Also a win for Marriët Smit – Hoekstra in the Horses2fly 1m30 final, Sytze van Dellen second

The penultimate final of the Horses2fly day at the WTC Expo is upon us. The atmosphere is already buzzing. Many have come to Leeuwarden to cheer on their local heroes. Sing-alongs are blaring from the speakers on the first day of show jumping, and the crowd is eager to join in. Fifteen combinations were allowed to return for the jump-off, and they were not the least impressive. It was exciting right down to the very last combination. Once again, Friesland's Marriët Smit-Hoekstra took the win, but Sytze van Dellen was hot on her heels. Marriët saddled the nine-year-old Lemonade TN (by Vagebond de la Pomme) for this test and crossed the finish line in 25.66 seconds. 

Sytze, who lives in Opende, took second place with the nine-year-old mare Latieza (by Emir R). He was only three-tenths of a second slower: 25.95 seconds. Third place went to Yfke Priem and the eleven-year-old gelding Jetoulon Pk (by Etoulon). Yfke recorded 26.44 seconds.

Seven horses along
Sytze laughs: "I let a woman ride me off the line! After my ride, I thought it almost couldn't have been any faster, but then I saw Marriët as the last starter on the list... I have busy days. Today I have five horses with me, and two for the upcoming international days. Five is a lot, yes, but the Horses2fly competition is so beautiful. Not everyone can compete internationally, while there are so many good riders and horses here in the North, and this is a great opportunity. Why is everyone so eager to compete here? It's so beautiful here, and there are so many spectators; it's just different."

Indoor Friesland is growing 

This is my fourth Indoor Friesland; I've been able to ride all four editions since the show returned. It was fantastic right from the start, but I really notice it's getting better every year. I also rode here last weekend, with Neymar VDL during the Night of the Stallions. It was so busy then, and the crowd was so enthusiastic. Regarding this second place, can I just tell you what I thought when I crossed the finish line? I thought, "Shit, this went so fast and nice." I hadn't expected this from this mare. She's still a bit hesitant sometimes, but today it went perfectly.

Jur Vrieling good teacher 

I've been a stable rider with Jur Vrieling for quite some time now, and I really enjoy it. Since I started riding with him, everything has improved. He teaches me tiny things that have huge consequences, and that makes a world of difference, both at home and at competitions. We also have a great business at home, but it's more focused on breeding. In the future, I'll continue that with my two sisters, but as long as Jur doesn't kick me out, I'm not leaving anytime soon.

Photos: Media team Indoor Friesland and Digishots

Text: Media team Indoor Friesland