26/07/2024
Charlotte Du Jardin, The Abuse, The Surprise, The Timing, The Implications, The Travesty
A lot happening in equestrian sport this week, so here are some points that might provide some food for thought:
Number One:
Violence against horses in the name of “training” is NEVER ok – This applies whether you are an owner/rider, trainer, vet or any other professional, amateur, professional, Olympian or otherwise.
Number Two:
Is it really surprising? Have the signs not been there, not just with this rider, but with so many others? Do the horses not tell us? Why have so many people not seen or have excused the blue tongues, blood, gaping mouths and the many more conflict behaviors from these horses, all of which is well documented and readily available for learning about via the science of behavior.
Number Three:
The Timing: Regardless of timing or strategy of timing, it still does not negate the horrific abuse that was almost certainly not a one off.
For anyone to excuse this abuse, or make it about anything else other than the abuse, should take a good look in the mirror and examine their ethics. This was a high profile Olympian, a role model for many, a spokesperson for a global horse welfare organization, Brooke, and there is NO excuse for her behavior.
However, when it comes to the timing, there is no doubt that in an Olympic year, a scandal around someone has been untouchable up until now, is a pivotal moment for equestrian sport, as the mainstream media and public are now aware of what is happening.
A possible contributing factor to the timing would be the fact that the FEI have a long history of NOT dealing with horse abuse in any meaningful way – most recently demonstrated in their handling of the Helgstrand, Parra, Smith, Strasser and Cassoe cases to name but a few. Not to mention allowing the blue tongues of Kittel and Fry to be medal winners and Olympic riders for Paris!
Their strategies have clearly been to either sweep it under the rug, do nothing and hope it will pass or create a campaign with emotive music and words that make it seem like they care – most recently being “Be A Guardian” and “A Bond Like No Other”.
With the release of this video at this time, the FEI are no longer in control of the narrative as they are unable to bribe, collude with, dismiss or intimidate the mainstream media or public.
As for the whistleblowers, we can assure you that it takes bravery to go up against the system – with the NDAs, threats of legal action, fear of reprisal by the equestrian world and more, there are a lot of deterrents in place to protect the abuse that is widespread in the world of equestrian sport.
Number Four:
What does this mean for the future of the sport?
Well, we don’t think there is any stuffing this genie back in the bottle, but there is still a lot of unknowns.
Is removing equestrian events from the Olympics a likely outcome? PETA are campaigning for it, and it may not necessarily be a bad thing, considering the FEI’s history of “waiting it out” and then business as usual, much like they did after the Tokyo games.
Will this be the wake up call that the world of equestrianism needs – we all know it is not just FEI Dressage, but also showjumping, eventing, vaulting, endurance, driving etc., as well as equally horrific practices happening under AQHA jurisdictions, Racing Authorities, Polo, rodeo and any other number of “sports” where horses are involved.
And Finally, the Travesty of it All:
This is the saddest part – all of this could have been avoided if only the existing rules had been enforced and maintained over the past several decades, instead of the stripping away of elements that protected the horses and made horse welfare a central part of judging and being a skilled rider.
We now have a deeply divided equestrian community, the spreading of abusive riding practices such as rollkur, gadgets, harsh bits and more, across all levels and all disciplines through emulating these “top” riders.
Bringing this to a bigger audience and media has also centered around destroying one person, who was thrown under the bus by her “colleagues” whom, we know, are all equally as guilty of using these methods, but fled like rats from a sinking ship.
While there is no excuse for her behavior, and she must accept personal responsibility for her choices, this is still not a situation we would wish on anyone.
For our part, we can only hope that there are valuable lessons to be learned by all and that after the storm, there will be some level of genuine effort to address the underlying reason why all of this has happened – abusing the horses that are the bedrock of the industry and deserve so, so, so, so much better!
