Whoever thinks of the future of Dutch dressage, thinks of Dinja van Liere. Together with horses she has produced herself, Dinja is making her mark in the international Grand Prix and is now regular member of TeamNL. Dinja views the World Breeding Championships for Young Horses as an important aspect of the schooling of her horses. Her top horse Hermès N.O.P. also followed this route. This Easy Game-offspring won bronze at the WC at six years of age and this year he gave a scintillating performance in the gardens of Versailles at the Olympic Games.

For years, Dinja has proved a force to be reckoned with in the young horse competitions. In 2012 she won a bronze medal at the world championship, back then in the saddle of Rhodium-offspring Duval’s Capri Sonne JR (out of Wendela ster pref prest by San Remo, breeder R. van Steijn from Boijl). After that, she claimed multiple top-10 positions, amongst others in 2018, when she finished in bronze position aboard Hermès N.O.P.. This KWPN stallion garners bronze medals everywhere he goes, he also won two of them at the World Championship of Herning. At the highest stage the dressage sport has to offer, the Olympic Games of Paris, Dinja en Hermès N.O.P. (Easy Game out of Bukkie elite pref prest EPTM-dres D-OC by Flemmingh, breeder G. Gijsbers from Loosbroek) landed narrowly outside the podium.

Refreshing
Dinja is looking forward to the Dressage World Breeding Championships for Young Horses with great enthusiasm. “I have always found it a really fun championship to compete in”, she enthuses. “You get to see a lot of new, young horses every year. Fantastic to watch, but also to ride against. Since you do not know your opponents very well, this championship is always very refreshing. On top of that, participating in this event is great for the schooling of a young horse. We tests are great, with nice lines in it. Often a test includes short turns, but these tests feature longer lines that allow you to show the horse’s gaits very well.”

Part of the training
Partly thanks to a close collaboration with Reesink Horses, Dinja has many young horses under the saddle. “I try to aim for the WC with every horse. It is part of the training of my horses, and I notice that I later benefit from the experiences they gain here. That is the case with Hermès N.O.P., and find it is true for every horse. They learn a lot from working towards a competition with various selection competitions and then finishing off the season with such a championship. It is a great learning moment to focus on such a competition, work towards it and then give them some time off. I feel the tests fit nicely into the training; they have a good structure to them. If you can ride these tests, you can easily progress to the Small Tour. In addition, the judging at the WC is very pleasant. Of course they judge the horse’s gaits, but they also pay strict attention to submission and harmony.”

Playful learning
What is remarkable about Dinja is that her horses are advanced in their training at a young age and therefore perform the tests with great ease. “‘For me, it is important to implement everything into the training in a playful manner from a young age already. I introduce my horses to all kinds of dressage movements at a young age, without putting on any pressure. The flying changes in the classes for six-year-olds are an example of where, in my opinion, things often go wrong. Riders start too late, cannot figure it out quickly enough and then it becomes stressful for horses. If a three- or four-year-old already has enough balance in the canter, I will ask for a lead change in a simple manner. If that fails, it doesn't matter at all yet, as we still have plenty of time. Then I leave it for a while and ask again a few months later. This is how I try to teach all exercises at a young age, without putting pressure on them. As a result, there is no tension involved.”

Complete Mauro Turfhorst
Dinja will also attend this year’s WC, this time in the saddle of Mauro Turfhorst. This Zonik son (out of Hidaylia ster by Negro, breeder J.W. Greve from Haaksbergen) placed fourth last edition. “I’m really looking forward to it! Mauro is in top form, and he is a horse that ticks all the boxes. He has three good gaits, but also scores very high on submission because he is great in performing harmonious tests. Last year, I was disappointed because I finished fourth, I think he is a strong contender for the podium. I hope we can claim a podium place this year, but I don’t really know what to expect from the competition. It is really hard to predict the outcome of the WC in advance, and that makes it all the more fun.”

Overview page WC Young Dressage Horses

Photo Hermès: Dirk Caremans