End of an era: Future Guys' last show at Indoor Friesland

What horse lover didn’t grow up with them? Who can count the number of times they’ve seen The Future Guys on one hand? Every time you saw them, it was an experience – it was exciting, and the stunts they pulled off were impressive. You could feel the strong bond between horse and human, and the mutual trust was clearly visible. After almost 40 years, their performances are now coming to an end. The team is stopping at their peak. The last two shows were given on Tuesday during “The Magical Horse Show” by Britt Dekker at Indoor Friesland. No more The Future Guys: a moving farewell interview with Arthur van Osch.

Arthur, 52 years old, born in Valkenswaard, has lived in Vorstenbosch since he was two. For the dressage enthusiasts: Arthur is also “the brother of” Rieky Young, his two year older sister.

Started as a joke
It all started as a joke: “I was thirteen years old, and we had an evening with friends. At that time, we rented a video tape and ate cake. That evening, we watched a film by Omar Sharif, in which men jumped on and off a horse. We loved it and rewound the film many times. We wanted to be able to do that too! That’s how it started. We got western lessons from an American lady at the stable. We started with 35 people, but due to injuries, we quickly dropped out; some even ended up on sick leave temporarily. Eventually, we were left with six people and a reserve. We put together a small show and organised an open day. It was a hit and that’s how The Future Guys were born.”

Backflip
“The bar was raised higher and higher. I took lessons in America, we looked for better horses and better saddles. In the beginning my father arranged everything and organised the performances, but eventually I took over. When I was fourteen, fifteen years old, I lived like a gypsy; we were always on the road. Incidentally, at the beginning, at the age of thirteen, I could only sit on a horse, real riding was not yet an option. Western and cowboy life suited me better than dressage or jumping. Once I really started riding, I was a fanatic. Unfortunately, I later broke my hip outside of equestrian sports, which made riding too painful. From that moment on I took over the coaching and organisation from my father. I thought that was a shame, because I really had a speciality: the back somersault. What makes our story so unique is that there are very few specific groups worldwide that do this.”

Show horse turned 37 years old
“The horses are all mine, used to be my father’s. Blue Moon was my show horse. He came to us as a riding school pony and did shows for The Future Guys for 25 years. He eventually reached the age of 37. When he was 29, he retired. He was still fit enough, but I stopped riding and that was fine.”

Stop at peak
“There’s a time to come and a time to go, and my father taught me that you have to stop at your peak. Age played a part, but also bureaucracy. I’m a cowboy, not an administrator. There were more and more rules and paperwork. In addition, the trailer in which the horses were transported had to be replaced and other things had to be adapted to the latest regulations. We also had to find some new horses, and the boys were getting older. We simply stop at our peak.”

Last show at Indoor Friesland
“It wasn’t planned that our last shows would be at Indoor Friesland, but since the event’s comeback we’ve been there every year. I really like the set-up; it’s a competition that’s different from the rest. The decor is unique, and the combination of sports, show and music appeals to me. The concept is just right. At one point I told the guys that it was enough.”

Good home for all horses
“I have found good (new) homes for all the horses. I keep two myself, including the mule Header, with whom I like to go on trail rides. One horse is retiring, and two I am giving to good friends, including one to a family with a handicapped child who loves horses. Horses have also gone to their riders.”

Been all over Europe
“We’ve been all over Europe: Italy, Hungary, France, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, and so on. When I was young, we did 120 shows a year; in recent years, it’s been between 20 and 50. That seems like a lot, but a show for us is only a quarter of an hour. It’s very explosive, but we’re never active for more than 20 minutes.”

Best memories
“I have many great memories. The rodeo show in Madrid was very special. We were booked by Lee Jeans and even got a new pair of jeans from the American organization. I was fifteen at the time and thought it was very impressive. Actually all the events were beautiful, thanks to the enthusiastic audience and the children. At Pentecost we always went to the competition in Wiesbaden, which was great. We also performed at the 25th anniversary of Princess Beatrix, who was still queen at the time. That performance took place in a public park in Soestdijk, in the presence of the entire royal family. Very special. The World Championship for young dressage horses in Verden and the World Jumping Championships in Mannheim in 2006 were also special.”

Contact with the group remains
“Of course I will miss a lot of things: the action, the sensation, the audience, being with the boys… But I am also starting a new phase in my life. I will have energy left and maybe I will even do something new, just for fun and less hectic. Something that will cover the costs, because horses cost a lot of money. The group will continue to see each other anyway. During Indoor Friesland there was even a rider who had been gone for five years. We also still see guests who have been gone for twenty years. We are a close-knit team and that will remain so.”

Also a regular job
“We all did The Future Guys on the side, we didn’t make a living from it. That makes it a bit easier to stop; our normal life just goes on. For example, after Indoor Friesland we were home at 02.00:06.00 AM, and two colleagues had to go back to work at XNUMX:XNUMX AM. Everyone has a permanent job or their own company. Our bosses and partners have complained about our absence quite a few times.”

Thank you everyone
"I am most proud of the fact that we have kept it going for so long. We thought we would only do it for a short while, but we kept captivating people. After 40 years, it is almost unbelievable. That is why I would like to thank all the organisations that invited us, and the audience that always welcomed us with such enthusiasm. It was great, and we enjoyed it! An era has come to an end. A strange idea that I will have to get used to,'' Arthur concludes.

Photos: Digishots
Text: Marjan de Wildt – Media Team Indoor Friesland