The main prize in the Grand Prix of Tolbert is two and a half thousand euros and a load of hay worth 500 euros. Compared to five-star level matches, that’s less than a tip. Why then almost 2500 starts in two slopes in five days?
According to Hester Klompmaker (Buitenpost), who participated in the competitions together with her daughter Jorinde, the answer is simple. “Everything is always possible here, thanks to Louwe Mulder, the owner of the HJC riding school. He has ensured that not only are there two perfect competition rings here, but also the loose riding slopes are perfect. Because Louwe is so flexible and sticks to agreements, he has a huge favor factor, which means that many riders like to come to this competition. What also plays a role is that if something needs to be arranged, Mulder is the first to arrange it. That’s why you drive here, even on all those Thursdays that we have the opportunity to train here, with a lot of fun. We have been able to ride five or six different horses here every day, because courses are built at every level. This also makes it attractive for many riders to come to this event,” says Klompmaker.
‘Show jumping has undergone enormous development’
Jan Dolfing from Vries, the uncrowned king of the rural equestrian sport of the Northern Netherlands, endorses Klompmaker’s words. “Outdoor Tolbert has grown into a fantastic event, where everyone likes to ride. I am 72 and the risks are now too great for me to participate in competitions myself, but I will continue to be involved as the owner of a horse that has started here. If I compare this event with the time I was active with Polarfurst, you can only conclude that the show jumping sport has undergone an enormous development in all respects”.
Helen de Koning, who holds the gavel, is proud of her fifty volunteers who run the event with her. “The infrastructure of this event is perfect and all riders see that we take steps every year to perfect even further. If you look at the first prize in our Grand Prix of two and a half thousand euros you can say that it is a tip. But do not forget that the matches here are a departure station. There are not many competitions in our country at this level that have a higher prize available to the winner. For more than half of 45 horses, this grand prize is also the final destination. For perhaps five of these horses, a start at the highest level is in the offing and they can then compete for a grand prize of a ton in the long term. In almost all cases, this will take a few years. Our event is a primary and secondary school for jumping horses in one. Here the horses receive the responsible basic training and if talent and quality are present, there are other competitions to continue their studies at university level.”
Super fast and super setting
The Grand Prix became one with two faces. After fourteen starters, half was clear. As a result, it seemed that no fewer than 22 combinations would make it to the jump-off. But the competition turned, because of the remaining 25 combinations only three remained clear, so that in the end ten combinations competed in the jump-off for the main prize and the bales of hay.
Last year’s winners Marriet Smit-Hoeksta (Mildam) on Duco Z were the first to start in the jump-off and she immediately recorded an extremely fast clear round. “I know that Duco is not only super fast and also has a super attitude. Because it went well from the start, I dared to go full throttle”, she said after it became clear that she had won.
Chantal Regter from Assen finished second with a horse that lived up to its name. Can Fly Z hovered over the obstacles and galloped at full speed, but precious seconds were lost due to the enormously high jumped canter and the enormous flapping over the obstacles. As a result, the Assense finished more than three seconds behind Smit. Finally, Daan van Geel from Gees brought eight-year-old Kahlua Carmen to the start. “This was the horse’s first competition at this level and you shouldn’t force anything. It is great that we finished third with this quiet stage, but every classification would have been good”.