Noortje Radstake Appointed Dutch Para Dressage Team Trainer

The Netherlands

Noortje Radstake has been appointed the new Dutch para dressage team trainer, succeeding Joyce Heuitink-van Rooijen who resigned at the end of 2024.

The position was ad interim filled by Hanneke Gerritsen, who will continue to serve in an advisory role behind the scenes

Radstake

The 42-year old Noortje Radstake has been active in the world of para-dressage for several years. She primarily coached Tessa Baaijens-van de Vrie, winner of individual bronze and team silver at the European Championships. She will step down from this role effective October 1st, allowing her focus to shift to her new and broader role as national coach.

She is a qualified physiotherapist and runs a brerding, training and dealing yard in Voorst (NED). She has previously held positions as a rider and/or stable manager at Reesink Horses, Resim Dressage, and Hans Olthof, and prepared stallions and mares for inspections and performance tests.

Challenge

Rasteke commented on her new role: "This position is a fantastic challenge, and I'm really looking forward to it. I've been involved in this world for almost six years and have become deeply involved."

"I'm a huge fan of beautiful, harmonious, and horse-friendly riding," Radstake continues. "That's always incredibly important, and perhaps even more so in parasport than in regular sport. If you're disabled, it's essential that your horse is willing to do what you want and that you form a unit. I think the Netherlands is already on the right track in that regard. We currently have a very pleasant and close-knit group, where new riders will feel at home. I hope we continue along this path and can take it one step further next year in Aachen. We do have to keep raising the bar, always with horse and rider friendliness in mind."