After the victory march of the Italian Lorenzo Argentano in the Grand Prix last Sunday, CH De Wolden is now preparing for the second part of the international competition. With a very strong starting field from the Netherlands, it will not surprise those in the know when several Dutch participants will be awarded prizes in the coming days.
Last week, a Nations Cup competition was held in Falsterbo, Sweden, and a number of top riders from the Netherlands started via TeamNL in this Nations Cup. Part of that TeamNL has traveled to Veeningen, where a shot is made for the win in next Sunday’s Grand Prix. Jur Vrieling from Holwierde has won the Grand Prix twice before and now that he is coming back to Southwest Drenthe, he will certainly set his sights on a win.
Hessel Hoekstra from Lelystad also drives from Falsterbo to Veeningen. The only 22-year-old rider managed to finish third in the tough Grand Prix in Falsterbo in addition to the second prize with the national team, a major achievement. Earlier this year, Hoekstra won the Grand Prix of Eindhoven, a competition over 1.55 m.
A rider who has belonged to the Dutch top for many years and won individual silver at the London Olympics and also silver with the Dutch team (which also included Jur Vrieling at the time), is Gerco Schröder from Tubbergen. He will ride various tests in Veeningen in the coming days and this week is one of the contenders for the win.
Marc Houtzager (Rouveen), who also belongs to the Dutch top and is in the Dutch Olympic Framework, will bring two horses into the ring in Veeningen in the coming days, just like his wife, the Austrian Julia Kayser.
Albert Zoer
Of course Albert Zoer (Echten) will come to the competition and Michael Greeve (Veeningen), who can be counted as one of the favorites for the victory in the GP, will start again, as will the 16-year-old Wesley De Boer from Nieuwleusen.
The winner of 2019, Willem Greve from Markelo, is also on the list of participants.
It is certain that Lorenzo Argentano will receive a successor on Sunday, because he is not driving. It is entirely possible that the best Dutchman of Sunday, Frank Schuttert from Ommen, will be the successor. He travels again to Veeningen and this time takes other horses with him.
No fewer than 550 horses are expected in Veeningen from Thursday. Three of these will be brought along by the Belgian topper Annelies Vorselmans.
The list of participants has more than eighty Dutch amazons and riders and more than 260 foreign riders.
High temperatures
The organization is not yet concerned about extremely high temperatures. ‘The temperature is expected to drop on Wednesday and normal summer temperatures are expected from Thursday,’ says chairman Michel Broek. ‘In the unlikely event that the weather continues to be extreme, we will adjust the competition schedule in such a way that it is responsible for horses and riders to start.’
The second part of CH De Wolden starts on Thursday morning at 8.30 am. Every day up to and including Sunday there is jumping on the site in Veeningen. The main event, the second Grand Prix for the Municipality of the Wolden Prijs, will start on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m., a competition in which the winner can earn 10,000 euros.
The public has free entrance every day, including in the stands.