Dutch Equestrian Federation Lowers Criteria for Dressage A-Squad of 2024

Dressage

The Netherlands

The Dutch equestrian federation made the interesting decision to lower its squad selection criteria from 75% to 73% in order to fill up the A-squad in the upcoming Olympic year of 2024.

One A-Squad for Senior Dressage

As of 1 January 2024 there will only be one squad, the A/Olympic squad and no B-squad.

"For the non-Olympic disciplines there will remain to be an A- and B-squad," the KNHS communicated. "The reason for this is that in these disciplines the top is small and the difference between the A- and B-squad much bigger than in the Olympic disciplines."

The score criterium of having achieved 75% three times has been dropped as hardly any combination currently achieves that standard. The new criterium is three times 72% although this is not binding. The team trainer can submit any rider to the squad he considers having potential.

The Dutch dressage team obtained an Olympic team slot for Paris at the 2022 World Championships in Herning by finishing fifth in the team competition. At this year's European Championship in Riesenbeck The Netherlands finished fifth again.

Eight in the Squad for 2024

The Dutch squad for 2024 suddenly has eight riders submitted. The Dutch team trainer is Patrick van der Meer. Alex van Silfhout's name is no longer mentioned in the press release.

The squad listed riders are:

Marlies van Baalen - Habibi DVB
Kirsten Brouwer - Foundation RR
Devenda Dijkstra - Hero
Dinja van Liere - Hermès and Hartsuijker
Lynne Maas - Electra
Marieke van der Putten - Torveslettens Titanium
Emmelie Scholtens - Desperado and Indian Rock
Thamar Zweistra - Hexagon's Ich Weiss

For the Olympic team selection, the Dutch Championships in Ermelo (23 - 26 May 2024) and the CDIO Rotterdam (20 - 23 June 2024) are the two team selection trials. The team trainer may send some riders to the CDIO Aachen to make a final decision on the team for Paris.

Worth Noting

New Dutch Team Trainer Patrick van der Meer
getting interviewed by the local TV in Kronenberg

Despite being absent from international competition for almost one year, Kirsten Brouwer has been added on the squad with Foundation RR. Their come back was planned for the 2023 CDI-W Mechelen in two weeks, but they couldn't get in due to having dropped on the FEI world ranking. Brouwer is now aiming for Amsterdam or Neumunster.

Dinja van Liere has been submitted with two horses. Her number one, Hermes, last competed at the 2023 World Cup Finals in April, where he sustained an injiry. Hartsuiker was recently scratched from the CDI Stockholm also due to fitness issues. Van Liere has small tour horses Vita di Lusso and Vaderland in full training for a GP future.

Emmelie Scholtens is submitted with her team horse Indian Rock, but also with Desperado, who did his last CDI show in January 2023 in Amsterdam.

Absentees

The biggest absentees from the squad were long-time anchors Edward Gal and Hans Peter Minderhoud.

Gal's sabbatical has been on-going for two years and there have been no sounds of a planned come back.

Minderhoud last showed his team horse Dream Boy at the 2023 CDI-W 's Hertogenbosch and has been focusing on putting mileage and experience on Invictus ever since. He also began competing Taminau at international small tour level in the early summer.