The Dutch Masters, the first Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major of the calendar year, began yesterday in ’s-Hertogenbosch, bringing together the world’s leading horse and rider combinations for four days of elite competition. Among Friday’s highlights was the VDL Groep Prize, where 38 riders took to the arena, each aiming to secure their place in the show’s pinnacle class, the Rolex Grand Prix.

The first to master the challenging 1.55m track set by longstanding course designer Louis Konickx was sixth to go – home favourite Maikel van der Vleuten, who delivered a superb clear round with the experienced Beauville Z N.O.P. Just one horse later, Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt followed suit, ensuring that there would be a jump-off.

A further 12 riders, including five-time Rolex Grand Slam Major winner Martin Fuchs, reigning individual World Champion Henrik von Eckermann, as well as four additional riders from the home nation, delivered faultless rounds to secure their place in the jump-off. Their performances set the stage for a fiercely competitive second round in front of the passionate and knowledgeable crowd at the Brabanthallen.

After a short break, the riders returned to the arena to tackle the shortened course in the same order as the first round. This meant that Maikel van der Vleuten was first to enter the electric atmosphere of the Main Arena; however, a single fence fell.

Sixth to go, and the first to produce a double clear, was Belgium’s Thibeau Spits, who set the benchmark in a time of 42.46 seconds. The atmosphere in the Main Arena intensified as Dutch rider Harrie Smolders, riding Monaco, took the lead with just four combinations remaining. His compatriot Bas Moerings, however, soon raised the bar, stopping the clock 3.20 seconds quicker than Smolders to claim the VDL Groep Prize.

Speaking after his victory, Moerings said: “I am so excited and thrilled to have won this class – if you look at the past winners it is incredible to have my name among them. This is a big class at one of the biggest events in the world. My horse is my best friend – what he does for me is amazing. He [Ipsthar] will rest tomorrow and then I will jump him on Sunday in the Rolex Grand Prix.”

Your victory in the Rolex Grand Prix at CHI Geneva – your second Major there after 2017 with Gazelle – once again made you the Rolex Grand Slam live Contender heading into The Dutch Masters. How did this win compare to your first, and what does it mean to return to ’s-Hertogenbosch in that position?

KF: Winning a Major on any horse always feels great. The Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping is the highest level – it's the pinnacle in our sport in terms of competition and prestige. These Majors are my favourite shows to compete at, and that's what really motivates me in the sport. After I won my first Major with Gazelle, I actually got hurt. I broke my leg, and I wasn't able to compete at The Dutch Masters that year as I was still recovering. So, this is a new challenge.

Being the live contender inevitably brings a different spotlight. Does that add pressure heading into a Major like The Dutch Masters, or is your mindset unchanged?

KF: Being the live Contender doesn't bring more pressure for me. I already put enough pressure on myself. If I'm the live Contender, I'm not the live Contender – I want to win just as bad anyway. So actually, for me, it doesn't really change anything. All these Major shows are great challenges all by themselves. So that's what I'm focused on.

Looking ahead to The Dutch Masters, which horse are you planning to ride in the Rolex Grand Prix – and what makes that partnership the right one for this particular test?

KF: I'm bringing Toulayna – I rode her here last year, and she went great. I had a cheap fault, and I ended up fifth with one down. It’s a very difficult course, but she's fast and a great competitor. I've ridden her two times in the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final and I've been second both times. Hopefully we can go one position better here and get a win.

How have preparations gone for this year’s edition of The Dutch Masters, and what has been your main priority as President?

AvG: Preparations for this year’s edition of The Dutch Masters have gone really well. We have a super team, and everyone knows exactly what they need to do, which makes it very easy to work together. After every edition of the event, we evaluate what we were happy with and also what we feel could be improved for the following year. We are satisfied with how things are going, but we are always looking at how we can make things better. That continuous improvement is really important to us.

Communication within the team is also very important. Everyone has their own role, but we discuss ideas together. Jeroen Dubbeldam, our Sports Director, has brought some very good ideas to the event. One example is the Thursday evening class [HeadFirst Group Prize – Best of Champions] where riders swap horses.

That was something I would never have thought of myself, because as a rider you always think, “It’s my horse!” But it has turned out to be a great concept. Jeroen has very good connections with the riders, so he understands what they enjoy and what they would like to see.

Since joining the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping in 2018, how has The Dutch Masters evolved as an event?

AvG: The Dutch Masters was already a very strong event before joining the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, but with the support of Rolex it has been possible for us to grow even more.

It is fantastic to see that Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix was sold-out weeks in advance. That shows that people really want to be there and want to be part of the event, which makes us very proud. It shows how popular the event has become.

The four Majors work closely together behind the scenes – how valuable is that collaboration in keeping each Major at the very highest level?

AvG: The four Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Majors are the best in the world, and they each have their own character. Spruce Meadows in Calgary, for example, is completely different from Geneva and CHIO Aachen, and The Dutch Masters has its own atmosphere as well. They all have very high standards, but each one is unique in its own way. I think that combination of excellence and individuality is what makes the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping so special.