DSHS_Magazine_2022

DSHS 

Dutch Sport 

Horse Sales 

08 

ISSUE NO. 

JOS 

LANSINK 

Heroes of our time: 

‘I am still 100% motivated’ 

VINCENT VOORN 

‘Most of our wishes have been fulfilled’ 

RODRIGO PESSOA 

“I love our sport not only as an athlete but as a sportsman” 

EMMERS EQUESTRIAN 

From humble beginnings 

to a must see ‘attraction’ 

THE NEXT GENERATION 

JANOU HENDRIX 

TAKES THE REINS 

IN PICTURES 

MARLI HOMMEL’S 

ART SPEAKS VOLUMES

Geen 18, geen alcohol.

contents 

ISSUE NO. 

0 

8 

2022 

CONTENTS 

Column: Rodrigo Pessoa 3 

“I love our sport not only as an athlete 

but as a sportsman” 

Heroes of our Time 7 - 12 

The memories of Jos Lansink 

Local entrepeneurs 14 - 15 

Emmers Equestrian 

In Pictures 16 - 21 

Marli Hommel 

A Familiar Face 20 - 21 

Laura Kraut 

16 - 21 

IN PICTURES 

14 - 15 

LOCAL 

ENTREPENEURS 

DSHS Awards 23 

Horse of the Year: Ici 

DSHS Awards 25 

Youngster of the Year: Viper Z 

30 

FUN 

FACTS 

At Home with 26 - 29 

Vincent Voorn 

The Next Generation 35 - 37 

Janou Hendrix 

26 - 29 

AT HOME WITH 

Meet the Locals 40 - 41 

Victor Luminatti 

Fun Facts 45 

‘Typically Limburgs’ 

34 - 37 

THE NEXT 

GENERATION 

DUTCHSPORTHORSESALES.COM 

DSHS | The 2022 edition 

1

Training • Showjumping • Quality sales 

2 DSHS | 

yveshoutackers Yves Houtackers y.houtackers@gmail.com 

The 2022 edition DUTCHSPORTHORSESALES.COM

COLUMN 

RODRIGO PESSOA: 

'I love our sport not only as an athlete but as a sportsman' 

At the FEI Board Meeting in Cape Town last month, I was elected as the FEI Athlete Representative for the jumping 

riders. For a non-renewable four-year term I will represent our riders in the FEI Jumping Committee and in the FEI 

Athletes Committee. It’s the third -and last- time that I have agreed to run for election, and one of the main reasons 

for this was that it was very difficult for the International Jumping Riders Club to find a candidate with the necessary 

experience, and that was willing to dedicate the time needed for this very important position within the FEI. Sadly there 

were not many applicants. 

Motivation 

My passion for horses is deeply-rooted and profound and I firmly 

believe in sport’s ethical values and respect for horses as absolute 

priorities. I am aware of our sport’s requirements, and I believe that 

I know what is needed to inspire the hopes and dreams for new 

generations. In recent years I have been thinking a great deal about 

the future of our sport, about how we can make it better in every 

possible way for professional riders, for the young, for newcomers 

and, as an absolute priority in my opinion for our horses and their 

welfare. At this point in my career and after a life spent with horses 

and in the world of equestrian sport, I like to put my experience and 

commitment at the disposal of the future of our sport. As an athlete 

representative you bridge the gap between the riders and the FEI and 

I think it is a very important job. It does has have a political side, that’s 

not something I am very keen on but it’s part of it. But I dare to say 

that I have a deep knowledge of our environment, I’m not afraid to say 

what I think and I always want to fight for my sport. I love our sport 

not only as an athlete but as a sportsman with the intent to always 

look to the future with a vision for continuous improvement. This is 

also thanks to my previous experience as a member of the Jumping 

Committee, the commitment and aims of which I know in depth. 

Future goals 

I definitely hope that the new generation riders will realize that they 

have to improve and protect our sport. If we as riders want change, 

this is the path for it. Besides looking at ourselves, we can also learn 

from other sports. I really enjoy the professionality in sports like 

Formula 1, golf and tennis. When it comes to promotion, sponsorships 

and media attention, there is still room for a lot of improvement in 

our sport. 

