The next scandal in the horse world has emerged. The (most read) Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet published an article last Monday in which five former grooms of a Swedish top show jumper testify to having witnessed horse abuse. The rider has been temporarily suspended by the Swedish federation and the federation has reported the incident to the police. Reliable sources inform Horses that it involves Douglas Lindelöw, the well-informed French site Grand Prix also reports this.
Door Rick Helmink
Aftonbladet and the Swedish equestrian media mention the name of the rider. The editorial team of Horses has contacted the Swedish equestrian federation and asked if they can confirm that it is Douglas Lindelöw. The federation has not yet responded.
Besides the temporary suspension and the report to the police, several sponsors, including insurance company Agria, have terminated their sponsorship of Lindelöw.
Douglas Lindelöw won, among other things, silver with the team at the European Championship in 2017, participated multiple times in the World Cup Final, and became European Champion with the young riders in 2010. So, he is not just any rider.
The five grooms tell Aftonbladet, among other things, that Lindelöw repeatedly beat horses to the point of bleeding, whipped the horses in the stable after poor results in the ring, and threw a hammer at a horse that wouldn't stand still for the farrier. According to the grooms, many horses had mouth wounds after riding, and the grooms claim Lindelöw wanted to jump with a sedated horse. Furthermore, the grooms mention that the horses received little hay to eat and that they secretly supplemented their feed.
“He should never come near a horse again,” says a former groom referred to as Nina in the article. As a concrete example of the abuse, the groom mentions the following incident: “After a six-year-old inexperienced mare refused, he dismounted and whipped his horse all over the body. The mare was completely panicked. She was drenched in sweat and trembling as she returned to the stables. She had welts all over her body.”
Another groom tells: 'If the results were not good, he flipped out. The first time he got back on at home, the punishment followed. If the horse didn't listen for a millisecond, he kicked them up to twenty times. If they then went forward and became too strong, he pulled on the reins. The horses were terrified. These kinds of things happened on Tuesday, two days after a competition where a horse had not jumped well.'
Ook melden de grooms dat de omgang met het personeel door Lindelöw grensoverschrijdend was.
In a response to Aftonbladet, Lindelöw states that he does not recognize himself in the portrayed image. The rider claims not to have violated the guidelines and rules of the Swedish Ministry of Agriculture and the Swedish association, stating that checks on the stables and the welfare of the horses are carried out. 'In all those years, inspectors have never had complaints about the welfare of the horses, both physically and mentally,' says Lindelöw. Additionally, he mentions that the horses' feeding schedules are individually tailored with a nutritionist depending on the training and competition season. The rider says he does not recognize the incidents described by the grooms.
The grooms reported that the incidents partly took place several years ago and that a report was made to the Swedish federation. The Swedish federation took action after the publication of Aftonbladet. The federation has temporarily suspended Lindelöw and filed a report with the police.
“In recent days, we have been in contact with a number of witnesses. What they tell us means that we cannot rule out criminal offenses in the handling of horses, and that means we choose to report it to the police. If there is a suspicion of a crime, it is always important to let the police conduct an investigation,” says Johan Fyrberg, Secretary-General of the Swedish Federation.
"Our sport must be characterized by love for the horses. That is why many of us in the Swedish horse world have been extremely sad, angry, and frustrated lately about the stories and photos we have been exposed to. This has no place in the horse world," says Johan Fyrberg.
Source: Horses.nl/Ridsport.se/GRANDPRIX/Aftonbladet