With a rearing mule and a whip in hand, this is the Dutch lawyer at the centre of the Charlotte Dujardin video scandal.
Pictures of Stephan Wensing were dividing opinion among equestrians today.
He came to prominence after releasing the shocking video of the British dressage star lashing a horse 24 times ‘like a circus elephant’ which led to her dropping out of the Olympics in disgrace and getting a provisional six-month ban. He was acting on behalf of a client he declined to identify.
Now photos from equine specialist lawyer Mr Wensing own social media accounts show him with mules and holding a whip.
The images have been shared hundreds of times on social media, with one Facebook user, Julie Kemp, writing: ‘The man that has gone on TV to say he despises the way the horse was ‘trained like a circus elephant’…well he would know! Share away…’
Pictured of Dutch lawyer Stephan Wensing rearing a mule and holding a whip in one hand
Wensing (pictured with a horse) ame to prominence after releasing the shocking video of the British dressage star Charlotte Dujardin lashing a horse 24 times ‘like a circus elephant’
Dujardin was forced to pull out of the Olympic Games in Paris after the scandal came to light
Another Facebook user, Tammi Jones, commented: ‘Knew they’d all live in glass houses’, while others reacted by saying ‘tell me this isn’t true’.
However a large number of comments said Mr Wensing was doing nothing wrong, as holding a whip is normal in equestrian training.
One horse lover said there was ‘a difference between using a whip as an extension of your arm and beating the actual s*** out of a horse’.
Another, Megan Mckeary, wrote: ‘The video of Charlotte was incredibly damming for her. It is what it is. This picture, in reality, shows nothing. It shows no misuse of the whip.’
Alex Geudon added: ‘It’s simple trick training and the whip is an extension of your arm’, while another user wrote: ‘Charlotte was bang out of order so stop making excuses for her or trying to compare other incidents to hers.’
Several leading equestrian experts have said using a whip is a standard tool in dressage training, but that Ms Dujardin went far and above what is acceptable.
Mr Wensing dismissed the negative comments as ‘witch hunting and victim blaming’, and told the Mail: ‘Okay, I explain. A few years ago I had the honour to learn some freedom dressage with mules.
Dujardin has withdrew from the Paris Games over the video showing her making an ‘error of judgement’
The footage shows her striking the horse several times with the whip as she attempts to teach it the ‘piaffe’
The horse can be seen appearing to buck in response to being whipped by Charlotte Dujardin
‘This is very special and difficult. Training mules is impossible by whipping. So I never whipped the mule. I never whipped an animal in my whole life.’ He said the way to train mules was to show them the whip without touching them.
Mr Wensing has said in previous interviews that he was acting on behalf of a concerned client.
At her behest, he sent her video of Ms Dujardin to equestrian’s governing bodies, who responded with the provisional six month ban.
The Team GB star admitted she was ‘deeply ashamed’ for her actions. The video shows her repeatedly striking an animal around the legs with a long whip at stables in Gloucestershire.
In a significant development, her mentor Carl Hester has signed a stinging letter ‘universally condemning’ the actions of his former protegee.
The 57-year-old – who is in Paris to compete for Team GB – put his name to the statement from the board members of the International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC), it what some will see as a surprise given the close bond between the pair and Hester’s standing within the sport.
It still remains unclear why the video, which was filmed years ago, was released this week, timed to devastating effect just days before Ms Dujardin was anticipated to make history by becoming Britain’s most decorated female athlete.
Charlotte Dujardin with her Tokyo 2020 Olympic winning horse Gio (left) and former Olympic gold medal winner Valegro (right) in 2021
Mr Wensing (pictured with a horse) has said in previous interviews that he was acting on behalf of a concerned client
Dujardin during a Team GB kitting out session for the Paris Olympics in Birmingham
Another Dutch equine lawyer, Luc Schelstraete, who appears to be a business rival of Mr Wensing, suggested the delay in raising the alarm could render the case ‘inadmissible’.
‘The manner and timing of this action raise more questions for me than the accusations against Charlotte Dujardin herself,’ he writes in an open letter to Dutch media.
Mr Schelstraete questioned the motive for alerting authorities. He referenced Mr Wensing saying that his client ‘wanted to prevent Charlotte Dujardin from winning medals at the Olympic Games’.
‘This statement makes it clear what motivated the anonymous client to file a complaint,’ wrote Mr Schelstraete.
He references equestrian regulations stating that reports of cruelty should be reported ‘without delay’, and said: ‘This is precisely aimed at preventing animal suffering.
‘Failure to comply with this reporting obligation in a timely manner may result in the alleged complaint against Charlotte Dujardin being declared inadmissible or any sanctions imposed to be limited.’
