Marlies van Baalen and Fidermark

Focus

Eurodressage F.O.C.U.S.

In the past, Eurodressage has often put horses ridden by Marlies van Baalen in the spotlight. It's not a coincidence that this young Dutch rider draws so much press attention.

Thanks to her trainer and benefactor Johann Hinnemann, Marlies van Baalen is the second young rider, including Ellen Schulten Baumer, who has easy access to upper level dressage horses, as well as talented youngsters.

Marlies van Baalen currently rides two Grand Prix horses. Her number one mount is the American owned Idocus with whom she's able to collect scores branging etween 65% and low 70% scores. The Westfalian stallion Fidermark (Florestan I x Werther X Einblick) is her second choice. Van Baalen only recently shedded the Prix St Georges performance and moved to Grand Prix level aboard her liver chestnut stallion.

While this gorgeous combination won the 2000 Dutch Championships at Prix St Georges level, the new transition to Grand Prix is a little harder. At the CDI Frankfurt, the pair finished 15th in the Grand Prix with 62.68% and in the Freestyle with 63.75%.

"The explanation is quite easy," Van Baalen said. "I'm devoting more time to the training of Idocus for the European competitions. I should have started Fidermark in some regional Grand Prix classes in Germany or Holland first, before showing him Grand Prix at a big CDI."

Fidermark was born in 1992 and bred by W.Hage from Rüthen-Hemmernwon, Germany. He was the reserve champion at the licensing and went on to win his stallion performance test. In 1996, he won the Bundeschampionate under Michael Farwick, and as an eight-year-old he successfully participated in the Nürnberger Burgpokal Finals.