Dutch Team Rookie Quinty Vossers Surprises Herself at 2020 Europeans in Hungary

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F.O.C.U.S.

For Dutch team rookie Quinty Vossers the European Young Riders Championships in Pilisjaszfalu, Hungary, were a huge surprise as the rider had not set her mind on team selection at all in 2020.

Vossers and her 8-year old Dutch warmblood Hummer only rode the team selection trials to get some ring mileage, but they caught the eye of the selector and were nominated for the team. Their trip to Hungary paid off as the pair scored team gold, placed 6th in the individual test and 13th in the freestyle, exceeding all expectations, in particular her own.

Limited International Experience

The 20-year old Vossers has only very limited CDI show experience, having done just three international competitions in her life, including the European Championships.

She started riding at the age of 10 and got her first pony when she was 13. Her international debut came with the experienced FEI Dressage pony Boticelli (by Brillant x Colorado). The bay pony began its FEI career in Sweden, before selling to the Meulendijks family in The Netherlands, where he became the Dutch team pony for now senior Dutch Grand Prix team rider Anne Meulendijks at the 2008 Europeans in Avenches. Boticelli was passed on to little sister Lotte who rode him on the Dutch team at the 2012 Europeans in Fontainebleau, while in 2013 and 2014 he was campaigned by Esmee Donkers, who ended up becoming the 2018 European Young Riders Champion.

Boticelli sold to Vossers in September 2014 and with him she rode her very first CDI in Stadl Paura, Austria, in April 2016. Boticelli was 18 at the time and is now retired to the field with the Meulendijks family, while Quinty began riding horses.

"I was riding at L2 level so Botti was meant as a real schoolmaster," Quinty told Eurodressage. "My goal was to start internationally and we achieved them. Then I actually wanted to move on to horses."

"Because I didn't have that much experience internationally with the ponies, it wasn't evident for me to the junior-young rider-under 25 trick," Vosser continued. "My goal from day 1 has always been to learn to ride horses well, that includes training them. I knew from early one that I wanted a life in horses, so learning to ride was the main goal. Of course I looked up to the other girls who did win international shows and went to the European Championships, but I was always happy with my own way."

Finding the Right Match

It took a while for Quinty to find the right equine match until Hummer and Inferno came along.

"After my pony time, it took me a while to find the right horse. I was able to ride well on many schoolmasters, but my feeling wasn't right on them," said Quinty, who eventually found Hummer as well as Inferno through horse dealer Nikay van Duren.

While Hummer was 6 when they bought him, Inferno was even a year younger, 5.

"It was an even bigger challenge for me," said Vossers about developing two young horses. "It didn't go that smoothly and there have been moments that I didn't know what to do, but then I told myself that it wouldn't have been easy with a schoolmaster either. So if I had to go back and do it all over again, I wouldn't have changed a thing."

Vossers returned to the international arena four years later, in fact only two months ago in July 2020 at the CDI Hagen. She rode her second horse Inferno, a 7-year old KWPN gelding by Everdale x Trento B with whom she placed third at the 2019 Pavo Cup Finals. Now performing at young riders' level, Inferno placed 6th and 13th there. One month later Quinty stepped onto the European Championships carpet with Hummer.

Turbulent Summer

The summer of 2020 was nothing less but turbulent for Vossers, who after she found out that she was selected on the Dutch team, had to request an FEI passport for her horse, borrow a freestyle, and mentally prepare for the challenge.

"It was a bit stressful when I heard I was going to the European Championships," Quinty admitted. "Fortunately Febe (van Zwambagt) borrowed me her old freestyle. In the beginning the music didn't fit at all, but after a lot of editing we made it work. And this besides the fact that it was my first Europeans, totally unplanned, and we had three weeks left. Hummer had never done an international and I had only ridden at 2 internationals.. So there were some things, but it all turned out well."

The trip to Hagen with Inferno was done on purpose to experience the atmosphere at a high profile European dressage competition

Future Plans

As Vossers has already trained her 7-year old Inferno up to small tour level, she can try out for the World Young Horse Championships in Verden in December, but she also admits that Under 25 is an option as the 8-year old Hummer is already schooling the Grand Prix level movements.

"My plan for 2020 is to get our own freestyle for Hummer," Quinty joked. "I'll use this year to get more ring experience so I get more used to the tests. At home we are training towards U25. The bar has to be high, but for next year I think I'll still ride Young Riders. With Infero I have only one goal, the World Young Horse Championships. He's 7 and his last year as a young horse. I want to make the most out of it and then we have plenty of time to set new goals."

In the meantime, Vosser has four horses in the barn; the new comers are 4-year old Light My Fire (by UB40 x Dorado) and the 5-year old Vanilla (by Vivaldi x Donnerhall).