The documentary about Andreas Helgstrand’s training and sales barn will be aired by TV2 on Wednesday, November 22nd, at 20:00pm. The title is “Secrets of the Horse Billionaire” and includes scenes of abuse, bloody mouths, wounds on the horses’ bellies from spur use, hyperflexion/rollkur, and discussion of ongoing techniques to cover up such methods when clients were present. The Danish courts ruled to go ahead with the broadcast of the contested footage in the “significant interest of society” and in the interest of “animal welfare and protection.”
Here is a preview of the documentary:
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Is there any information as to them making it available worldwide and in english?
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I am hoping against hope there will be a subtitled version
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Maybe not tomorrow, but yes, surely? While pictures are worth 1000 words and self-evident, the international interest in what is spoken / discussed is too great to keep it limited to Danish.
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I’m betting someone will screen record the original and post on YouTube with subtitles or English dub. Hoping they do
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I was thinking the same thing! Let’s hope so
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I can open it…
I am honestly afraid to watch it…
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A translation of an article regarding the programme.
I’ve seen stills and some clips - it’s very, very hard to see
ARTICLE TRANSLATION 1 For a month, ‘Operation X’ has had a journalist employed as a horse groomer at Helgstrand Dressage in North Jutland. Meanwhile, she filmed with a hidden camera.
Experts and professionals are shocked by the treatment of the horses, but according to Andreas Helgstrand, a horse must be “reprimanded a little”.
After the publication of the article, Andreas Helgstrand returned with a new statement, which can be read at the bottom of the article. The article has been updated with additional information about why Andreas Helgstrand did not want to be interviewed in the Operation X documentary.
The Danish dressage rider Andreas Helgstrand has earned over a billion kroner by building up a business on training and selling exclusive dressage horses.
“I see horses suffering. This is animal cruelty of the worst kind”
Heidi Nielsen, equine veterinarian
According to several professionals and experts, mistreatment and violence against the horses takes place in connection with the training at Helgstrand’s training center in North Jutland.
Andreas Helgstrand did not want the hidden recordings to see the light of day, so he tried to stop the documentary by filing a lawsuit against TV 2.
Only after two court cases can TV 2 now – in the words of the court – show what the horse billionaire does not want to appear. It involves whip marks, spur wounds and controversial training methods.
- I see horses that suffer. It is animal abuse of the worst kind, says Heidi Nielsen, who is a horse veterinarian, after seeing a large number of hidden recordings of the training.
The training method rollkur, as shown in the footage, faces harsh criticism from both Danish and international experts.
A money machine
For a month, ‘Operation X’ has had a journalist employed as a horse groomer at Helgstrand Dressage in North Jutland. Meanwhile, she filmed with a hidden camera.
On the spot, they train and sell, according to Helgstrand himself, some of the best and finest horses for dressage. And the market is not just Denmark – it is the whole world. 90 percent of Helgstrand’s horses go abroad, he says himself.
Andreas Helgstrand also has equestrian students. On Helgstrand Dressage’s website it appears that “Andreas is a role model for many young and ambitious riders”.
But the question is whether the horses pay a price for the success.
It really is a money machine
John Randskov, dressage rider and honorary member of the Danish Riding Instructor Association
All the experts who have seen TV 2’s hidden recordings believe that Helgstrand Dressage compromises with animal welfare in order to achieve quick results. Among other things, the riders use the spurs, the whip and the sliding reins too hard and too much, so that the horses are left with wounds and whip marks.
You have to hit pretty hard to do this. It is violent, states Heidi Nielsen after seeing pictures of the marks on the horses, which according to her originate from whipping
‘Operation X’ has shown the recordings to a number of experts and professionals, who among other things have seen several unedited clips – including a 25-minute long clip of the training. They find that there is a harsh and unethical treatment of the horses, which are subjected to continuous pressure. - It really is a money machine. It is not on the horse’s terms. It is absolutely clear, says John Randskov, who is a dressage rider and honorary member of the Danish Riding Instructor Association. Violence, not riding TV 2’s journalist doesn’t manage to stay long at Helgstrand Dressage before she hears that several horses have wounds and marks. Already on the second day of his employment, TV 2’s journalist has a conversation with a horse keeper who tells about a rider who is so diligent with the whip that the horse often gets stripes.
Other horse keepers also talk about harsh treatment of the horses.
- There is someone like Dafetti, he gets smacked - he gets beaten, says a horse keeper on the hidden recordings.
A horse keeper shows a picture of stripe marks, and TV 2’s journalist also films similar marks on a horse himself. The experts believe that the marks originate from excessive use of the whip.
TV 2’s journalist also discovers spur wounds, which, according to the employees, occur when the horses are rescued harshly with spurs.
This means that the piece of metal that the riders have on the back of their boots has been kicked so hard into the horse that it has torn a hole in the horse’s skin.
This is violence. It’s not riding
John Randskov, rider and riding instructor
Susan Kjærgaard, a riding instructor and former show jumper on the national team, calls it a “completely unreasonable and unfair” treatment of the horses.
Ulcers rarely occur because there is a quick cut. This happens through systematic and repeated scratching, pressure and pain, until eventually a hole appears in the skin, she says.
The riders pound the spurs violently into the horse
Heidi Nielsen is shocked that the riders continue to pound the spurs into the horse, even though it is clear that it is reacting restlessly and showing signs of pain.
It’s unpleasant to look at. Unfortunately, horses have no sound.
If it had been dogs we did this to, it would have sounded terrible in that riding hall, says the equine vet.
The horse shows signs of conflict behaviour, and then the rider kicks the spur towards the horse.
John Randskov, who is a rider and long-time riding instructor, is also shocked by the way the riders treat the horses.
This is violence. It’s not riding, he states.
Blockquote
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Meanwhile a well known US rider continues to do business with this man.
Perhaps some day she’ll be an advocate for the horses that are in the care of her Danish equine business partner, instead of the other way around.
The little respect for her that was once there, is now completely gone.
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DressageHub. Yuck.
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Agreed. Other sources will undoubtedly become available.
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In the days to come, It will be interesting to see how Global Equestrian Group, their individual brands, and their owner, Waterland Private Equity, handle this.
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Danish Equestrian Federation press release:
Andreas Helgstrand excluded from the national team and national team activities
Based on TV 2 and Operation X’s recent two TV broadcasts; The Secrets of the Horse Billionaire, the Danish Equestrian Federation (also known as “DRF”) have decided to exclude Andreas Helgstrand from the national team and all national team activities for the time being.
The board of the DRF dealt with the matter at a board meeting on Wednesday the 22nd of November at 5 pm, after watching the broadcasts via the streaming service TV 2 Play. The board of DRF strongly distances itself from the unacceptable methods of riding, training, and treating horses the broadcasts
clearly show. Therefore, it is now clear, that Andreas Helgstrand, based on the broadcasts, can no longer represent the Danish equestrian federation as a national team rider. As a national team rider, you are, among other things, obliged, according to the sports plan, to comply with our Code of Conduct, guidelines
for ethically correct use of horses for equestrian sports as well as act as good role models.A strong appeal for the participating riders
The riders participating in TV 2’s recordings are, as you know, blurred. The board of DRF therefore strongly encourages the riders in the recordings, to bring themselves before the disciplinary committee. DRF will initiate measures with the purpose of identifying the riders and reporting them to the disciplinary
committee, should this request not be met.All collaboration with Helgstrand Event ceases
Helgstrand Event is a part of the Helgstrand Group. The unacceptable culture and approach to training and treatment of the horses, which the broadcasts clearly show, is not compatible with the fundamental values and principles of horse welfare. This means that the board of DRF Wednesday evening even decided to let all collaboration with Helgstrand Event end. This includes national higher level competitions as well as national and international championships for the time being.In 2024, this concerns the Danish championships for the senior-, under 25- and para dressage-riders in May, as well as the Nordic Baltic Championships in dressage, showjumping, para dressage and vaulting in June. Helgstrand Event also made an agreement with the international equestrian federation (FEI) to host an EEF Nations Cup in showjumping in May. DRF will ask the FEI to reassess the agreement based on the two
broadcasts.
What will the US do now, given AH is such a big part of US dressage?
Cross posted from another thread
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Thanks for that link - I had trouble with the TV2 46-second one.
I’m really hurting about the groom comment that sometimes the spur sores are left with mud in them, to increase the pain, so that the horse can ‘think about his wounds’. Such stupidity and cruelty.
And the long-term impact on the sport of dressage generally is going to be very destructive, I think.
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Helgstrand came out with a statement that same night:
There should be subtitles, soon.
One of the comments includes a summary of what he says.
Condoned brutality corrupts from the top down. Blaming his employees now is a panic move, as his name crumbles. Alas, both #PatrickKittel and #LudgerBeerbaum are part of his global brand group, so Andreas has a support group of likeminded brutalizers. — How will it end?
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