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O riginally, The Dutch Masters
was never intended to be
held in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The
show was launched in honour of
Dutch sporting legend Antonius
“Toon” Ebben, who was born in
Tilburg, some 30 kilometres away.
However, none of the indoor arenas
in his hometown met the founders
needs, so they opted for the
famous
Brabanthallen in the neighbouring
city instead.
The Mayor of ‘s-Hertogenbosch at
the time was so pleased with the
idea of establishing a top-class
equestrian show in his city that he
made it possible for the first edition
of The Dutch Masters to be staged
there a mere three months later, in
the spring of 1967.
The inaugural event was an instant
success with an entertaining programme
that went down extremely
well with the crowd. From a sporting
point of view, all of the leading
equestrian athletes were represented
in the arena. The Grand Prix
title
went to accomplished horseman
Seamus Hayes, who, a few
years prior, achieved world renown
for winning the first British
Jumping
Derby. To this very day
he is considered one of the most
significant Irish show-jumpers.
Very quickly The Dutch Masters
developed into the largest indoor
show in the Netherlands, and has
remained so until this day. Some
200 journalists from around the
globe cover the event live. The
winners’ board reads like a directory
of the top names in the sport:
John Whitaker,
Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum,
Nick Skelton, Alwin
Schockemöhle, Ludger Beerbaum,
Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, Rodrigo
Pessoa – these are just a few
of the world-class show-jumpers
who have ridden the victory lap of
honour
in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The
unique atmosphere in the Brabanthallen
inspires some 65,000 spectators
every year, in part thanks to
the venue’s regular improvements,
providing an optimal infrastructure
for the show.
In 1994, the World Cup Final
was held in ‘s-Hertogenbosch for
the first time. Show-jumper Jos
Lansink rode to victory with the
incredible
“Libero H”, securing
the title for the host nation. The
World Cup Final for both dressage
and show jumping returned to
Brabanthallen
in 2012, this time
with The Dutch Masters as host.
Rider Rich Fellers, from the United
States, and his top horse “Flexible”
succeeded in crossing the finish line
first, relegating
the soon to be
London
Olympic gold-medallists
Steve Guerdat and “Nino des
Buissonnets”
into second place
after
a thrilling duel.
Over the past few years, The Dutch
Masters’s flagship “Rolex Grand
Prix” has been dominated by European
riders: Kevin Staut from
France won in 2014 with the unforgettable
“Silvana HDC”; in 2015
and 2016 two top German riders,
Daniel Deußer and Marcus Ehning,
claimed the title, and in 2017, it was
Dutch hero Leopold van Asten
who left the world elite trailing behind.
Van Asten’s accomplishment
is the very title fellow rider and
teammate Jeroen Dubbeldam has
been yearning for.
Despite his many attempts and impressive
achievements – individual
Olympic gold-medallist in 2000,
team World Champion in 2006,
double World Champion in 2014,
double European Champion in
2015, twice a Major winner, in
Aachen (2001) and in Calgary
(2010) – Dubbeldam has yet to
occupy
the top step of the winners’
podium in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. “The
Dutch Masters is a highlight of
my competition year, and jumping
in front of my home crowd is a
thrilling experience. Winning the
‘Rolex Grand Prix’ would be my
way to pay them back for all the
support they have given me over
the years. Not to mention that I
can hardly wait to compete for the
Grand Slam title next year in my
own country!”
That time will come on 18 March
2018 at The Dutch Masters when
the Netherlands welcomes the Rolex
Grand Slam of Show Jumping for
the first time.
THE DUTCH MASTERS ROLEX GRAND SLAM MAGAZINE