Following a court ruling against the Tops stable, there is a statement

On January 7, the Eindhoven Dagblad reported that the competent district court had handed down a judgment in a case that could have unpleasant consequences for entrepreneur Jan Tops, the creator of the Global Champions Tour and League. The headline of the article reads:

“Judge drops bomb under Tops horse arena: Permission ‘suddenly’ lacking for important stables, events and hotel”

The Dutch online portal horses.nl later picked up on the news. The ruling was based on a legal dispute between Jan Tops’ company and the “Groen en Heem” nature and landscape organization. This organization has been trying to prevent the further expansion of the “Tops International” showgrounds for years. The district court responsible for East Brabant has now ruled that Tops does not have permission to hold tournaments and events in their current form.

In addition, Tops had appealed against a ruling that denied him permission to build a hotel on nature conservation grounds. The appeal was rejected, according to reports.

Statement tops

That does indeed sound like a problem for Jan Tops and his company. However, when asked, they played it down. In response to our question as to how the situation would now be dealt with, we received the following statement:

The media coverage of the judgments of the East Brabant District Court in December 2025 concerning Stal Tops B.V. has led to confusion regarding the future of events in the Tops International Arena.

Tops International Arena confirms that all events will take place as planned and preparations will continue as usual.

The rulings have no impact on the existing Tops International Arena or Stal Tops venue. The nitrogen crisis rulings primarily concern future investment plans for an adjacent property. These plans serve to implement the municipal policy for boulevards and horse zones.

We look forward to welcoming riders, teams, partners and spectators to Tops International Arena throughout the season, delivering world-class sport, supporting athletes and horses and making a positive contribution to the local community and economy.

Stal Tops B.V. has now also published this statement on its social networks. We are currently asking the court how the judgment is to be understood.