CDJ withdrawn from paris

[Shoreditch]

The video shows a complete disregard and disrespect for the horse. I hope this forces CDJ to take a hard look at herself. However, I think her statement speaks for itself. Whoever said she was holding her hands up and apologising, I disagree. This is CDJ trying to minimise, the statement does not match what we have seen in the video. She should be ashamed, both for her actions and then for trying to pretend it was a one off, lose of control situation.

 

[Sandstone1]

I left competitive dressage many years ago precisely because I wasn't prepared to do the things to horses that others were in order to win. I gravitated to Carl because he doesn't, and he doesn't because A. he's a supremely talented and kind person, and B. he doesn't have that killer win-at-all-costs instinct. Charlotte does, and in spades.

Thank you, I really hope hes not going to get pulled down by all this. Must be very difficult for him at moment.

 

[tristars]

Not seen becky moody ride for ages but just looked on YouTube its a young horse alright, but becky looks more with the horse interesting see how she goes in paris, the use of the whip on the hind leg should be to indicate to the horse which leg to move, not even a tap, when touched the horse should engage that leg, within the suppleness possible at that time

 

[cauda equina]

Same. I was feeling so low I had to go for a walk to shake it off.

Came back to an FB comment from a friend saying that none of this should have been released and it should all have dealt with behind closed doors.

Keeping things behind closed doors is why abuse happens in the first place.

If it were a video of Joe Bloggs rather than CDJ I daresay they'd be quite happy to see them publicly flogged.

I disagree
If this were Joe Bloggs ( or some guy at Appleby) whacking a horse round the back end with a lunge whip people would shrug and move on
I think because CDJ was held in such high regard by so many people, she has much further to fall when it turned out she doesn't match up to our idea of her

 

[Equi]

I feel so sad today about all of this. Before I saw the video, I'd really, really hoped it would be nothing too bad - probably like many of us. How wrong we were .

I'm not a huge CDJ fan or non-fan, but I saw a commment on FB earlier today that I felt really hit the nail on the head. I think what's really making me feel this, almost grief-like feeling is that she's shattered the dream that the level of success she achieved could be done so without the cruel training methods we'd seen from others at the top level of the sport. I really thought she was one of the good guys.

That’s exactly what it feels like. Not because I’m a mega fan but it’s like the thing we had (ie a more ethical team compared to others) has been shattered.

 

[fidleyspromise]

I really hoped this was going to a video of light tapping on a hind leg to teach a movement. This is appalling and I feel disheartened for that young rider and her horse as this is what she was being taught by someone so many looked up to.

I have numerous Valegro models and my first instinct was to sell them however I will keep them for HIS achievements and not CDJ.
I really hoped she did not train like this and its very possible that this behaviour has not come from CH but from her earlier years in the horse industry.

I worked for a couple of months at a show jumping yard many years ago and was introduced to rapping. It left me appalled and feeling sick.

This leaves me wanting to go hug my horses.
I now try my best that when I get frustrated I stop, take a breath and if I can't relax to start again I get off. I have a young horse I plan to start next year and each year I wonder if riding horses is right as I feel disillusioned with top riders. If they can't get the best from a horse without resorting to abuse then how can I achieve it?

On a positive note there is a lady near me who starts and reschools horses and she does it out hacking, riding softly and getting the best from them.

 

[Roxylola]

that killer win-at-all-costs instinct. Charlotte does, and in spades.

I do wish she'd chosen a non equestrian sport
Id love to admire her for her ambition and drive and success as a sportswoman instead of regretting it

 

[cauda equina]

I really hoped this was going to a video of light tapping on a hind leg to teach a movement. This is appalling and I feel disheartened for that young rider and her horse as this is what she was being taught by someone so many looked up to.

I have numerous Valegro models and my first instinct was to sell them however I will keep them for HIS achievements and not CDJ.
I really hoped she did not train like this and its very possible that this behaviour has not come from CH but from her earlier years in the horse industry.

I worked for a couple of months at a show jumping yard many years ago and was introduced to rapping. It left me appalled and feeling sick.

This leaves me wanting to go hug my horses.
I now try my best that when I get frustrated I stop, take a breath and if I can't relax to start again I get off. I have a young horse I plan to start next year and each year I wonder if riding horses is right as I feel disillusioned with top riders. If they can't get the best from a horse without resorting to abuse then how can I achieve it?

