“Barcelona is wonderful and the Final of the Nations Cup is always thrilling. It’s very difficult already on the first day, you start with 15 countries and separating the teams is very hard. We saw that by what happened to Ireland who were the gold medal winners at Gothenburg (Longines FEI European Championships staged in August), but that is the jumping sport and that is what makes it exciting!” said Dutch Chef d’Equipe Rob Ehrens.
He was delighted with the performances of all his team members and their horses.
“Jur is experienced but Glasgow is quite green, this year is his first time in a Championship and he was extremely good this week. That’s a horse for me to keep over the winter season because I think this should be a combination for the World Equestrian Games next year. Michel Hendrix is an up-and-coming rider, very talented, he produced this horse himself. And Harrie is in brilliant form this year, he’s in the flow! I’m very happy for him and also for the country. He is a top jockey and an unbelievably good team player” he said.
Smolders was delighted to bring it home for The Netherlands, but admitted that it took a bit of an effort.
“I felt he (Don VHP) started to get a little tired and that I had to carry him around a bit in the second round today, but he gave everything. He gets a rest now that he really deserves. I’m super confident this season because he jumps clear after clear, but still you have to do it, and it was a big track today, a big challenge, the time was really tight so I couldn’t afford to leave it somewhere. I had to be really on it, but my horse was incredible!” he said.
Rob Ehrens is an exceptional team manager, leading the Dutch to a series of brilliant results in recent years and now adding the Longines FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2017 title to his long list of spectacular achievements. With typical humour however he said tonight that the success has little to do with him, and was all down to his team.
“The only thing I have to do is tell them what time to get out of bed, what time to get into bed and what time to walk the course. I have an easy job and I’m a happy coach!”, he said.
Rob Ehrens, Team Netherlands Chef d’Equipe: “This formula in the Longines FEI Nations Cup™ Final is excellent and very exciting. Also when we had a little struggle starting tonight, a yes, a no, lights on, lights out, they are professionals and they finished the job really well so we are very, very happy. This is a bit of a new team, new horses, and they were in a good shape already at the European Championships, although we had a little bit of a slow start there. But we had a good feeling and here on the first day on Thursday the horses also jumped very nicely, they were fit to compete, the riders were motivated and today again they showed that they can do what they have to do.”
Lauren Hough USA, talking about her mare Ohlala who jumped a spectacular clear to help clinch second place tonight - “She’s been amazing this week, I’m so proud of her double clear, there was a lot of waiting obviously, being the first rider I think I got on three times to do that round so under the circumstances I’m absolutely thrilled and so proud to be part of such an extraordinary team. Everyone performed brilliantly, both Laura and Beezie are on younger horses, but they are incredible riders and they kinda held their horse’s hand and we are thrilled with the result today.”