Dinja van Liere's Hermes Withdrawn from 2023 CDIO Aachen Due to Injury

Dressage

The Netherlands

Hermes, the Dutch team horse ridden by Dinja van Liere, is out for the season due to an injury. He will not appear at the CDIO Aachen as planned and qualification for the 2023 European Championship is now ruled out.

Hermes is an 11-year old KWPN stallion by Easy Game x Flemmingh. He is owned by Joop van Uytert and Jan Anker.

Holland's Number One of 2022

Dinja van Liere and Hermes made a stellar rise on the show scene in 2022 after their break through in 2021.

Last year the duo won the CDI Hagen, the Dutch Championships, was second at the CDIO Aachen, and then went on to win double bronze at the 2022 World Championships in Herning.

In the winter of 2022-2023 they competed on the World cup circuit circuit. They began the indoor season by winning the CDI Leeuwarden but then had to withdraw from the CDI-W Lyon as he turned up unfit there. They won the CDI-W 's in Mechelen and Amsterdam and were second in 's Hertogenbosch. They flew to the 2023 World Cup Finals in Omaha (USA) where the had to witthdraw before the Grand Prix due to fitness issues.

Injury

What initially appeared a minor injury in Omaha is now taking more time to heal. Van Liere did not compete Hermes at the Dutch Championships last week, the first team selection trial for Riesenbeck, but team trainer Alex van Silfhout had put the pair on the list for the CDIO Aachen on 28 June - 2 July.

Van Liere on Hermes at the 2023 World Cup Finals

Today it was announced that the horse will be sidelined for longer and is not going to Aachen.

"We are giving him all the time he needs to fully recover," said co-owner Joop van Uytert. "Building up too fast now is not good and we only want to compete him again when he's 100% fit."

The Dutch equestrian federation does not articulate if Hermes is out for the entire season or if he might make a late come back on time to be considered for Riesenbeck in September. However, Van Liere confirmed to Eurodressage that Hermes has been fully withdrawn from team contention.

”There is no Aachen and also no European Championship,” Dinja said about Hermes. “Aachen is the second observation trial. We both don’t want to rush is so have declined for both.”

Van Liere of course has a strong iron in the fire with her second horse, Hartsuijker, with whom she won silver at the 2023 Dutch Championships.