas Helgstrand is serving a suspension until at least 31 December 2024 following last year’s broadcast of TV2’s documentary Operation X showing incorrect training methods filmed undercover at Helgstrand Dressage (news, 30 Nov 2023). The additional suspension will run to 3 January 2025.
A Helgstrand Dressage spokesperson told H&H that Carina received a fine and penalty for her offence from the Danish federation and has “never tried to avoid responsibility for the incident, which took place more than two years ago”.
“She has distanced herself from what is shown in the video footage from 2022. It was a mistake and is not representative of her riding style. As a trainer, one has a responsibility for both rider and horse, but it doesn’t change the fact that it is ultimately the rider who leads the horse and chooses to carry out the instruction,” said the spokesperson.
“We want to make it absolutely clear that at Helgstrand, we welcome the debate about horse welfare, but we are not happy that riders’ and trainers’ legal rights are dependent on a federation that doesn’t dare stand by its own initial decisions. There is a widespread acknowledgment within the industry that we haven’t done things well enough. Therefore, we must also stand together to develop in the right direction, and much has already changed since 2022. However, the answer is not to create uncertainty in the industry by taking the easy way out, as the federation does case after case.”
The spokesperson added that Helgstrand Dressage are “currently considering whether to appeal the case on principle”.
“It is not acceptable that riders and trainers cannot be certain of the sanctions imposed by the federation when a rider corrects a horse too much, as happened with Carina. As previously mentioned, Carina has fully admitted her mistake and accepted her fine without complaint, but due to external pressure, the equestrian federation does not dare to stand by its original decision. Therefore, we are considering the next steps,” they said.
“It’s good that there is increased focus on horse welfare, and a lot has happened. At Helgstrand, we have video surveillance of all our training sessions, which amount to several thousand per month, so we can review training sessions on video and improve welfare and the way we ride. We have strengthened our whistleblower system, established clear rules for all trainers, and reinforced our animal welfare program.
“Correction of a horse with a whip is allowed, but of course, excessive use of the whip is not. That should result in a fine. Andreas, like other trainers, has used the term ‘give it one’. The term can be debated, but the rider’s use of the whip cannot. If the use of the whip becomes too harsh, it must, of course, have consequences.”
H&H has contacted the Danish federation for comment.
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