Last night, Dutch rider Harrie Smolders got off to a very good start in the CSI5* week in Wellington. Riding L'Othain (by Contenro Grande) he left all the competition behind. However, the competition was considerable: "You have to prove time and again that you are worthy of your place at the highest level," he said.
"The competition is really fierce. You can clearly see that everyone has brought the 'big guns'. The best riders and the best horses in the world are here. That gives you extra motivation because when you are competing against the best riders in the world, you want to prove that you are worthy of your place here. I will be competing with some new horses but I will do my utmost to put down a good performance this week as well.