Equestrian center Sleen and the municipality of Coevorden are working on a relocation plan for the riding school in the village. According to the riding association, the current accommodation is too small and dated. What’s more: according to the municipality, the location is an excellent place for about thirty new homes in the village.
The riding school on the Zetelveenweg west of Sleen has been struggling with a lack of space for some time. “In recent years, due to the development of the new Jongbloed district, we have fewer pastures around us for the horses,” says chairman Mike Brandt of the association. “The village has grown towards us, so to speak. We can still give the animals enough to eat, we have a good feeding policy. But if the entire herd is outside on the grounds that we still have available, every blade of grass will quickly disappear. “
In addition, he believes that the current accommodation of the riding school is no longer very good. “Consider overdue maintenance, and in fact also riding arenas that are too small. Our largest arena is 20 by 40 meters, while nowadays many competitions and competitions require at least an arena of 20 by 60. For jumping competitions, even a riding arena of 30 by 80 meters is desired.”
The riding school says it has done its best in recent years to maintain everything. “However, the major work, for example on the roof, is something that has not been taken up by the municipality.”
Reason for the association to think about a different location. “We are now in good consultation with the municipality of Coevorden about this,” says Brandt. “We are working on a plan, including a budget, and we already have an alternative location in mind, not far from the village.”
Brandt prefers to keep it to himself for now. “It is still a bit too early for that. As soon as we are a little further along in the process, we can tell you more about it.”
The municipality of Coevorden confirms that it is in discussions with the riding association. “We also see that the riding school is becoming increasingly wedged between the buildings,” says councilor Steven Stegen. “For us, this is a reason to plan on relocating the riding school in the near future; we are indeed in constructive consultation about this, both with the riding school and with Dorpsbelangen Sleen.”
According to the riding school and the municipality, the relocation plan cuts both ways: space for housing and an opportunity to realize a nicer accommodation.
Brandt: “We do not have the ambition to build the most luxurious, but a move does offer the opportunity to look carefully at better facilities, possibly with a multifunctional character.” The current riding school now has about fifty to sixty horse stables. That number is also at least necessary at the new location, the chairman says. ”We would prefer to have a few more. What we also need at the new location is a large outdoor arena.”
If the association has actually moved, the vacated location can easily be filled with new construction, according to the alderman. “I’m quickly thinking of about thirty homes that could be built here. A great new development for the village.” It is not yet clear what kind of homes this will involve.
According to Brandt, the Sleen association is a household name in equestrian sports. “We have been around since the 1960s, which made us more or less the first in the Northern Netherlands. People still come from far and wide for competitions or lessons. We are proud of that.”
The association currently has approximately seventy members. Both from the village and beyond. “In addition, many customers come here for lessons. During the week you can easily see 250 to 300 riders coming together here, from young to old. And many parents and grandparents also come to watch regularly.”