Selection lists often look alike. Four riders, one reserve and a few carefully calibrated statements. Yet the one unveiled by the KNHS tells another story. Behind the names chosen for the World Championships in Aachen lies a reality the Dutch are no longer trying to hide: in the Olympic disciplines, the time is no longer for podium promises, but for chasing qualification for the Los Angeles Games. A lucidity that says a great deal about how the global balance of power has shifted… and about the road travelled since their last title on that very same arena, 20 years ago.
A presence on every front
The Netherlands have no intention of merely making up the numbers in Aachen. From August 11 to 23, like most major European nations, TeamNL will be represented in all six disciplines on the World Championships programme: dressage, showjumping, eventing, para-dressage, four-in-hand driving and vaulting.
A full delegation that reflects the vitality of Dutch equestrian sport. Technical Director Laurens van Lieren has not missed the point.
« “I am proud of this large and strong delegation we are sending to the World Championships. We will be present in all six disciplines and, in driving and para-dressage, we have podium chances both as a team and individually. I would not rule out a medal in vaulting either.” »
o far, this is the discourse of an ambitious nation.
Then comes the nuance.
The Olympic Disciplines Change Their Tune
When Laurens van Lieren talks about dressage, eventing and showjumping, he no longer talks about medals.
The objective is something else entirely: to finish among the top seven nations in order to secure qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. That’s it???
The contrast is striking.
Just a few years ago, the Netherlands were almost automatically counted among the podium candidates in these disciplines. Today, the federation prefers to display a realistic objective rather than sell a dream that may be difficult to reach.
This is not an admission of weakness.
It is the reflection of a sport in which the gaps have tightened considerably.
wenty years after the title, back to the soers
The calendar offers an almost perfect symbol.
The Worlds return to Aachen exactly twenty years after the 2006 World Equestrian Games, when the Netherlands won the team world title on that very same arena.
Back then, the Oranje were among the nations setting the tempo in global showjumping.
Today, they return with a far more pragmatic ambition.
« Realistically, we have to aim for a place in the Top 7 in order to secure our qualification for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles ” summarises selector Wout-Jan van der Schans.
A sentence that sums up the Dutch philosophy all by itself.
A team built on trust
To take on this challenge, Wout-Jan van der Schans has not tried to surprise anyone.
The selector has kept faith with the combinations he has been following for several months and was already preparing in the spring for this appointment.
Willem Greve and Grandorado TN N.O.P. will lead the selection. Alongside them, Harrie Smolders will naturally return to a leadership role with Mr. Tac wo pillars around whom the selector had wanted to build his team for several months.
The third place goes to Bas Moerings with IpstharThe rider from Roosendaal had to prove this season that his combination had the level required for major championships.
« He has managed to prove himself ” Van der Schans believes.
The final ticket goes to Michael Greeve and Denver, already seen at last year’s European Championships. The selector explains that he has been in regular contact with his rider in order to prepare for this World Championship appointment as well as possible. Their discreet participation in last weekend’s CSI4* in Valkenswaard was also part of that rise in power.
If needed, Mathijs van Asten will travel as reserve with Cassina Dior. A mare who made an impression during the Nations League in Ocala and whose “zen attitude” the selector appreciates on big arenas such as Aachen.
The Dutch paradox
In the end, this selection tells much more than a simple list of names.
The Netherlands continue to produce some of the best horses in the world. The KWPN remains an international reference. Harrie Smolders is still one of the most consistent riders on the circuit, while Willem Greve has established himself as a safe bet at the major appointments.
And yet, the Dutch federation no longer approaches the Olympic disciplines dressed as favourites.
Its biggest medal ambitions are now openly in driving and para-dressage. Showjumping, dressage and eventing are looking first towards Los Angeles.
The shift is subtle, but revealing.
t tells the story of a sport in which Germany, the United States and Belgium now have a depth rarely seen before. To stay in the front carriage of the world train, it is no longer enough to line up one or two cracks. You need four combinations capable of stringing rounds together without weakening.
That is precisely what the Dutch hope to rediscover in Aachen.
Photo cover © KNHS
