Hesselhøj Donkey Boy Severely Injured in Accident Days After Selling to Holland

Dressage

Denmark

Swedish equestrian publication Ridsport reported yesterday evening that the highly acclaimed breeding stallion and young Grand Prix horse, Hesselhøj Donkey Boy, got severely injured in an accident just days after selling to The Netherlands.

According to the article, a lawsuit is now pending in Danish court as Andresen was never paid for the horse and believes it is a breach of contract.

Hesselhøj Donkey Boy is a 10-year old Danish warmblood stallion by ERA Dancing Hit x Milan. He is bred by Dorthe and Hans Jørgen Hoeck.

Premium Stallion, Performance Test Winner

The tall bay was a premium stallion at the 2015 Danish Warmblood Stallion Licensing in Herning and won the Danish 35-day Stallion Performance Testing in the autumn of 2015.

He sold to Norwegian billionaire Kristin G Andresen shortly after the performance test.

Danish and WCYH Medal Winner

At the 2018 World Young Horse Championships

Andresen allocated the ride on the young stallion to Jan Møller Christensen and he stood up for stud at Ib Kirk's stallion station Katrinelund in Denmark.

Christensen and Donkey Boy wrote history by winning Danish Young Horse Championships four years in a row (2016-2019), clinching titles in all division from ages 4 to 7. In addition, they won bronze at the World Young Horse Championships in Ermelo in 2017 and silver in 2019. He was fifth in 2018.

Donkey Boy's success in sport made him a highly coveted breeding stallion in Denmark and his first offspring is now making a big impression at the Danish Young Horse Championships as well as at the World Young Horse Championships

Move to Helgstrand Dressage

In March 2020 Andresen decided to relocate Donkey Boy from Katrinelund to Helgstrand Dressage, where he will stand at stud and continue his training to Grand Prix level.

Strandby and Donkey Boy at the 2022 CDN Skarup

Andresen explained the move by saying that Donkey Boy would get trained to Grand Prix level at Helgstrand, which was not possible at the time at Katrinelund.

Initially it was announced that Betina Jaeger would take on the ride but later he was matched to former Danish Under 25 team rider Anne-Mette Strandby Hansen.

Almost two years later, in February 2022, Donkey Boy made his return to the show arena, winning the Intermediaire II with Strandby on 76.974% at a local show in Aalborg. On 30 April and 1 May the horse competed at a show in Skårup Fyn and won the Inter II (76.184%) and the Grand Prix (75.367%). It was Donkey Boy's last competition so far.

Sold to The Netherlands

According to a big article in the Swedish magazine Ridsport, Hesselhøj Donkey Boy sold to Bartels Academy in The Netherlands for 2.5 million euro.

Ridsport wrote that Andresen believes the horse would be immediately resold to the Japan Riding Association as future ride for Bartels' student, Japanese Olympian Kazuki Sado, for a much higher price than the 2.5 million euro.

Andresen signed the purchase contract on 16 June and received a signed copy from Bartels Academy back on 23 June 2022. According to Andresen the contract clearly stipulates that all responsibility for the horse in transferred upon signing.

Severely Injured

Unfortunately Hesselhøj Donkey Boy got severely injured to the left hind leg in an accident on 29 June 2022. Two versions of what happened are circulating.

Witnesses told Andresen that Donkey Boy got loose at Helgstrands and galloped around the yard, injuring himself by "tearing off a tendon attachment on the inside of the fetlock." Helgstrand claims the accident happened in the paddock. After publication of Ridsport's article yesterday, he posted his version of the accident on his website.

No article mentions whether a video surveillance system recorded what happened there.

Legal Proceedings

As a result of the accident, Bartels never wired the 2.5 million euro to Andresen and the Norwegianis now suing.

Helgstrand and Andresen at the 2019 WCYH

Ridsport wrote that, "according to Kristin G Andresen, Andreas Helgstrand told her that the problem with Bartels was that their contract with the Japan Racing Association states that responsibility for Donkey Boy passes to the buyer upon delivery of the stallion, not as in the contract with Kristin, upon signing the contract. With an injured Donkey Boy, they no longer have a horse to sell to the Japanese buyers, who have every right to renege on their deal."

Andresen stated that she agreed Helgstrand to have ten percent of the 2.5 million euro purchase price, but she also believes he will get an additional cut in the sales deal between Bartels and the Japan Racing Association. The Norwegian is waiting to hear what the real price was for which Donkey Boy sold to the Japan Racing Association.

"In the past I have never had any problems with buying or selling through Andreas as I have always insisted on direct contact with the customer and ten percent to Andreas," Kristin told Ridsport. "But in this case it all starts with a lie, according to my witnesses; Donkey Boy was not injured in the paddock. Then you become suspicious and start investigating things."

Andresen has decided to go to Danish court to have the matter resolved. The stallion is still at Helgstrand in rehabilitation. It is unsure if he can stand at stud.

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