Crowd favorite Marriët Smit-Hoekstra wins Horses2fly 1m20 final

After the Horses2fly final for the 1.10m class, the bars were raised a notch, allowing the 1.20m riders to compete. This final had a winner everyone would want. She dreams of winning the SLTN Grand Prix of Indoor Friesland, even more so than the Olympic Games. A good start is half the battle, as her first start at the 2025 edition resulted in an immediate victory. Marriët Smit-Hoekstra won aboard the seven-year-old mare Wadro's Nerina (by Zambesi) in a lightning-fast time of 28.35 seconds. 

Forty combinations started, and seven were allowed to return. They were not the least competitive, and the tension was high. Jolein Kievit was the second to line up. Jolein rode the six-year-old mare Opa's Omone (by Joint Venture) and clocked 32.77 seconds. Third place went to Anna Maaike Bergsma. Anna rode the six-year-old stallion Okidokus (by Cornet Obolensky) and crossed the finish line in 33.40 seconds.

At Indoor Friesland, the most beautiful things win
The chat with the winner and sponsor in the media square after this section was by far the best-attended of this competition so far. Marriët beamed: “I've won a lot lately, but winning at Indoor Friesland is the best thing there is. Especially when Horses2fly also sponsors the section you win. We have a business relationship; when we sell horses, we do so through this fantastic company that takes care of everything if you want to move a horse by plane to another country.”

Wadro's Nerina 

Things have come full circle now. The owner of the horse I won with, Wadro's Nerina, is also a sponsor of Indoor Friesland. Nerina is a fantastic horse and naturally incredibly fast. However, I try to get my horses used to jump-offs through play from a young age. What you learn young, you'll be able to do when you're older. Which doesn't mean you have to be young to learn something well. For example, as a young girl, I was crazy about football, and it wasn't until I was eight or nine that I fell in love with a spotted pony. It didn't really become serious until I was about thirteen.

Afterward, Marriët wasn't finished at the media plaza. Many, mostly young, fans were waiting to take photos, congratulate her, or ask her a question. Patiently and smiling, the Frisian woman complied with all requests.

Photos: Digishots and Renate Brandsma Photography

Text: Media team Indoor Friesland