Animal welfare: former championship rider for Denmark Jon D. Pedersen dismissed for beating videos in TV 2 report, Danish Equestrian Federation investigates

The Danish television station TV 2 broadcast a report on Sunday in which the former Danish champion rider Jon D. Petersen can be seen hitting various horses with a whip from the ground. The footage is said to have been taken at the Dalumgaard Rideclub near Odense in the Danish province of Fynen. Pedersen has been working there for 40 years.

Images of beating videos are reminiscent of Charlotte Dujardin

The pictures are said to have been taken within three weeks. Apparently, the horses are supposed to learn to piaffe. The footage, excerpts of which are freely available on the broadcaster’s website, is similar to the video of Charlotte Dujardin that appeared in 2024. Back then, the footage of the Olympic champion’s “handwork” led to her being banned for several years.

The names of those who filmed the abuse in Denmark are kept anonymous. However, not all witnesses are made unrecognizable in the TV report. One witness to the alleged abuse has her say. Janne Margarita Lundgren, who is said to have been employed at the club until recently, says: “I am afraid of Jon and I am afraid of Jon. You don’t contradict Jon. You do what you are told”.

Riding club dismisses championship rider after beating videos

The riding club has now ended its collaboration with the multiple championship rider (see below) and published a statement on its website. Among other things, it states that the club has initiated concrete measures. According to the statement, all of the riding school’s school horses are to be examined by an independent vet to ensure that the horses are healthy and fit and that the association’s horse husbandry meets the “highest standards for animal welfare and responsible operation”. In addition, the board writes that it wants to review the club’s daily procedures to ensure that similar situations can never happen again.

Written statement from the management of the association

According to TV 2, no one wanted to comment on camera. Chairwoman Signe Søndergaard regretted the incidents in a written response to TV 2: “We take the criticism and the information seriously, including the images and video recordings that have emerged. We have therefore decided to terminate our cooperation with Jon Pedersen with immediate effect. I know that he also agrees with the Board that this is the right step. We regret that this has happened at our riding club, which we otherwise consider to be a fantastic place.”

Pedersen is cooperative

The alleged animal abuser has indirectly admitted that it is he who can be seen in the video images. After the club stopped working with him, Jon D. Pedersen explained on his former employer’s website: “I deeply regret the situations and training that can be seen in the videos. I can well understand that the images have provoked strong reactions and I am truly sorry for the distress this matter has caused for the horses as well as for the club, the members and the equestrian sport in general. I accept the board’s decision and do not wish to cause any further unrest at Dalumgaard Riding Club.”

The board of the association works together with the Danish Riding Federation (DRF).

Danish Equestrian Federation investigates spanking videos

The Danish governing body has issued a press release in response to the images from the TV report: “The welfare of horses is an absolutely crucial foundation of equestrian sport. The actions and treatment of horses that emerge from the footage are, in the opinion of the Danish Equestrian Federation, completely unacceptable and in no way compatible with the Federation’s values, ethical guidelines or fundamental view of horse welfare”. DRF and the Danish Professional Equestrian Federation have discussed the case together and, according to the press release, come to the same assessment of the incidents.

In addition, the DRF’s disciplinary committee has announced that it also wishes to make the case the subject of an investigation and has set up a committee for this purpose.

Who is the Danish champion rider Jon D. Pedersen?

Jon D. Pedersen is 69 years old and was a member of the Danish dressage team from 1989 to 2004. His most famous horse was the gelding Esprit de Valdemar, with whom he took part in the Olympic Games in Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004). He also competed at the World Equestrian Games in Rome (1998) and Jerez de la Frontera (2002) with Esprit de Valdemar. He made his championship debut with the horse Bravo in 1989 at the European Championships in Mondorf in Luxembourg. The following year, Jon D. Pedersen and Bravo were part of the team that competed at the World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden. According to the FEI World Equestrian Federation’s results database, the last international competition that the alleged animal abuser competed in was the CDI in Donaueschingen in 2014.

Danish politics reacts

The incidents in Odense are not just a matter for the sports judiciary. Those responsible for animal welfare issues from the Conservative Party and the Social Democrats told TV 2 that they were shocked by the video footage.

In Denmark, violations of the Animal Welfare Act should have been punished more severely than before. The “Together for the Animals” agreement was formulated in February 2024 by a broad alliance of parties from a wide range of political persuasions. 31 points were named, including a tripling of the penalty for serious cases. However, this was never adopted because early elections were held in Denmark before the bill was voted on in parliament.

Memories of the Helgstrand case are awakened

The year 2024 is probably no coincidence. It is not the first time that a prominent dressage trainer in Denmark has hit the headlines due to misconduct relating to animal welfare. The Helgstrand Dressage case, also documented by TV 2, caused a stir at the end of 2023. At the time, an undercover editor disguised as a groom was employed by Helgstrand. She had produced video footage documenting systematic cruelty to animals in the sales stable. She also reported on injuries in the spur and mouth area, which are said to have been the order of the day for many horses.

Bans against Danish championship riders

The Danish Equestrian Federation reacted at the time and banned the company’s CEO, Andreas Helgstrand, for 13 months. This ban has since been served. Helgstrand was part of the Danish team at the European Championships in Crozet in 2025.

A video of Danish rider Carina Cassøe Krüth with Heiline’s Danciera, which was made public shortly before the 2024 Olympic Games, also showed scenes of beating in an arena used for dressage training. As a result, the Danish rider was removed from the Olympic squad. The disciplinary penalty imposed on her has now also been served, meaning that she would have actually wanted to take part in the Dressage World Cup Final in Fort Worth in the USA this spring.