Betina Jæger Jensen Leaves Helgstrand Dressage

Dressage

Denmar

Danish professional dressage rider Betina Jæger Jensen has decided to leave Helgstrand Dressage after nine years of employment there.

Independence

The 49-year old Jæger has chosen to go independent as of 2024.

"As they say, a new year brings new opportunities and for me that now means that the dressage job at Helgstrand Dressage will be exchanged for life as a self-employed person," Betina took to Instagram. "Of course, it’s with a mixture of sorrow, humility, joy and nervousness about everything new, but I’m thankful for the support I’ve already received."

From Going Solo to Being Employed

Betina Jæger is originally from the Copenhagen area and pursued a career in riding early on.

For two years she rode for Detlev Saul in Bremerhaven, Germany, before returning to Denmark. She then worked in a bakery before taking up a rider's job at the John Byrialsen's Viegaard stuteri (before it fell into disrepute). She competed Lester V, Lato V, Cheval V, Akeem, Lacoste V, Lipton V and Foxy Lady amongst others. Her first FEI level success in the show ring was on Mercedes Marco (by Sorel) and Hilary Clinton (by Heslegards Louis x Schwarm).

With her husband Torben Jaeger they built their own barn in Tjele near Viborg. Her first Grand Prix horse was Gredstedgårds Michigan which she sold in 2008 to Hanne Bruun Ejlersgaard and it later sold to Cora Jacobs and then Christian Bruhe/Zimmermann. The couple expanded their yard after the sale of Michigan.

Betina continued to train and sell horses such as Stuntmann af Hvarre (sold to Joanne Vaughan), and Marshall Lightfoot (sold to Henri Ruoste/Jochen Arl), amongst others. When her marriage to Torben ended, Betina decided to throw her life around and move up north to Jutland.

Helgstrand

With Belstaff at the 2018 World Equestrian Games

In November 2014 she began riding for Andreas Helgstrand in the period that Severo Jurado Lopez briefly hinted at leaving Helgstand to return to Van Olst (but then ended up staying).

Jaeger made her international debut on a Helgstrand horse in 2015 with the Hanoverian stallion Belstaff (by Brentano II), then owned by Kristin Schwarz. Belstaff sold to American Rowan O' Riley that year, became a gelding and was ridden by Catherine Haddad. In 2018 he was sent back to Denmark to be sold again. Jaeger rode him on the Danish team at the 2018 World Equestrian Games after which he sold to Korean Dong Seon Kim.

After Belstaff Jaeger continued competing internationally with sales horses Heartbreaker, Honnaisseur SJ, Skovens Tzarina, and Bondermann. In 2019 she was briefly reunited with Belstaff when new owner Dong-Seon Kim took another brief break. In 2020 she began campaigning breeding stallion Franklin at small tour level and rode Springbank II.

In the spring of 2021 she was operated on for hip dysplasia and was sidelined for a while. She returned to international hjowing in March 2022 with Fogo de Lyw and continued to compete nationally with an array of sales horses.

She achieved her career highlight in 2023 by winning the World Young Horse Championships on the 5-year old Quinn G (by Quaterhit x Fassbinder). Her last international show was CDI Wroclaw in October aboard the small tour horse Kremlin MD.

A New Chapter

Jensen has started a new chapter, operating out of her own small stable in Tylstrup.

Aside from riding, Jaeger is also doing some coaching, including her 12-year old daughter Filippa Jæger Jensen who recently became squad listed with her FEI dressage ponies Schierensees S'Il Vous Plait (by FS Mr Right) and Crown Charm of Royal (by Casino Royale K x Monte Christo).