With less than two weeks to go until the 2023 European Dressage Championships, the Dutch team has undergone several changes.
Two days ago, Lynne Maas dropped out because her mare Electra (by Jazz x Ferro) is not fit to compete. Today it became known that Dinja van Liere had to pull out her second Grand Prix horse, Hartsuijker (by Johnson x Scandic).
"I think Hartsuijker took a wrong step in training. This was the first time in his whole career that he was lame," Dinja explained. "The vet came immediately and fortunately it's not a serious injury but he won't be fit on time for the Europeans."
The Netherlands has already qualified a team for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, so that has taken the pressure off finishing high with the team for the Dutch, but it is still a major blow for Team NL to lose another one of its key riders.
Van Liere's 2023 show season had plenty of bumps in the road. She first coped with the setback that her number one, World Championship bronze medal winner Hermes is out for the season, but with Hartsuijker she proved consistency this spring and summer and easily rode herself onto the team with the chestnut. Unfortunately he won't make it to Riesenbeck either.
The first reserve, Marlies van Baalen, already stepped in for Maas. In the official press release for the team announcement only Van Baalen was named as reserve, but Holland put two more riders on the nominative entry list and they can be an option to cover for Hartsuijker. The Dutch federation will have to choose between Adelinde Cornelissen (Fleau de Baian) and Devenda Dijkstra (Hero).
Hopefully they have done so before the closure of the definite entries, which was yesterday 25 August.
Photo © Astrid Appels
Related Links
Dutch Team for Riesenbeck Changed, Lynne Maas Out
Dinja van Liere's Hermes Withdrawn from 2023 CDIO Aachen Due to Injury
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2023 European Dressage Championships