In a press release, the Dutch federation (KNHS) announced that the contract with national coach Wout-Jan van der Schans will end late this year. "Van der Schans has served as national coach since early 2025, using his extensive experience as an elite athlete, trainer, and coach to make a valuable contribution to the development of Dutch showjumping and the national squad, but the desired results failed to materialize."
Wout-Jan van der Schans took office in early 2025 as national coach of the TeamNL showjumpers—a period in which several top horses were no longer available for TeamNL and rebuilding had to start from the ground up. Van der Schans brought years of knowledge and experience at the highest international level to this role. Consequently, his tenure as national coach was characterized by providing opportunities to young, talented showjumpers and investing in the future of Dutch showjumping, a mission he dedicated himself to with great enthusiasm and conviction over the past two years.
During his tenure, TeamNL achieved several impressive results. Under his leadership, the team won the Nations Cups in Dublin (2025) and at CHIO Rotterdam (2025). Although results at the European Championships in A Coruña, the Longines League of Nations, and the World Championships in Aachen fell short of expectations, the KNHS highly appreciates the way Van der Schans worked on developing riders and horses with an eye on the future.
Van der Schans: "I have thoroughly enjoyed serving as the national coach for the TeamNL showjumpers over the past two years. In particular, guiding and offering opportunities to young, talented riders is something I view as a crucial step for the future of Dutch showjumping. I look back with pride on the collaboration with riders, owners, grooms, colleagues, and everyone involved within the KNHS."
The KNHS is grateful to Wout-Jan for his dedication, commitment, and passion for the sport. "We thank Wout-Jan for his effort and commitment over the past two years. He dedicated himself to TeamNL and made a wonderful contribution to developing a new generation of showjumpers, something Dutch showjumping will continue to benefit from in the future. Although the results at the recent championships did not yield what we collectively hoped for, that detracts nothing from his expertise and contribution to the sport. We wish Wout-Jan every success with his future career and his training stable," said Laurens van Lieren, High Performance Manager at the KNHS.
