Ben Johnson, Schoolmaster for Marlies van Baalen's Sister-in-Law

Dressage

The Netherlands

Ben Johnson, Marlies van Baalen's former international Grand Prix horse, has been handed over to her sister-in-law, Jacobine van Gijn as a schoolmaster.

Ben Johnson is a 17-year old Dutch warmblood gelding by Johnson out of Vinea M (by Ferro x Silvano N). He is bred by Claartje van Andel.

Van Baalen

The bay began his competition career as a 4-year old and first made an impression by finishing second in the 2010 Horsefood Dressage Talent Competition under Femke de Laat, who was assistant rider at Van Baalen at the time.

In the summer of 2010 Marlies van Baalen rode Ben Johnson to an 18th and 19th place in the semi-finals of the Pavo Cup. In 2016 the pair was fifth at the 2016 Dutch Small Tour Championship and made its CDI debut at small tour level at the CDI Darmstadt two months later, where they were second on the Prix St Georges.

In 2018 they made their debut at international Grand Prix level and until the spring of 2021 competed at major events in Le Mans, Den Bosch, Joosland, Saumur, Geesteren, Aachen, Lier, Waregem, Sint-Truiden and Opglabbeek. They were 9th at the 2018 Dutch Grand Prix Championships and 6th in 2019. Their last CDI show was the 2021 CDI Exloo where they were excused from the kur as the horse was not level. A month later he was 9th in the first round of the 2021 Dutch Championships.

Schoolmaster

In February 2022 the ride on Ben Johnson was passed on to South African Kirra Jardine, who had been training and working at Van Baalen's since 2020. She never competed the gelding

Van Baalen announced on Instagram that Ben Johnson has now become the schoolmaster for Jacobine van Gijn.

A mom of two children, Jacobine is married to Arie van Baalen junior and they run "Van Baalen Farms," a rearing and breeding station right across the street of Coby's yard.