On a positive note there is a lady near me who starts and reschools horses and she does it out hacking, riding softly and getting the best from them.

I guess a lot depends on what your idea of 'getting the best' from a horse is
Most of us aren't aiming for top level competition so 'the best' we're aiming for is probably along the lines of a calm, willing, safe ride, done with as little pressure as possible

 

[Pearlsasinger]

This leaves me wanting to go hug my horses.
I now try my best that when I get frustrated I stop, take a breath and if I can't relax to start again I get off. I have a young horse I plan to start next year and each year I wonder if riding horses is right as I feel disillusioned with top riders. If they can't get the best from a horse without resorting to abuse then how can I achieve it?

On a positive note there is a lady near me who starts and reschools horses and she does it out hacking, riding softly and getting the best from ththem.

It all depends on what you consider to be the best.

Eta, x-posted with CE. Great minds, CE!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Fairly up to date summary of where we are at from BBC Sport.

CDJ’s UK Sport funding has been suspended.

Charlotte Dujardin: Whipping video released to 'save dressage' - whistleblower

The whistleblower who released a video that appears to show Charlotte Dujardin "excessively" whipping a horse is "not celebrating", says her lawyer.

www.bbc.com

 

[U.N.Owen]

Charlotte Dujardin: Whipping video released to 'save dressage' - whistleblower

The whistleblower who released a video that appears to show Charlotte Dujardin "excessively" whipping a horse is "not celebrating", says her lawyer.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[NinjaPony]

I left competitive dressage many years ago precisely because I wasn't prepared to do the things to horses that others were in order to win. I gravitated to Carl because he doesn't, and he doesn't because A. he's a supremely talented and kind person, and B. he doesn't have that killer win-at-all-costs instinct. Charlotte does, and in spades.

This is good to hear, I’ve admired how CH rides and trains for years, having watched him in person several times but obviously never been behind the scenes or been taught by him. This will undoubtedly affect him too given their close business partnership so it will be interesting to see what happens next. It’s going to be very tough for team GB at the Olympics and I’m not sure how much of it I want to watch.

 

[SAS56]

I am afraid I have very little sympathy for CduJ after seeing this video. I feel so sad that this is dressage now. I have been lucky enough to train with Jane and Chris Bartle and that was worlds away from what this is. I feel desperately sorry for Carl Hester and I wonder, thinking back, on some comments he has made in the past about Charlotte - wanting to be the boss, not listening to him etc showed us then that things were not quite on the same level between them. But money, owners and sponsors talk, louder than anything or anyone else.

 

[reynold]

Sky News did a Roly Owers (WHW) interview for 3 or 4 minutes just before 3pm and he gave some very sensible and balanced answers and mentioned the FEI and BEF Codes of Conduct (or whatever they call them) for horse welfare.

Just on was a clip of an interview between Pammy Hutton and a SKY News reporter about the CDJ video. The clip showed Pammy saying just that the 'timing of the video release is suspect'

Apparently the full video of the interview is due to be released by SKY at 5pm today. I'm just praying that Pammy is as sensible in her replies to questioning as Roly Owers was.....

 

[SkylarkAscending]

Oooo it’s hit Newent Noticeboard on Facebook - nothing like a riled Newent dweller

 

[FieldOrnaments]

Oooo it’s hit Newent Noticeboard on Facebook - nothing like a riled Newent dweller

CDJ's mother is in a local horsey group to me

I hope she keeps her head down. SM can be so brutal

 

[Chianti]

Same. I was feeling so low I had to go for a walk to shake it off.

Came back to an FB comment from a friend saying that none of this should have been released and it should all have dealt with behind closed doors.

Keeping things behind closed doors is why abuse happens in the first place.

If it were a video of Joe Bloggs rather than CDJ I daresay they'd be quite happy to see them publicly flogged.

If it were a traveler then people would be getting ropes handy.

 

[Celtic Jewel]

the horse sport is doomed for any future especially when pro rider are abusing their horses to get to the top for a medal. I think we are going to be asking ourselves when is the horse sports going to be banned from the Olympics and the public opinion will turn against normal horse riders.

 

[Supertrooper]

I can’t see any Equestrian sports to be part of the Olympics going forward

 

[JenJ]

It's almost irrelevant now, as the FEI action will likely be of minor impact compared to that of social media, but they have corrected that it's not a six month suspension, it's pending the result of the investigation.

