Intermediate freestyle for the EFO Horse Insurance Prix to Hans Peter Minderhoud, Marieke van der Putten second

The second competition on the final day of the Indoor Friesland dressage weekend was for the Small Tour riders. In the EFO Horse Insurance Prix, they also presented their freestyle to the five-member jury. The entire top three were once again Dutch, but not the same as in the first test in the Small Tour. The winner remained the same: Hans Peter Minderhoud and the eight-year-old gelding My Toto (by Glock's Toto jr) scored an impressive 76.67%.

Second place went to Marieke van der Putten and the nine-year-old stallion About You Rs2 (by AcDc4). They also passed the 75% mark, scoring 75.77%. Third place went to Danielle Heikoop and the eight-year-old gelding Mac Toto USB, also a descendant of Toto Jr. Danielle and Mac Toto received a score of 74.23% from the judges.

Tough with a little heart
While Hans Peter Minderhoud gave an on-camera interview with the section sponsor and the breeders and co-owners of My Toto, the Both family, we spoke with the second-place winner. Marieke van der Putten is delighted with her second place: “I'm very satisfied and thrilled. Indoor Friesland has a beautiful arena, but it's also nerve-wracking for the horses. Last year, I struggled with that with this horse, but today he gave me confidence and really kept going for me. I've been riding About for three years now. He's very tough, but he's a bit of a softie. He gets insecure easily, and I have to help him and convince him that it's okay. I have to ride him with kid gloves, so to speak.”

Great competition
I'm at Indoor Friesland for the second or maybe even third time now, and I think it's a fantastic competition. I think it's a miniature version of Indoor Brabant. The event also has a great date, perfect for the start of the indoor season. I think this is a great competition to kick off with.

Continue training for Grand Prix
"At home, I'm already training About You for Grand Prix, but I won't be competing in this class next year. It's important for this horse to have plenty of confidence and time. For experience, I'll be competing in the Small Tour a few more times during that time."

Photos: Digishots
Text: Media team Indoor Friesland