From 2026, the riding facility of Germany’s most successful Olympionician will be the Germany seat of the company of the Danish dressage rider Andreas Helgstrand. The cooperation causes criticism.
There were many comments “Which exceeded the border of what is acceptable”says Isabell Werth in a statement on her Instagram account. On Thursday, she and the Danish dressage rider announced that Helgstrand Dressage Germany will rent areas on Werth’s facility in Rheinberg (NRW) from January 2026 to build up a stallion station. The horses are to be looked after by Isabell Werth and their team, trained and presented at tournaments.
Helgstrand in Equestrian scene controversial
Only this year Andreas Helgstrand had returned to the equestrian stage, including at the Chio Aachen. Helgstrand had been blocked by the World Rider Association FEI for one year until January this year after a Danish TV documentary in 2023 showed that his employee horses had abused in his stable.
The cooperation with Werth is now one for him “True dream”he announced on Instagram. For Werth, there is criticism of social media. Many cannot understand why it does a common cause with the pre -contaminated Helgstrand.
Cooperation with Helgstrand “No new phenomenon”
Werth defends itself on her Instagram channel and says it is one “Existing cooperation for years. On the other hand, it is new that I will expand my company with a stallion station next year. This stallion station will be obtained from Horses from Helgstrand Dressage. The management and further training of this very talented stallion will be my team and I take over and we are very happy about it.“
And it also said: “So, as before, we will develop the horses entrusted to us to the best of our knowledge and conscience, train their potential accordingly, present them in sports and also sell some of them. So nothing has changed, but we gain further great potential and we are happy about it.”
Werth has already been in the barn several horses. Above all, her current top horse Wendy, which she had taken over from him during Helgstrand’s lock at the time. With the mare, Werth won at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 team gold and individual silver.
Werth as part more influential Group of companies in equestrian sports
Helgstrand’s Germany seat is still located in Lower Saxony. With the expanded cooperation you want to “Place the bar for quality in training and create optimal conditions for horses in breeding and sport”so Werth. It also becomes part of the Global Equestrian Group group, which also includes jumping rider Ludger Beerbaum, for example.