Le Figaro Bordeaux
To discover
Follow all the news of the city of Bordeaux
“
Thugs!
Guignols!
Two vegan activists triggered the ire and boos of the audience at the Jumping de Bordeaux on Sunday.
They burst onto the Audi five-star Grand Prix show jumping track at the risk of injuring a rider and his mount by forcing them to a sudden stop in their tracks.
Of Belgian and Dutch nationality, the two individuals belonging to the Vegan Strike Group, which protests against animal exploitation, were overpowered by security.
They had targeted the passage of the Dutch rider Maikel Van der Vleuten, who disturbed, missed his course and was therefore not classified.
“
It is dangerous and deplorable for the competition because the competitor has been penalized
”, reacts to Le
Figaro
Sabine Zaegel, the director of the event the day after the incident.
The one who has been involved for thirty years in the organization of this equestrian competition with international influence is perplexed.
“
They are completely wrong because they are demonstrating in a high level sporting event where everything is done for the well-being of the horse
”.
“
These horses are ultra-pampered
”
And for good reason: the prices of the horses present, ridden by professional athletes, amount to at least a few hundred thousand euros or even reach tens of millions of euros.
"
These horses are ultra-pampered, they are followed by equine masseurs, osteopaths and physiotherapists
", lists Sabine Zaegel.
Read alsoBordeaux: the municipal equestrian brigade returns to its historic stables
In addition to the care of their owners, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) sends an official team of veterinarians to each competition.
Each equine is thus inspected under the control of the jury presidents before competing in order to check that it does not suffer from any difficulty in locomotion or an injury, while paddock stewards are mandated to monitor compliance with the rules. animal welfare in the competition stables.
Riders are finally prohibited from having a mount participate in more than one event per day.
Very active vegan activists in Europe
On site to cover the event, the equestrian journalist Pascal Renauldon is offended by
the “ignorance
” of these activists.
“
Already, the equestrian discipline is one of the most attentive to animal welfare.
Then what's the point of getting naked to endanger a rider and his horse?
“, annoys the specialist.
Especially since the two activists mentioned above are not their first shot: they were arrested just in time when they were fomenting to disrupt a competition in Amsterdam (Netherlands) last weekend, according to the organization of Jumping de Bordeaux.
Very active in Europe, the Vegan Strike Group targets both equestrian competitions and bullfights or even zoos performing shows with animals.
“
Ridiculous!
A bit of equine therapy would do them good
,” tackle Pascal Renauldon, author of Les
Chevaux de Chantilly
.