Thursday night at the 2025-edition of The Dutch Masters in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NED) saw four champions – the Dutch Champion Willem Greve (NED) on Hadewyn van’T Ravennest (Comme Il Faut x Carrico), the 2023 European Vice-Champion Philipp Weishaupt (GER) on Cupido 130 (Calmando 3 x Stakkato), the double World Champion and current world number one Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) on Calizi (Cellestial x Stakkatol) and the 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Maikel van der Vleuten (NED) on Lalique (Berlin x Palm S) – bring back the traditional horse rotation in the HeadFirst Group Prize – Best of Champions.
Similar to the format formerly seen between the final four at the World Championships, the four riders jumped a round on each other’s horses, taking three minutes and two jumps to get to know the horses before jumping a course of eight fences. After four rounds, Greve, von Eckermann and Weishaupt had all gathered a score of four penalties, and the win was decided in a jump-off on their own horses. While Greve and Hadewyn van’T Ravennest emerged as the winners and took the title Best of Champions, Cupido 130 and Lalique both finished the evening on a score of zero.
With these images, we take a look back at the action!
All photos © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping.
Dutch Champion Willem Greve and Hadewyn van’T Ravennest (Comme Il Faut x Carrico).
The 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Maikel van der Vleuten and Lalique (Berlin x Palm S).
The 2023 European Vice-Champion Philipp Weishaupt on Cupido 130 (Calmando 3 x Stakkato).
The double World Champion and current world number one Henrik von Eckermann and Calizi (Cellestial x Stakkatol).
Harrie Smolders moderated the class together with Jeroen Dubbeldam.
Jeroen Dubbeldam getting Maikel van der Vleuten's thoughts after his ride on Philipp Weishaupt's Cupido.
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Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson/WoSJ.
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Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson/WoSJ.
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Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson/WoSJ.
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Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson/WoSJ.
The grooms of the four riders helped behind the scenes – here Lisa Fundis with Cupido and Richard Skillen with Hadewyn van’T Ravennest...
...Louise Barraud with Calizi...
...and Alin Seidler with Lalique.
Weishaupt on von Eckermann's Calizi...
Greve on van der Vleuten's Lalique...
...van der Vleuten on Weishaupt's Cupido...
...and von Eckermann on Greve's Hadewyn van’T Ravennest .
After four rounds, Greve, von Eckermann and Weishaupt had all gathered a score of four penalties, and the win was decided in a jump-off on their own horses.
Philipp Weishaupt and Cupido.
A quick word in between rounds.
While Greve and Hadewyn van’T Ravennest emerged as the winners and took the title Best of Champions...
...Lalique and Cupido both finished the evening without touching a pole.
In addition to the four champions riding, many others were around... such as Marcus Ehning...
...and Ludger Beerbaum, who was over the moon with the performance of his home-bred Cupido.
Richard Skillen gives Cupido a cuddle.
Isabel de Rycker and Wim Vinckx, the happy owners of Hadewyn van’T Ravennest.
Team Greve.
Home hero Willem Greve getting a standing ovation.
"That was very interesting to see. We hoped that people would come, and they did – so we are happy," Jeroen Dubbeldam, Sport Director at The Dutch Masters, told WoSJ afterwards.
Then