Eleven Combinations Sent Home for Lesions After Health Check at 2022 Danish Championships

Dressage

Denmark

At the 2022 Danish Dressage Championships, the national equestrian federation (DRF) held a third tack and health check of horses and ponies and several combinations were once sent home or received a remark.

Especially a very high number of pairs in the national small tour tests - and less in the Championship classes - were sent home for lesions.

In order to answer to the request of a high standard of animal welfare, the DRF feels obliged to carry out these "announced" tack checks at national shows across Denmark. In the early spring, they already conducted two, on 3 - 5 June they carried out a third one at the Nationals.

Four Excluded from Championship

At the 2022 Danish Championships held at Andreas Helgstrand's academy in Uggerhalne, all Championship horses were checked for lesions in the mouth and girth and spur area. It covered the categories of the senior Grand Prix riders, Under 25s and para dressage riders.

Four combinations were denied a start due to wounds in the oral cavity, and a further seven combinations received remarks for either redness / blisters in the oral cavity or marks in the spur area, but were allowed to start.

In the senior riders three remarks were given, in the U25 riders one crew was excluded, while three received remarks. Three para dressage riders were excluded and one received a remark.

"A total of 64 horses were checked across the DCH classes, and fortunately the vast majority were 'fit-to-compete'," said DRF director Morten Schram Rodtwitt. "Especially with the seniors, it looked mostly positive. Of course, we prefer that exclusions and remarks are not necessary at all, so therefore it is still extremely important that both parents, riders and trainers think preventively and make sure to check the horses regularly. "

Seven Excluded from Small Tour Tests

In addition to the announced control in the Danish Championship classes, random checks was performed on the horses in the small tour tests (Bundgaard X Trolle Cup) after finishing in Friday's Inter I. No less than five out of the 11 controlled horses were unfortunately excluded due to mouth ulcers!

Due to of the high incidence, it was decided to check the remaining riders in Saturday's freestyle final. Here, two more crews had to be excluded due to mouth ulcers, and two received a remark along the way.

"We are, of course, annoyed that so many of the class's pairs were excluded or reprimanded, and we hope the experience can serve as an important reminder to riders to always make sure their horses are fit-to-compete," Morten Schram Rodtwitt concluded.

See an explainer page of how DRF does the assessment (in Danish - google translate)