On the evening of Thursday, March 13, the HeadFirst Group Prize - Best of Champions will take place. The final lineup has now been confirmed and includes World Champion Henrik von Eckermann, Dutch Champion Willem Greve, European silver medalist Philipp Weishaupt, and Olympic bronze medalist Maikel van der Vleuten.
Philipp and Maikel will replace Olympic Champion Christian Kukuk and European Champion Steve Guerdat, who are unable to participate due to unforeseen circumstances.
Steve Guerdat had to undergo emergency surgery for a hernia, which will keep him out of competition for the time being. He will be replaced by European silver medalist Philipp Weishaupt. The 34-year-old German rider from Ludger Beerbaum's stable won a gold medal with the team at the Paris Olympics.
Christian Kukuk must remain on standby as he and his wife, Veronica Tracy, are expecting their first child soon. Since Veronica is in Wellington, FL, USA, the distance is too great for Kukuk to travel. He will be replaced by Maikel van der Vleuten, who won his third individual Olympic bronze medal in Paris. The silver medalist in Paris was Steve Guerdat.
With these changes, the audience is guaranteed an evening full of horsemanship and thrilling sport. The event will be hosted by Harrie Smolders and Jeroen Dubbeldam, the initiator and sport director of The Dutch Masters. This is an evening you don’t want to miss! A few tickets are still available.