'Correction: The FEI announced initially that Charlotte Dujardin (GBR) has been provisionally suspended for a period of six months. In fact, the provisional suspension will remain in place pending the outcome of the investigation/disciplinary proceedings and the opening sentence should read “The FEI has officially announced the provisional suspension of British Dressage athlete Charlotte Dujardin (FEI ID: 10028440) effective immediately from the date of notification, 23 July 2024.”'

 

[SAS56]

The whole behind the vertical and blue tongue issues were bad enough in showing modern dressage in a bad light without this added to it, and closer to home.

 

[Nonjumper]

I can’t see any Equestrian sports to be part of the Olympics going forward

They've been trying to do away with them for years now.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Sky News did a Roly Owers (WHW) interview for 3 or 4 minutes just before 3pm and he gave some very sensible and balanced answers and mentioned the FEI and BEF Codes of Conduct (or whatever they call them) for horse welfare.

Just on was a clip of an interview between Pammy Hutton and a SKY News reporter about the CDJ video. The clip showed Pammy saying just that the 'timing of the video release is suspect'

Apparently the full video of the interview is due to be released by SKY at 5pm today. I'm just praying that Pammy is as sensible in her replies to questioning as Roly Owers was.....

I really, really hope that the timing of the video is not centred over the content of it.

 

[Honey08]

I think top equestrians are crazy being interviewed right now. A lot of them are just digging holes for themselves. I just hope our team is kept as far away from the media as possible until after they’ve ridden.

Edited to add, I feel so disappointed. I was never into dressage, I found it so contrived, but then at the London Olympics I watched and rejoiced that these two talented Brits seemed to be so different to the rest of the dressage world. And now we find, with Charlotte anyway, it’s a facade.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I think that it’s very telling what top equestrians are coming up with in interviews right now - let them keep digging themselves further in.

They’ve known all along that this was happening.

 

[meleeka]

Speaking to BBC Sport, the whistleblower's lawyer, Stephan Wensing, said his client had mixed feelings about the reaction since the news broke, but she believed it is a widespread issue in dressage.

"It's not fun to ruin a career. She's not celebrating; she doesn't feel like a hero," he said.

"But she told me this morning this had to be done because she wants to save dressage."

"Because of the Olympics, [the whistleblower] was thinking if I don't do anything now [Dujardin] will probably win medals," Wensing said.

"On the other hand, people are thinking wrong that she could have done this during the Olympics, and that would destroy the whole British team.

"Now the team can organise themselves and use the alternate. It's not like the whole British dressage team has gone now. There could be a worse timing."

This doesn't sound like someone who "wants to save dressage". It sounds like someone who wants to make sure CDJ is finished in the sport. By releasing the video now, she's made sure it has the maximim impact in the mainstream media. Sadly for non-horsey people, the whole sport will be tarred with the same brush. What a shame she didn't find the courage weeks/months ago.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

That disgraceful exhibition needs to get maximum coverage, in order to have an impact on the future of dressage judging. The way to get maximum coverage is hardly to release it 2 yrs post/pre Olympics. Who do you think would have taken notice at any other time?

 

[moosea]

Now the world thinks everyone in dressage trains like that video.

The sad thing is that more and more evidence is pointing to that being true for competetive dressage.

I guess a lot depends on what your idea of 'getting the best' from a horse is
Most of us aren't aiming for top level competition so 'the best' we're aiming for is probably along the lines of a calm, willing, safe ride, done with as little pressure as possible

I always thought dressage was all about calm, willing, safe and with minimum pressure?

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

This wasn't a split-second error of judgement (which people do make if they're scared, or if they panic - if they're reversing at speed across a road, towards a ditch etc). This isn't even a heavy handed approach to dealing with a forceful/aggressive horse.

These actions are calm, deliberate, calculated, well-practised. This horse is posing no risk or danger, in fact it seems to be trying its best to understand what it's meant to be doing. Indefensible.

 

[Miss_Millie]

This doesn't sound like someone who "wants to save dressage". It sounds like someone who wants to make sure CDJ is finished in the sport. By releasing the video now, she's made sure it has the maximim impact in the mainstream media. Sadly for non-horsey people, the whole sport will be tarred with the same brush. What a shame she didn't find the courage weeks/months ago.

I don't think that is fair or true at all, but if someone as famous and admired for their supposed good welfare as CDJ did that to one of my horses, I would want the world to know that they've been sold a fairytale too.