Is it true about Charlotte Dujardin withdrawing from the Olympics?

[Freakwave897]

Or is it fake news?

It’s so disappointing if true…

I am a huge fan and can’t quite believe what I am hearing.

On a far more trivial note I intensely dislike the 'royal' looky likey emblem / corporate emblem on her website. Is she endorsed by the crown in any way or a warrant holder of the British royal family?

It's certainly not the Royal Warrant!!

More like something the Mr and Mrs Harry would use on their merch. All curly twirly C and D with a cute little coronet on top.

This did make me laugh I have to say!

Following all this discussion, is anyone actually watching the dressage? (Other than me).

OK, I'm not anymore because I'm working and I can't stop looking at it. Commentary very focussed on highlighting how the focus is the welfare of the horse. I guess everyone will be riding very careful tests given the CDJ situation. And that's a really good thing.

@HornungTheHelpful come join us on my Olympic thread.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_tack_room/5128881-equestrianism-at-the-olympic-games?latest=1

I’m off to the races shortly. I expect to see fantastic horses doing a job they love.

Thanks @WineWhineWine - I'm there too! Just wondered if the people who are deeply concerned about horse welfare want to check the position by actually watching.

@TizerorFizz have fun! Hope you see some fantastic racing

Sorry missed your post HornungTheHelpful

Hay-making today!

I was in two minds whether to
watch it though given everything that’s gone on. Very happy for eventing team though.

@HornungTheHelpful I know I will - in a glorious setting too!

@Freakwave897 I get that. I decided to watch, because I love the sport and the first horse out rode a beautiful, sensitive test. You can't know what goes on behind the scenes, but it restored faith a little bit (he was the alternate for Austria - can't remember his name)

That’s a very positive and a timely reminder that so many dressage riders put their horses first.

I think the problem with competitive dressage is that riders can feel so much pressure from owners, sponsors and trainers to get results quickly, And kinder, more horse-centred training techniques, take much longer and are more costly as a result. That doesn’t in any way excuse CDJ’s actions but it does perhaps put them in to context.

I remember CDJ saying in an interview that she didn’t make money from riding itself; so sponsorship money is what riders live on presumably? And sponsors aren’t necessarily knowledgeable horse people with the welfare of the horse at the top of their agenda.

@Freakwave897 One of my instructors is a top level dressage rider (similar BD points to Andrew Gould) but is quite open about not being able to stomache the game CDJ and others have to play - kowtowing to rich, obnoxious owners, always fighting to keep the ride on six plus figure horses that can be pulled from you in a capricious instant, etc. So he teaches, competes on horses he part owns with agreeable owners, and has a day job -and no ulcers!

That’s exactly the issue in a nutshell. I really admire your instructor Moanranger.

So difficult to know how this situation is improved? We need owners in the sport because everything is so costly.

Either the rules at the very top have to change somehow about training or maybe what we require of horses has to be made easier? Can we get rid of piaffe and canter pirouettes?

I don’t know enough about the top end of the sport to speculate but maybe others on here do?

i know this will make people scream but re: your context comment. If a thing cannot be done without cruelty, it shouldn't be done. If the cruelty results from sponsors/owners expecting results then it has to stop.

@Freakwave897 I am a very average rider but I have done canter pirouettes on a young riding school horse, it really isn’t that hard and certainly doesn’t need cruelty to teach.
@godmum56 People are saying the pressure is high if everyone expects you to be at the Olympics when you don’t own the horse. No one is saying there has to be cruelty to achieve dressage movements.

I’m not disagreeing with you! That was my point!

Yes point taken about canter pirouette and as I was writing I thought perhaps I’d chosen the wrong movements to illustrate my point, It wasn’t clear that CJD was “teaching” piaffe when she abused that poor horse anyway ; she seemed to be trying to get it to lift its hocks. I’ve never seen piaffe taught like that, ever.

I was trying to say that if there is isn’t sufficient time to teach the level and difficulty required for top level competition, then reduce that complexity and difficulty. Or is it that there is sufficient time but people are lazy and want to take short cuts?

Or is it at that level that you have to do so much teaching to earn money and other events for your sponsors that you take short cuts in those.

Again, what CJD did is inexcusable but if cruelty in the sport is as widespread as people are saying on here there must be some underlying causes? Or is it that there will always be individual cheaters?

I think that at rock bottom, the underlying cause is money :(

Yes absolutely.

I don’t know how it can be restructured differently though!

It doesn’t need to be restructured, people just need to be less greedy. Also lots of the horse world is very cliquey so people need to be less afraid of offending big names.

Agree.

British Dressage, get your act together and stop blaming the whistle blower.

There is no "us" here. Unless you're also a supporter of animal abuse.

have you read Jason Brautigam's statement? he's in it up to his neck!