Equestrian star Werth urges better horse welfare but bristles at questions over a suspended rider
Germany's Isabell Werth riding Wendy applauds during the dressage team Grand Prix final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Versailles, France. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mosa'ab Elshamy]
PARIS (AP) — Equestrian star Isabell Werth is an advocate for better horse welfare. But she bristled when attention at the Paris Olympics kept shifting from the competition to suspended riders. The Charlotte Dujardin video scandal dominated coverage of the sport ahead of the Paris Games, where Werth and other riders said equestrian needs a significant culture change to stop violence toward horses. British rider Carl Hester went as far as saying the sport’s Olympic survival is at stake. Connections run deep in equestrian. Take Werth for example. She bought her gold-medal winning horse through the stables of Danish equestrian Andreas Helgstrand, who has been barred from competition for a year after a TV documentary detailed horse abuse at his training facility.
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