Para Rider Nicole Den Dulk Retires from Horse Sport

Belgium

Dutch-Belgian para dressage rider Nicole den Dulk has announced her retirement from horse sport. After 11 years of top sport, mainly riding for The Netherlands, she has ended her career.

The 43-year old Den Dulk is a Grade II para rider. She became paraplegic in 2013 after a riding accident during a National Hunt training session in the U.K.

Dutch Team Rider

In 2013 she began her international para career in the Ib tests on Fifty Fifty (by Florestan x Sao Paulo) and in 2014 began campaigning her career making horse Wallace (by Future x Rohdiamant).

Aboard Wallace she achieved her greatest successes. She rode him at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, won team bronze and double silver at the 2017 European Championships, and team gold at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon and 2019 European Championships. She also briefly competed Simone Pearce's former horse, Australian warmblood Faust (by Fidertanz).

In 2020 she welcomed a new horse in her barn, Joey Distell (by Uphill x Winningmood) but Wallace remained her number one ride.

In 2021 she was short listed for the Dutch team for the Paralympics but did not make it.

Belgium

The Elen (BEL) based Den Dulk declared for Belgium in the spring of 2022. She continued to compete Wallace at CPEDI's in Deauville, Wregem, Grote-Brogel, Riesenbeck and Doha.

As of the spring of 2023 Jackpot Verde (by Furstenball x Londonderry) joined her ranks and in 2024 she began campaigning Icaya PB (by Diego x Jazz).

Den Dulke's last international was in Kronenberg in June 2024 on Icaya PB.

Retirement

Den Dulk announced her retirement from sport on social media.

"After 11 years of top sport I am definitively quitting horseback riding," said Den Dulk. "Not voluntarily but my body indicates that I really need to do something else anyway. Since 2016 I have been struggling with a “hole” on my buttock and after multiple surgeries I thought it was going well but alas. Under the skin all sorts of things are going on and then horseback riding is not the best sport considering I have been sitting all day. A difficult decision."

Den Dulk will also be retiring the 21-year old Wallace, who did his last international show at the CPEDI Genemuiden in December 2023.

"I will continue to ride him for a bit fortunately. He is still so fit," she said. "I am looking for a very nice home for Joey and Jackpot."

She concluded, "I really want to thank everyone who contributed in any way to a super nice career and time on horses. I have learned a lot and intensely enjoyed all my can-do's with Benedict, Fifty, Wally, Bubbles, Joey, Jackpot and Icaya. I am very happy that the sweetest Wally is staying with me and I hope he can enjoy his retirement for a very long time. He is truly golden and I am eternally grateful to him."