The Dutch are well-known for their systematic and thorough promotion of young riders. Thus team boss Sjef Janssen was spoilt for choice. Finally he decided to nominate Lorraine van den Brink and Diederik van Silfhout for the U25 competition in Aachen. The Dutch are sending the only male rider competing in the “Prize of the Liselott and Klaus Rheinberger Foundation” this year. Initially Lotje Schoots had been nominated instead of Mrs van den Brink, but due to a minor injury of Lotje’s horse Reine B the prominent Dutch Talent of the Year 2007 and 2009 had to withdraw.
Lorraine van den Brink is a 25-year-old professional rider and member of the Dutch Future Team. She will present Murdock, a 16-year-old gelding (by Balzflug). After seven years of successful cooperation both know each other very well. “Murdock is a very strong character. He knows exactly what he wants. At the beginning it was not that easy to get along with him,” she revealed.
The pair has gathered considerable experience on the international stage. Most prominent are the medals they won in 2006: At the European Young Riders championship they won the individual as well as team silver medal. Besides Lorraine van den Brink became runner up at the FEI Young Rider World Cup Finals in Frankfurt that year.
In the beginning the young Dutch was trained by her mother, later she changed to Coby van Baalen and now she runs her own stable. “I did not expect to be nominated for the U25 in Aachen,” she says. “Now I train intensively every day. And I will definitely try to do my best.”
Her teammate Diederik van Silfhout stems from a family with a strong equestrian background. His parents run a stable in Lunteren, located in the centre of the Netherlands. Diederik started riding no earlier than at the age of eleven but being trained professionally by his father right from the start Diederik’s talent showed quickly. At the age of 16 he became one of the youngest Grand Prix riders in the world making his debut with the stallion Forum Zwei.
In 2006 he was a member of the gold medal winning Dutch Junior team at the European Championships, in 2008 he won the team European gold after having changed to the young rider camp. He won the FEI Young Rider World Cup in Frankfurt the same year. Van Silfhout has been a member of the Dutch junior/young rider team for six years and is also a member of the Future Team. Being 22 years old now he has turned into a promising professional after he decided in favour of a riding career some years ago.
At the U25 competition in Aachen Diederik will present Luxform’s Popeye, a 13-year-old gelding. He has been training this horse again for half a year now, though both know each other from junior times. On 26 June they rode their first Grand Prix and won the class with 64.45%. “He is a very sensitive and hot horse,” is how Van Silfhout characterises his sport partner. “He can get pretty nervous in big arenas, but I have hope,” he adds. The nomination did not come as a real big surprise: “I knew I had a chance, but you never know…”
In spite of his vast experience Aachen is something special for Diederik. “It is my first time in Aachen and therefore it is very exciting for me to go there,” he said. The young rider has set himself an ambitious and clearly defined target: “I want to win!”
by Irmgard Peterek for Eurodressage.com
Photos © Astrid Appels - Digishots.nl
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