The Dutch show jumpers achieved victory in the four-star Nations Cup in Sopot, Poland. Two weeks ago, TeamNL was unable to participate in Sant Gallen due to heavy rainfall. However, in Poland, under the guidance of coach Jos Lansink, the riders put on a stellar performance. Lansink expressed his satisfaction with the team’s win, praising the riders for their skill and the horses for their impressive jumps.
Originally, the Dutch team was planned with different riders, including Leopold and Matthijs van Asten. Willem Greve and Grandorado also needed to compete for their qualification for Paris. Despite Harrie Smolders being unable to participate and being replaced by Henk Frederiks and Impian D, the team managed to secure the win. Leopold van Asten and VDL Groep Iron caught the coach’s eye with their flawless rounds, positioning themselves on the Olympic longlist for Paris alongside Mathijs van Asten and Willem Greve.
During the competition, Willem Greve and Grandorado TN N.O.P. incurred a time fault in the first round due to being only 0.1 seconds too slow. However, they redeemed themselves in the second round with a faultless performance. Grandorado TN N.O.P. successfully met the FEI qualification criteria after the event in Sopot, much to the delight of the coach. Additionally, Willem Greve, with his other top horse Highway TN, is also on the Olympic longlist, showcasing the team’s depth and talent.
Coach Lansink commended the competition, describing it as a well-constructed course that posed challenges with tight time constraints leading to quicker mistakes. Overall, Lansink expressed his happiness with the team’s performance, emphasizing the strong showing by both the horses and the riders. It was indeed a display of good sportsmanship and exceptional talent that led to the Dutch team’s victory in Sopot.
For the complete results of the event, you can click here.