Riders are warning that a planned nature national park in Bidstrup Skovene on Zealand could make the forest unsafe, with one rider fearing an attack by a free-roaming stallion. DR reported that Lejre Municipality wants to establish the park in a large part of Bidstrup Skovene, which is part of Skovhøjlandet, Zealand's second-largest forest area.
The criticism comes because the municipality plans to release free-roaming cattle and horses in the new park. Rider Ane Kirstine Ilsøe said the horses are the main problem. "If I come riding into an enclosure with free-roaming horses, there will probably be a stallion that will look after its herd," she said.
"It could become a super-dangerous situation for people, because there is a big risk that the stallion will either attack or mate with the horse I am riding. Ilsøe also said her access to the forest would be "completely limited" if the free-roaming horses come. She said she would have very big concerns about moving through the forest with her horses and children, and that in the end she would probably be forced to move. She added that Bidstrup Skovene are state forests, so everyone should be able to move safely whether riding, cycling, or walking a dog, and that it is crucial that no free-roaming horses are introduced.
Elisabeth Sthur, who represents the Danish Riding Federation on the local board for the nature national park, is also concerned for riders. "Bidstrup Skovene are used by riders from all over Zealand, so the new nature national park is a very serious intervention in our ability to get out into nature," she said. Michael Ralf Larsen, the SF mayor in Lejre Municipality, said the municipality has already done a lot to accommodate the criticism.
"We have experienced fairly massive resistance to the establishment of the nature national park, but we have done a lot to listen to local people," he said. "In 2022, we set up a local project group for all interest groups, and that is why the project looks quite different from how it did five years ago. He said the municipality has changed the type of fencing that will surround the park.
Lejre Municipality is to approve a consultation response on Monday evening. The response must be processed by Naturstyrel