Responsibility 

As an active rider, I see and hear a lot at the shows. Most riders 

come to me with complains, unfortunately it’s not really common 

that we hear the positive things. There are a lot of things to improve, 

since the Nations Cups are not going very well, the World Cup 

competitions lost its momentum and of course the much-discussed 

Olympic formula. There are also many complains about the entree 

fees, costs of the events and invitational systems. That’s why it felt 

like my responsibility to apply for this role one more time: the sport 

has given me a lot and I try to give something back by being the 

athlete’s representative. In this way, we as riders can impact the FEI’s 

decision-making process. 

Rodrigo Pessoa 



3

The RED Carpet 

RED CARPET 

Family Bocken 

Mrs. Emma Augier de Moussac, Mr. Jango Yersin 

& Mrs. Charlotte Augier de Moussac 

"Always a great 

ambiance and 

a warm welcome" 

Team Redfield Farm & Team Horseflight 

Mrs. Kate Bomgaars & Mrs. Colleen Walsh 

Mr. Yves Houtackers, Mrs. Maria Aminoff, Mrs. Line Raaholt, 

Mr. Kim Kristensen & Mrs. Christine Raaholt 

Mr. Viktor Daem & Mrs. Rebecca Lindeblad 

4 DSHS | The 2022 edition 

DUTCHSPORTHORSESALES.COM

RED CARPET 

Mr. Robert Ehrens & Mrs. Evie Buller 

Mrs. Rachelle Hanemaaijer 

& Mr. Maikel van der Vleuten 

Mr. Fredrik Spetz, Mrs. Alva Häger 

& Mrs. Stella Röhlcke 

Mrs. Alise Oken & Mr. Sean Crooks 

Mrs. Laura Kraut & Mr. Nick Skelton 

Mrs. Howe, Olivia Howe and Nicoline Rokke Team Fuchs 

Mr. Peter van der Kalle 


See who joined us 

for a great evening! 


5

of equestrian 

heaven 

Worldwide Shipping 

Explore our luxurious brands and 

enormous stock from the comfort of 

your own home. Scan the QR-code and 

we will welcome you online! 

Worldwide Shipping 

Explore our luxurious brands and 

enormous stock from the comfort of 

your own home. Scan the QR-code and 

we will welcome you online! 

6 DSHS | The 2022 edition DUTCHSPORTHORSESALES.COM

heroes of our time 

HEROES OF OUR TIME 

After an epic sports career, seven-time Olympic rider Jos 

Lansink now focuses mainly on the training of riders. 

From his stable based in Meeuwen (Belgium), he 

guides riders and horses up to the highest 

level and since the beginning of this year 

he also is the national coach 

of the Dutch showjumping 

team. With his impressive 

track record and 

unprecedented dose of 

experience and wisdom, 

Jos Lansink 

Jos definitely deserves 

a place in our series 

Heroes of our Time. 

Text: Jenneke Smit | Photography: Remco Veurink 

Jos Lansink is highly regarded in the world of international 

showjumping. He started riding at the age of three and it 

turned out to be the very beginning of an impressive sports 

career. He became Dutch champion with the ponies and after 

that, the horses started to play an increasingly important role in 

the life of the farmer’s son. As the oldest son he was expected to 

take over the farm, but his heart was with the horses. 

Ehrens and Horn 

After finishing school, Jos started part-time riding for a trading 

stable. “The first time I worked half days at a trading stable and 

half days at home on the farm. At one point we sold a horse to 

Rob Ehrens through the trading stable and I got the opportunity 

to work with Rob for three months. After that I was determined 

to continue as a professional rider. Rob knew a stable near him 

that was looking for a rider. I went there, but left after one year 

because Hans Horn offered me a job, that was in 1982. He had 

bought De Wiemselbach and asked if I wanted to come and 

work for him. Because of that, I was able to go back to my native 

region”, tells Jos. This was the beginning of a partnership that 

would last for 14 years and included many highlights. Such as 

winning the Grand Prixs of Geesteren and Rotterdam in 1988 

and being selected for the Olympic Games in Seoul with Felix 

in the same year. In that Olympic debut, he finished seventh 



7

started his own stable three years later and was able to take his 

top mount Cumano -owned by Jean Verlinden- with him. Shortly 

after, they already won the prestigious Grand Prix of Calgary. 

Together they achieved many outstanding results, including 

winning individual gold at the World Equestrian Games of 2006 

in Aachen. Jos had an extremely successful sports career, with 

participation at seven Olympic Games, six World Equestrian 

Games and ten European Championships. Unfortunately the 

legendary rider had to forfeit the 2016 Games in Rio due to health 

problems which put a hold on his sporting career. “My illness 

has brought a halt to my competition career. But most of all I am 

happy that I was diagnosed when I was and that I followed my gut 

to drop out of the Olympics for the surgery. If I hadn’t done that, I 

might now not be around anymore.” 

