Van Der Putten Beats Moody at 2026 CDI Rotterdam, Dutch WEG Team Takes Shape

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2026 CDI Rotterdam

Brand new Dutch dressage champion Marieke van der Putten made an impressive move of power on home turf at the 2026 CDI Rotterdam, beating World Cup winner Becky Moody and impressing the judges with their abilities ahead of the World Championships in Aachen.

**From CDIO to 4* Level**

The international dressage competition in Rotterdam lost some of its flair as this year it dropped from FEI Nations Cup CDIO status to 4* level. The competition became a very Dutch affair with an entry field sprinkled with Dutch riders on a mission as this show marked as their final WEG team qualifier.

Only three international classes were held for dressage, the rest of the tests were all at national level and selection trials for the Dutch youth riders.

Van der Putten Set the Tone

The 4* Grand Prix on Thursday featured a field of 24 combinations with 10 Dutch riders and 14 from Sweden, Australia, Poland, Great Britain, Morocco, Denmark, Belgium and France. The panel of judges included Clive Halsall, Maria Colliander, Kurt Christensen, Maarten Van der Heijden, and Ulrike Nivelle.

Fresh off their victory at the Dutch Nationals, Marieke van der Putten and the 12-year old Oldenburg mare Zatana (by Zonik x Sir Donnerhall) won the Grand Prix with a personal best of 77.957% edging out Becky Moody on the 12-year old KWPN bred Jagerbomb (by Dante Weltino x Jazz) with 75.282%. While the judges were consistent with Marieke's scores, there was quite a spread with Moody's results going from 73.478 to 77.826%.

"It went very well, but we also had some difficult moments at times," said Marieke after the Grand Prix. "It is a beautiful location with a great atmosphere in the stadium, but that is sometimes challenging for Zantana as well. I knew beforehand that I had to pay extra attention to that. I am very happy with how she performed. Our ride couldn't have turned out better.”

Becky commented: "to be honest, I didn't have the very best ride today. I made a few silly mistakes, and Jagerbomb wasn't as sharp as I would like him to be." She added with a smile. "If he had piaffed in the test like he did to the audience's applause during the prize-giving ceremony, we surely would have scored better."

Dutch Team Candidates in Pursuit

Holland's new number two when it comes to scores is the brand new Grand Prix pair Dinja van Liere on her 9-year old Mauro (by Zonik x Negro) who scored a whopping 75.000% in his second CDI Grand Prix test in his career. Van Liere's two other Grand Prix Horses, Hartsuijker and Imposantos, haven't competed internationally since February 2025 and January 2026.

Van der Putten produced the third best result on her second horse Kuvasz (by Glamourdale x De Niro), while Holland's third best scoring rider in Rotterdam was Thamar Zweistra on the 9-year old Mr Magnum (by Expression x Valdez). They posted 71.087%. Zweistra had to shift her full attention to Mr Magnum as her Crozet team horse Luxuriouzz is sidelined with an injury.

Dutch team rider in Crozet, Rowena Weggelaar and the 18-year old Don Quichot (by United x Gribaldi) were back as Holland's fourth best scoring pair, posting 70.717% in the Grand Prix.

For Marlies van Baalen Rotterdam became a disappointment. Right after her come back at the Nationals after a period of injury, she and her 14-year old Habibi (by Don Schufro x Johnson) had to withdraw from the Grand Prix test in the warm-up not fit enough to compete.

Pottier in the Spotlight

French Corentin Pottier and the 15-year old KWPN bred Gotilas (by Totilas x Ferro) once again proved that they are France's strongest Grand Prix pair at the moment with a 73.413% score in Rotterdam (after 72.109% in Mariakalnok and 72.435% in Gossendorf this year). In comparison, French's Grand Prix champion Pauline Basquin and Sertorius de Rima Z got 71.065% in Bordeaux and 71.261% in Fontainebleau, so far

Pottier has not been submitted to the French long list for WEG Aachen due to a persistent rift between the rider and French team selector Jean Morel. Remarkably the French Equestrian Federation (FFE) does not seem to succeed in mediating and finding a solution so that France would have their strongest scoring rider available for the team. At the WEG in Aachen there will be 2028 Olympic team slots are up for grabs.

On Saturday Pottier commented, "I have had the privilege of riding in many championships with Gotilas and achieving many milestones. We are now at a point where it is simply about enjoying ourselves."

Van der Putten and Moody win Kur and Special

The CDI part of Rotterdam concluded on Saturday with the Special and Freestyle in very hot summer temperatures.

Moody won the Special with 77.575% ahead of Dinja Van Liere on Mauro with 74.064%. The Brit commented, "about 95 percent of our test went optimally; only the halt and the walk sections didn't work out quite as well today. But on Thursday I didn't think he was sharp enough, so today I got exactly what I asked for. He is a great horse and I am very happy with him."

Van der Putten and Zantana led the freestyle with 84.580%, referring Pottier to a second place (76.635%).

“She was on fire today," said Marieke. "It is so cool to feel that that energy is increasingly becoming something positive for us; that she doesn't get spooked by it but only gives more in the test. Truly an amazing feeling. It was crowded in the stands today, which makes for a great atmosphere, but of course the horses feel it and they see it when they enter. But quite early in the test I felt that she had her attention back on me, and we rode a personal best here. Everything I knew was in this horse is now coming out. That is a fantastic feeling.”