Text © World of Showjumping

In last Sunday’s CSIO4*-W Nations Cup, presented by the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, at the Morocco Royal Tour 2025 in Rabat, one team stood out. Among the ten teams at start was the Netherlands, represented solely by members of the Thijssen-family. 

The Dutch team consisted of Leon Thijssen, 57, on Hello (Ambler Gambler x Nabab de Reve), Mans Thijssen, 23, on Joviality (Warrant x Silverstone), Mel Thijssen, 24, on Juice (Tyson x Carambole) and Sanne Thijssen, 27, on Con Quidam RB (Quinar Z x Cardino 5), while Dorien Thijssen – wife and mother – was chef d’equipe for the weekend. Additionally, Juice and Hello are bred and produced by the Thijssens.

“It was a pleasure to do this with the whole family; we worked together,” Sanne tells World of Showjumping. “Even though our mom was the chef d’equipe, we discussed all together who was going to start first and last. She was there to help us all in the warm-up and she kept an eye on the results of the other teams as well.”

“It's not easy to get to be all together on a team in a Nations Cup, but you never know – maybe we try to do it next year again in Rabat!” Sanne adds.

“To all be on a Nations Cup-team together is unique, and it was a really nice experience,” Leon says.

“As to the final result we were a little bit unlucky, with Sanne having a stop and Mel and Mans having the last one down. They all rode good though. As to myself, I just wasn’t good enough in that moment. I still compete a lot, but not so much at the highest level. Lately, I’ve done a bit more again since I have the horses for it, but I’ve done mostly two- and three-star shows in the last few years,” Leon – who in 2005 won team bronze at the Europeans in San Patrignano – tells about reappearing in the Dutch squad with his three children.

“I don’t think it will happen again any time soon,” Leon concludes about the Thijssen-team. “We all planned to do Rabat together, and that’s how we could make it happen.”