'Me and my family 

left the Netherlands 

for Belgium in 1996' 

with Felix and fifth with the team. Since the end of the eighties, 

Jos has been a recurring face at championships. Starting in 

1990 he competed at six consecutive World Championships 

where he won two bronze team medals. At his second Olympic 

Games he contributed to the memorable golden team medal for 

the Netherlands. Another memorable victory was achieved a 

few years later in 1994, when he won the World Cup final in ‘s 

Hertogenbosch aboard Horn’s legendary stallion Libero H. 

Belgium 

In 1996 Jos switched from the stables of Hans Horn to Leon 

Melchior. At Studfarm Zangersheide he was able to continue his 

successes with horses like Caridor Z and Carthago. To be able to 

compete with Zangersheide horses in global championships, Leon 

Melchior asked him to change nationality. “Me and my family 

left the Netherlands for Belgium in 1996 and five years later, Mr. 

Melchior asked me to do him this huge favour. Since things were 

going well and we felt at home in Belgium, I agreed on this. And it 

has never been a decision that I regret.” Due to circumstances, Jos 

Perfectionist 

In 2018, Jos rode his last international competition. He was and is 

an absolute pro in his profession. “I have actually never officially 

retired from the sport. It has grown this way due to several 

circumstances. Over the years we have had several riders in 

our stables and it is already quite a challenge to have the right 

horses for them. And I really enjoy training young horses and 

do the flatwork at home as well.” What has made Jos such an 

outstanding rider and trainer? “I have learned a lot by endlessly 

watching videos of my rides. It’s easy to say that you can always 

improve, but I have always been my own biggest critic and I think 

I owe my successes to that. Besides that, I have learned a lot 

from riding all kinds of horses. In the fourteen years spent with 

Hans Horn and later on at Zangersheide, I had to compete with 

a variety of horses. I think I benefited from all those experiences 

during the rider change at the WEG in Aachen, where I became 

world champion. Then you only have a few minutes to get to know 

your horse and to adapt. I have always worked hard to become a 

better rider and details definitely make the difference. I still see 

that every weekend. The only thing that changes by itself is the 

weather. In this sport you really have to work for it, it doesn't come 

for free. Sometimes you are in a good flow, but then you have to 

be aware because there is always another chapter coming up. You 

see that with individual riders but also with countries. Anyone 

who thinks he knows how it works in our sport, will sooner or 

later get fooled by it.” 

Chef d’equipe 

Nowadays Jos is active in the sport as a trainer and in the business 

of horse trading. His days were busy but in the end of 2021 he got 

an offer he couldn’t refuse. He went back to the Dutch colours as 

'It’s easy to say that you can 

always improve, but I have 

always been my own biggest 

critic and I think I owe my 

successes to that.' 



the national coach of the showjumping team. “I may have a Belgian nationality, but in my 

heart I will always be a Dutchman and I am happy to be able to contribute to the Dutch 

showjumping. I had a few offers from abroad but I declined them all. But when the request 

from the Netherlands came, I felt like it was the right opportunity. A few things were really 

important to me, I wanted the support of the riders and I wanted an assistant. After this, 

I could agree on this job. However, it still entails more work than I had anticipated. Being 

chef d’equipe is not only about visiting the competitions, but it also includes taking care of 

many other things. Such as making sure our riders are invited for the right competitions 

and keeping in touch with everyone involved. That all our effort immediately payed off in 

Herning, was truly amazing. The Dutch team claiming silver and the individual bronze 

for Maikel van der Vleuten exceeded my expectations. I hoped for Olympic qualification 

for the team, and that goal was also amply achieved. I try to make good arrangements 

with everyone and try to give as much clarity as possible at the start of the season, to 

make sure the riders know where they can work towards. We have a number of very good 

riders in the Netherlands, some of whom can perform really well at a championship, but 

often they only have one good horse. When it comes to championships both rider and 

horse need to be in their best shape, and the horse has to compete sparingly throughout 

the season. This season I entered 13 different riders for ten nations cups with a total of 19 

different horses. It’s a motivation for everyone when young riders also get the chance to 

be part of the team and it turned out well this first season.” 

'I may have a Belgian nationality, 

but in my heart I will always be 

a Dutchman and I am happy 

to be able to contribute 

to the Dutch showjumping.' 

