This weekend, Norg is entirely devoted to eventing, the spectacular branch of equestrian sport that was once known as a military. Riders from home and abroad come to the Brinkdorp for a discipline that is seen as the triathlon of equestrian sport: dressage, jumping and the exciting cross country.
Competition leader Karin Lunsche sees how the entire village is moving for the event. “We have been working hard for six weeks in the construction of the obstacles in the forest,” she says.
The Cross Country is the highlight of the weekend for many riders. Horse and rider must take a course with natural obstacles as quickly as possible. It is not only about hedges and locks, sometimes a picnic bench has to be jumped. The obstacles are larger and more massive than when jumping in the ring.
To limit the risks, the obstacles are built in such a way that they can fold away in the event of a fall. The jumps also have rounded shapes and as few protrusions as possible. “Of course there are always risks, but the sport is becoming safer,” Lunsche emphasizes.
For participants, eventing feels like coming home. Chantal Windstra from Boerakker in Groningen has been driving for more than ten years and never misses the competition in Norg. “I think this is the seventh or eighth time that I participate,” says the 25-year-old rider. “At eventing it is actually a big family, everyone grants each other.”
Of the three parts, Windstra is mainly looking forward to the Cross Country. “The course in Norg is spicy, but one of the most beautiful routes in the Netherlands, because it goes straight through the forest,” she says.
Yet success can depend on small things. “I have had a new horse for a year and it found the water very scary last time. If she goes through the water well this year, then there might be a price in it.”
If you want to take a look, you can go to the Kerkpad in Norg for free this weekend. Visitors there not only see the dressage and jumping, but especially the Cross Country attracts a large audience. With jumps through forests and meadows, the spectacle for spectators promises to be at least as exciting as for the riders.
The composite competition has a permanent place on the calendar in Norg. Since 2011, the event has been on the program again, each time in the last weekend of August. This year, more than three hundred riders will appear at the start, not only from the Netherlands but also from Germany and Belgium. “It’s a competition with international allure,” concludes competition leader Lunsche satisfied.