The Netherlands Announces Its Dressage Team for the 2026 World Championships in Aachen

The roster selected by national team coach Patrick van der Meer comes as little surprise:

Marieke van der Putten with Zantana RS2 OLD N.O.P. (Breeder: RS2 Dressage Centre de Horst bv)

(Reserve horse) Kuvasz RS2 (Breeder: RS2 Dressage Centre de Horst bv)

Dinja van Liere with Mauro Turfhorst N.O.P.T. (Breeders: Reesink Stallions b.v. and Stoeterij Turfhorst b.v.)

Thamar Zweistra with Hexagons’ Mr Magnum N.O.P.T. (bred by Perry Boogaard and Stal Hexagon bv),

(reserve horse), and Kingsdale (bred by Marieke de Pundert)

Rowena Weggelaar with Don Quixote (Libretto: Nelly Weggelaar)

Reserve: Lynne Maas with Electra (Owner: Lynne Maas)

About the Team

For Patrick van der Meer, this will be his third championship as head coach. The team’s strongest pair is Marieke van der Putten (43) and Zantana, who competed at last year’s European Championships in Crozet and won the Grand Prix and freestyle events in Rotterdam with high scores. Van der Meer:

“It’s wonderful to have a pair like this on the team. They’re constantly improving, and as I said recently: There seem to be no limits for this horse. I would even go so far as to say that this pair is among the world’s best, and I hope they can prove it in Aachen.”

Nine-Year-Old Newcomer

After Dinja van Liere (35) completed her final rounds in Crozet with her 2022 World Championship bronze medalist, the stallion Hermès, she has now found a successor in Mauro Turfhorst, who, like Zantana, is descended from Zonik. Van der Meer is aware that the handsome stallion has not yet reached the peak of his career.

“You can see how Mauro is growing into his role with every tournament. If this progress continues, he’s a horse that could eventually compete with the best in the world. Together with a rider like Dinja, they make an incredible pair,” said the trainer.

Another nine-year-old

Mauro Turfhorst isn’t the only representative of the 2017 M-cohort on the Dutch team. Thamar Zweistras (43), riding Hexagon’s Mr. Magnum—who is nine years young—is also a horse that is still far from reaching his full potential, van der Meer is convinced:

“A fantastic horse with practically no weaknesses. He still needs time to build up his strength and is a bit less experienced than Mauro in that regard, but with Thamar in the saddle, we have someone who is absolutely up to the task,” said the 55-year-old

Young rider, experienced horse

At the European Championships in Crozet, Rowena Weggelaar, just 21 years old, and her 18-year-old horse Don Quichot were part of a Dutch championship team for the first time. Patrick van der Meer explained their return to the team as follows:

“Rowena has had a strong season, one that actually began back in the winter. Her performance at the national championships was a bit less convincing, but if you step it up one more notch at the final selection tournament in Rotterdam—that is, exactly when it counts—you’ve simply earned your spot on the team; she belongs there, period. She’s still a U25 rider and has her entire dressage career ahead of her; in Aachen, she can gain valuable experience.”

Places to Visit in Aachen

As for expectations for Aachen, van der Meer isn’t talking about medals. He says that, in addition to the goal of performing as well as possible in the current competitions, the main focus is on qualifying for the Olympics. To do so, the team must finish among the top six—excluding the U.S. team, which has already automatically qualified for Los Angeles 2028.

Incidentally, both Mauro Turfhorst and Mr. Magnum also have a “T” after the N.O.P. abbreviation used for Dutch Olympic horses, because they are part of a special talent development program.

Van der Meer: “I’m really proud of this N.O.P.T. program. It has enabled us to secure some highly talented horses, including the two mentioned. It’s working exceptionally well.”