M.70 believes in the power of collaboration. Founded by Harrie Smolders, Chris Sorensen, and Sean Crooks, M.70 is a first-of-its-kind high-performance training and management team which brings together top riders, elite coaching, and cutting-edge sports science to create an environment where both human and equine athletes can reach their full potential. Unlike traditional stables, which often focus on a single rider’s business, M.70 is designed to train, develop, and elevate multiple top-level athletes in a collaborative system —modeled after many of the best training programs in non equestrian professional sports.

In professional sport, success is never a solo effort. The greatest athletes—from Formula 1 drivers to tennis champions, and everything in between—train within high-performance environments, supported by expert teams who refine and develop every aspect of their game. Yet in show jumping, structured, world-class training systems are still the exception rather than the rule.

“Our mission is to create a unique high-performance training environment for athletes to pursue their goals—period.” Chris Sorensen, co-founder, is a former President of Equine Canada, National Team rider, coach, and entrepreneur behind ventures like The Hunt and Equine Integration, a global leader in equestrian sport science.

M.70 is committed to elevating the standards in equestrian sport—developing talent, maximizing performance, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. In equestrian sport, learning never stops, every detail matters and even the smallest improvements can make a difference. M.70 is built to develop both riders and horses, providing them with every resource needed to succeed at the highest level.

“We are redefining high-performance in equestrian sport by focusing on riders and horses as athletes. That is what sets M.70 apart, and it’s the future of our sport,” says Harrie Smolders. “Our vision is to be a leader in equestrian performance—developing top riders and horses through world-class training, education, and cutting-edge technology.”

As a former world number one, Smolders is widely recognized as one of the sport’s most consistent and successful riders. Alongside his competitive career, he has coached students to success at the highest levels—a rare achievement among elite riders. “I have been coaching throughout my career,” he explains. “I started teaching at lower levels when I was young, and when I joined the Verlooy family’s Euro Horse, I trained Jos Verlooy from his first pony to a European Championship medal. We had a lot of success, and I believe that success carried over to my other clients, like Copernicus and later Evergate," says Smolders, who won the Rolex Grand Prix of Geneva last December and continues to shape the next generation of top riders.

The third founder, Sean Crooks, is one of the most promising coaches of his generation. A former rider, he worked under some of the sport’s most influential mentors. Sean has coached athletes to top placings in 5* Grand Prix events, European Championships, and the World Equestrian Games, while also managing their preparations and qualifications for these championships—including the Olympic Games. Under his guidance, Ioli Mytilineou delivered an unprecedented performance in her first two championships, jumping clear in 7 of 9 rounds on two different horses—a testament to her consistency and readiness for the world stage.

Harrie, Sean, and Chris have known each other for years, working together in various capacities across the sport. Each has built a successful business in different areas of equestrian sport, from coaching and competition to innovation and athlete development. But what makes M.70 unique is the shared vision behind it. Instead of building individual programs, they have combined their expertise to create a true high-performance training environment—one where athletes thrive by working together at the highest level.

“Each of us had our own successful path, but we saw an opportunity to take things to the next level together. We studied the best training models in other elite sports and applied those principles to show jumping. Yet, until now, no one in equestrian sport has built a training program with this level of expertise, collaboration, and structure.

“At M.70, every rider trains under the guidance of world-class coaches and a team of experts. Our collaborative, high-performance environment is designed to help multiple athletes thrive together,” says Chris.

In most professional sports, elite athletes train in one of three structured environments:

• A national training center, where the top athletes in a sport train together under elite coaches, using world-class facilities and training partners.
• A private high-performance training center, led by a world-class coach, where top athletes come to train and compete against one another.
• A professional team-based training center, where athletes are employed by a team that provides top coaching, facilities, and support.

These environments offer funding, scale, and fully integrated support teams—including strength and conditioning specialists, physiotherapists, sport psychologists, and sport scientists.

Unlike these models, equestrian sport remains highly fragmented. Most training centers are independently owned by a single athlete or coach, limiting access to collaborative training environments that elite athletes in other sports rely on.

In other top sports, world-class athletes never train alone or without a dedicated support team. LeBron James invests millions each year in a team dedicated to optimizing his performance. Elite athletes succeed with world-class teams behind them. As their careers progress, they invest in larger, more experienced teams to gain a competitive edge.

Messi doesn’t coach himself—he relies on expert trainers and strategists. Likewise, even if Lewis Hamilton could analyze his own performance data, it wouldn’t make sense for him to do it alone.

As show jumping becomes increasingly competitive, optimizing fitness will provide a critical edge. Sports science shows that improving fitness directly benefits both horse and rider performance. At the top level, even the smallest gains can make the difference between winning and losing.

At major championships, federations provide extensive team support because they know success requires a team. Top riders surround themselves with experts—trainers, grooms, veterinarians, and sport psychologists—who ensure they can perform at their best when it matters most. “At a national training center there would minimum be weekly meetings for every expert to collectively discuss each athlete from all the different angles. How common is that consistency and range of experts fully integrated seen in Equestrian? And why do so many equestrian professionals want to go out on their own?” asks Sorensen.

“Being a professional means committing fully to your sport and delivering elite performances when it matters—whether on a national team or at major competitions. But it doesn’t mean doing it alone,” adds Crooks. “The beauty of working with horses is that they constantly challenge us to improve. They keep us humble, pushing us to do better—for them and for ourselves.”

“A collaboration like this only succeeds when everyone shares the same vision,” Smolders says. “Our goal is to instill true horsemanship in our riders. Success isn’t just about winning—it’s about becoming the best horseman you can be.”

That success is built on discipline, integrity, and resilience—qualities that define true champions. At M.70, we foster a culture where hard work, respect, and personal growth matter just as much as podium finishes, ensuring our riders develop not only as competitors but as leaders in the sport.

“We want to create an environment where our clients receive support in every aspect of the sport,” Smolders explains. “Buying a good horse does not take anyone much further if the management isn’t right. There are countless variables that can go wrong, preventing expectations of being met. We want to be involved in every management decision from feeding to flat work and shoeing – we want everything to be done to the highest standard. Our horses deserve that, and we believe we can achieve a common goal together.”

For more information, please visit www.m-70.com
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