Controversial Video Forces Carina Cassoe Kruth to Withdraw from Olympic Team Contention

Dressage

Denmark

Danish sport tv station and website TV2 reported that Carina Cassoe Kruth has been out of Danish Olympic team contention due to a controversial training video that was sent to the Danish equestrian federation on 7 July 2024.

Kruth was originally selected to be the reserve rider with Heiline's Danciera based on her results this spring and early summer season, but she was replaced last minute by Nadja Aaboe Sloth.

Initially it was perceived that Sloth's personal best performance at the CDIO Aachen was the reason that she got selected for the Danish Olympic reserve team slot, but according to TV 2 this was because a controversial video was sent to the Danish Riding Association on Sunday evening 7 July.

Morten Schramm Rodtwitt, manager of the Danish Riding Association, told TV 2 Sport that Carina Cassøe Krüth chose to withdraw for personal reasons on Monday morning.

TV2 Sport reports that the video is of Kruth training a horse in a very hard way, which resulted in the Olympic rider to be reported to the disciplinary committee of the Danish NF.

Kruth is a former student of Andreas Helgstrand and Thomas Sigtenbjerggaard. This year she picked up training with Jon D. Pedersen. Helgstrand was expelled from Danish team activities for the year 2024 following alleged abuse reported in the undercover documentary Operation X.

"I can confirm that we have been sent a video, and the video has caused us to report Carina Cassøe to the Danish Riding Association's disciplinary committee," Schramm Rodtwitt told TV 2 Sport.

The Danish equestrian federation mentions the ongoing case in front of the disciplinary committee on its DRF website. The site reads: "8/7-2024 - DRF reports rider for breach of joint regulations §16 to the disciplinary committee. The case awaits the disciplinary committee's assessment."

TV2 Sport interviewed Cassoe Kruth on Tuesday 9 July, who went on record to state: "The video sequence is from a training session in February 2022 and shows a clear error on my part, which I am very sorry for and deeply regret, as it certainly does not characterize the way I train horses."

Kruth schooling at the 2023 European Championships

She continued, "There is nothing that must stand in the way of the Olympics in Paris, and therefore I chose on Monday 8 July to withdraw as a candidate, while the Danish Riding Association's disciplinary committee deals with the matter."

On 9 June the Danish equestrian federation made a statement that it is increasing the "transparency of ongoing cases" with a "new subpage on rideforbund.dk which gives the public the opportunity to follow ongoing and completed disciplinary and appeal cases."

Read the full story on TV 2.