Awarded Erik Groot happy with successful EC sheep herding: “Put sports on the map”

Over the past few days, participants and visitors from sixteen different European countries traveled to Hoogwoud for the European International, a European Championship for sheep herders. Dozens of participants took part in the competition, which was eventually won by the Dutch Susanne Lejuez.

“We started on Wednesday with the first preliminary rounds,” explains organizer Erik Groot. “Then we had to get used to each other as a team. And that was quite exciting for a while, but after that first day, the release immediately followed.”

Erik himself did it for the first time since five years competed with his border collie Kev. However, a place in the final weekend was not in it for him. “The dog made a lot of mistakes in the beginning, so I decided to step out of the competition myself,” he says. “It just wasn’t good enough. There are no excuses.”

Final-worthy course

On the first day, as well as on Thursday and Friday, the best fifteen handlers place (sheep drivers, ed.) for the final weekend. On Saturday, the very best fifteen qualified for the final on Sunday.

“During the weekend you felt a completely different tension. It was hit or miss for all participants,” says Groot. “I had laid out a course for the final that was worthy of the final, a very difficult one.” For a moment it seemed that the course had been made too difficult, because the first three finalists were unable to complete the course.

“Then we squeezed him a bit, but three laps before the break someone made a perfect run,” says Erik. “The audience was also enthusiastic about it and we looked at each other as an organization with a look of: ‘Do you see that it should work?’.”

Put on the map

Under the watchful eye of thousands of visitors, Dutch handler Susanne Lejuez won the European International. Next to her on the podium there was room for a German number two and a French number three. The championship could also be viewed outside the course. The live stream was viewed by more than 3,500 unique visitors from all over Europe during the event.

“It was very close in terms of participants. And there was a fantastic atmosphere around the course,” says Erik. “There was a real family atmosphere on the site. Everyone could get a drink and a drink. And the visitors often spent hours on the terrace with us. I am convinced that if we had tackled it even bigger, we would have won the World Cup.” atmosphere of 2017 again.”

“As an organisation, I don’t think we have missed anything”, Erik Groot continues. “We really put sport on the map. We also liked to show sheep herding during demonstrations to people who have no idea what is happening in the countryside. That we make everyone realize that the agricultural sector is also a sport is.”

Honorary citizen of Opmeer

All this also happened under the watchful eye of the seven West Frisian mayors, who had a big surprise for Erik. When they stood on the field of participants during the break to have a word, Groot was called to them and was told that he had been declared an honorary citizen of the municipality of Opmeer.

“In 2015, I told the mayors at the time that if they want to attract more tourists to the region, they should work together more,” says Groot. “They did, and during the previous event, all seven became ambassadors. They said that people in America, Brazil, China and Japan, among others, now know where Opmeer is located. And all because of small black and white dogs and sheep. “

New EC?

He does not yet know whether Groot will organize a new European Championship in the future. A World Cup in West Friesland, as he organized in 2017, is out of the question. “Last time I was already told that it is impossible,” says Erik. “In the UK they think this is so important that they never want to let it go and so organize it themselves.”

But a new European International in Hoogwoud cannot be ruled out. “I’m not going to say that I will never organize anything again, but if I do it will be even bigger than the last edition”, he concludes.

View the report that NH Nieuws made of the event last week: