Going Dutch
Easy access to mainland Europe and a wealth of state-of-the-art facilities means British riders have been lured by the prospect of being based in the Netherlands. Becky Murray sees how life on a Dutch yard compares to Blighty
“I was looking for a chance to further my career and being here has opened up my eyes to what is outside the UK,” says British dressage rider Charlotte Fry, who has represented Britain at the young rider European Championships, and is now based at Van Olst Horses in
Den Hout, the Netherlands — home to the superstar stallion Negro.
Fin Jopson, who formerly worked for dressage champion Peter Storr and now works as a trainer and runs his own sports horsemanship clinics, made the move to Eindhoven for business reasons: “Holland is more commercial than the UK,” he says.
And Eindhoven is also now home to British showjumper Jessica Mendoza and her team, who made the move in 2014.
“We decided to move here because it is the European centre of showjumping with top yards and great facilities. It was an obvious choice,” Jessica explains.
“There are so many top riders based here in Eindhoven that I find myself learning a lot from watching and listening to them.”
But what is life like on a Dutch yard for those who have made the move?
the stable
A STRICT but simple mantra is followed in the Netherlands with regards to a horse’s stable. It is considered a place of rest and so yards feature separate cross-tie areas and wash bays where horses are groomed and tacked up away from the stable.
“If you think about it in the terms of a human, would you want to eat breakfast, take a shower and get dressed all in your bedroom or do this in separate rooms?” says Fin.
For Fin, getting the horse ready in a clean environment away from the stable is key to preparing the horse’s mentality ready for work.
“If you have a difficult horse that perhaps sees work as more stressful, then going back to the stable can be used as a reward and a place for them to rest,” he says. “Also, if a client comes to see a horse then it is more presentable to have them in a clean tie-up area rather than the stable.”
the yard
“DUTCH yards are largely purpose-built, which means they are more compact and often easier to work in,” says Jessica’s head groom Phill Snow, who has been with Jessica