Jumper Paul Estermann is on trial again

Paul Estermann is due to answer before the Cantonal Court of Lucerne on Tuesday. The show jumper had previously been convicted of animal cruelty by the Willisau District Court, but appealed.

It is said that he beat his mare “Castlefield Eclipse” with the dressage whip until it was bloody. He is also said to have repeatedly spanked his stallion “Lord Pepsi” unnecessarily – Show jumper Paul Estermann is on trial again Tuesday for deliberate animal cruelty.

After the defendant was convicted of multiple animal cruelty by the Willisau District Court last November, Estermann announced that he would not accept the verdict. Now the appeal process is pending at the Lucerne Cantonal Court – “Blue News” is following the process on the site.

Estermann, 57, had already declared before the Willisau District Court that he would not beat his horses to obtain better results in training. But he could not convince the sole judge. He saw the alleged facts through photographs, a veterinary report and verified testimonies.

Estermann was sentenced to a conditional fine of 100 daily rates of 160 francs each and a fine of 4,000 francs, with a probationary period of two years.

Violated the dignity of the animal

The whipping violated the dignity of the animals, according to the reasoning in the sentence published by the district court. The defendant clearly exceeded the permitted level during training with heavy whipping. The crime of cruelty to animals is thus fulfilled. The fact that the judge found some bias in the media made the sentence ten percent lower.

The case was started by a former show jumper employee. He informed the 57-year-old man and sent photos of injured horses to “Blick.” Estermann’s defense doubted the probative value of the images in court and also described the ex-boyfriend as not credible.

At the end of 2019 it became known that Estermann was voluntarily leaving the Swiss elite squad. Because the jumper has appealed, the Willisau District Court’s decision is not yet final. The presumption of innocence still applies.

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