Monday, 21 January 2013 Seven strong

The Dutch at the GHPC

At official competition engagements they stand out everywhere in their orange jackets. But that is not the only reason. The Dutch also cut a good figure in the jumping and dressage arenas and always feel at home in Austria. At the international three-star jumping event at the GLOCK HORSE PERFORMANCE CENTER the number of Dutch stars is higher than ever. Here we present the seven top show jumpers from the land of tulips and horses.

Seven Dutch riders are travelling from the Netherlands to Villach and they include a very special trio indeed: Jur Vrieling, Marc Houtzager and Gerco Schröder, which means virtually the complete Dutch team that won the silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games will be competing here. London 2012 was the first Olympics for Jur Vrieling who has taken part in the World Equestrian Games and also loves football. To then finish with team silver was a dream come true.

A popular star with a large fan following is Marc Houtzager. He has close connections with Austria because of his life partner alone – the highly successful rider from Tyrol Julia Kayser. In 2010 the handsome blond jumper was Leading Rider of the Show at Olympia, the London International Horse Show, the shooting star at the Beijing Olympics with fourth in the team and seventh in the individual and proved 2012 was a perfect year by winning Olympic silver and the World Cup jumping in London. He also succeeded in getting into the top ten in the world rankings, edging in at number nine.

As a result, he has overtaken his Olympic team mate Gerco Schröder who currently ranks tenth and will also be competing in Villach. Now aged 34, the Dutchman has already achieved a great deal. Following the World Championship team title in Aachen (2006), the European Championship team title in Mannheim (2007) and the fourth places with the team at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and the 2008 event in Hong Kong, he not only won silver with the team at London 2012 but also in the individual. It is a good thing that Gerco’s older brothers Wim and Ben persuaded him to start riding otherwise today’s successful show jumper would have become a happy farmer.

The youngest of the Dutch competitors is 23-year-old Stephanie Brugmann. In 2010 she took part in the European Young Rider Championships in Jardy and finished sixteenth. Riding for the Vrieling stables, 29-year-old Suzanne Tepper is in top form and this year has already taken fifth at the Grand Prix in Drachten.

Another top-placing jumper internationally is coming to Villach: Gert Jan Bruggink. He claimed fifth with the team at the World Equestrian Games in Jerez, fourth with the team at the Olympics in Athens (2004), only recently clinched the win in the Grand Prix at the CSI3* in Kiel and finished fourth at the CSI5* Grand Prix in Vienna. The life partner of Germany’s leading lady Pia-Luise Aufrecht hopes to repeat the success in Villach.

There is also a “homecomer” among the riders: Wout-Jan van der Schans came fifth last year at the GLOCK Grand Prix. Only a knockdown in the jump-off prevented him from winning. The 51-year-old who came fifth in the team event at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul still has a score that he fully intends to settle here in Treffen this year!