The province of North Holland has decided to phase out its permanent sponsorship of the equestrian event Jumping Amsterdam. This is much to the delight of the Amsterdam Party for the Animals, because according to them, animal welfare is at stake. They insist that no more tax money goes to these types of events.
Animal welfare organizations have been concerned about the Amsterdam horse event for some time. The animals are forced into unnatural positions and the bits the horses wear put a lot of pressure on the mouth. According to them, this leads to a lot of pain and stress for the horses and even to wounds in the mouth after the competition.
Tax money
The PvdD has campaigned for years to end sponsorship. That was (partly) successful. Jaap Hollebeek, Member of Parliament for the Party for the Animals: “Unfortunately, the province cannot ban events with animals. But giving taxpayer money to events where animal welfare is clearly at stake, such as Jumping Amsterdam, is at odds with the agreements that the Provincial Council has made.”
“I don’t agree with people who say that everything you do to animals is necessarily pathetic.”
Kathalijne Visser is a lecturer in Human-Animal Interactions at the Aeres University of Applied Sciences in Dronten and conducts research into the interaction between humans and animals, especially horses. According to her, it is not a black and white story whether events such as Jumping cause animal suffering.
“I think it’s quite a big statement,” she says. “I don’t agree with people who say that everything you do with animals is necessarily pathetic. But in sports you can be more inclined to cross the line in order to achieve results.”
Visser is referring to the incorrect use of certain aids, such as bits and spurs. “If you use it correctly, it won’t do any harm. But not everyone does that. With bits, for example, it creates a lot of extra pressure in the mouth.”
What is Jumping Amsterdam?
Jumping Amsterdam is an international horse show held every year in January. Various jumping and dressage competitions will be held during the event, in which the world’s top equestrians participate. This year it will be held from January 25 to 28.
When asked, the province stated that it would not completely stop sponsoring the event and that this decision was not based on the PvdD’s allegations about animal welfare.
Will the curtain fall for Jumping Amsterdam?
The organization behind Jumping Amsterdam can submit a request for incidental sponsorship, just like any event organization can. “We want to innovate and also offer other events an opportunity for that multi-year subsidy.”
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The event is not in danger due to the partial loss of sponsorship from the province, according to spokesperson Ellis Halbmeijer. “We still have plenty of sponsors left and we are confident that that gap can be filled.”
The event announces that it is taking a large number of measures to prevent animal suffering. For example, there are animal welfare checks at the beginning and end of the event. “Immediately upon arrival, all horses receive a check to determine whether they are ‘fit to compete’, as they say,” Halbmeijer reports. There are also stewards and veterinarians to keep an eye on the horses.
Future of events like Jumping
Visser from Aeres University of Applied Sciences thinks it is important to take criticism from organizations and the general public seriously. Otherwise it can be over quickly with events like Jumping. “The public sees things that make them wonder: why do we do it this way? If it is taken seriously and action is taken, then you gain trust.”
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