Born in Rossum 

(NL) 

1961 

Olympic Games 

of Seoul with 

Felix (7 th ) 

1988 

Bronze medal 

and team gold 

at EC La Baule 

with Egano 

1991 

Winning the 

World Cup final 

of Den Bosch 

with Libero H 

1994 

Olympic Games 

of Atlanta 

with Carthago 

1996 

Changed 

to Belgian 

nationality 

2001 

Started his 

own stable 

2004 

World Champion 

at WEG Aachen 

with Cumano 

2006 

Olympic Games 

of Beijing 

with Cumano 

2008 

Chef d’Equipe 

of the Dutch team 


Started work for 

Hans Horn 

1982 

Bronze medal 

and team gold 

at EC La Baule 

with Egano 

1989 

Team gold 

at Olympic Games 

of Barcelona 

with Egano 

1992 

Started working 

for Zangersheide 

1996 

Olympic Games 

of Sydney 

with Carthago 

2000 

Bronze team 

medal at WEG Jerez 

de la Frontera 

with Caridor Z 

2002 

Olympic Games 

of Athens 

with Cumano 

2004 

Winning silver 

medal at the 

EC in Mannheim 

with Cumano 

2007 

Olympic Games 

of London 

with Valentina 

van ‘t Heike 

2012 

Winning the 

silver team medal 

at WEG Herning 




9

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Mentality 

Jos is the right man for the job as he masters the noble art of 

riding and overcoming the highest obstacles like no other. He 

always pays attention to the basics and always seems to be in 

a certain state of mental calmness. “In our sport you need a 

lot of dedication, patience and a long-term vision. Every day 

you experience new things and every horse is different. In my 

experience, most top level horses are something special. As a 

rider you have to be smarter than the horse, because you can 

never be stronger. The horses have a lot of blood nowadays but not 

only did they change, also the riders have a different mentality. 

And that doesn’t make it easier. Back in the days, it was really 

normal to help each other out. For example, I discussed a lot 

with Emile Hendrix when we were in the Dutch team together. 

We sometimes rode each other’s horses, I did the flatwork with 

Finesse and he helped me with mine. Everything is way more 

individualistic nowadays and that’s something I regret, because 

two people always have more knowledge than one.” 

Future goals 

The perfectionist in Jos also speaks when it comes to welfare. 

“We have 54 horses here in the stable and all of them go out 

in the fields or paddocks. In any case, the horses come out 

of their boxes three times a day. It is not fair to expect top 

performances from horses when they are in their stables 23 

hours a day. The sport asks a lot of the horses, so it is our job to 

manage that as good as possible. Also to prevent injuries. With 

the young horses, I really insist on giving them breaks. They 

really benefit from being in the field for two or three months 

and I have always done this with my horses. For example my 

Olympic horse Valentina van ‘t Heike, even when she was ten 


years old I let her recover in the field for the whole winter. 

Although there was a stable in the field to go in to, she preferred 

to be standing knee-deep in the snow and came back stronger 

than ever. A horse is an athlete and they need to be treated like 

that. Boredom is the worst thing for a horse so you need to keep 

them fresh in the mind and strong in the body.” Does Jos has 

anything to wish for at the moment? “My main goal is to stay 

healthy. I do everything I can to maintain that. For the rest I am 

quite happy with how life treats me. We have good horses, nice 

staff and riders, things are going well. As a chef d’equipe I hope 

we can win some medals. To achieve that, I am as motivated as 

I have always been as a rider”, concludes Jos. 

'My main goal is 

to stay healthy. 

I do everything I can 

to maintain that. 

For the rest I am 

quite happy with 

how life treats me.' 



11

DUTCH SPORT HORSE SALEs 

AMBASSADORS 

Over the years a fair number of horses 

have developed into true ambassadors 

of our auction. It is our pleasure to shine 

a spotlight on some of the super stars 

sold at the Dutch Sport Horse Sales 

between 2009 - 2018. 

1. Apart 

Larino x Burggraaf 

Pieter Devos (BEL) 

Succesfull at CSI 5* 1.60m Level 

2. Coronado (prev.: Charlie Grey) 

Cassini I x Accord II 

Nayel Nassar (EGY) 

Successfull at CSI 5* 1.60m Level 

3. Hello Senator (prev.: Everest) 

Carambole x Indoctro 

Scott Brash (UK) 

Successful at CSI5* 1.60m level 

4. Escoffier 

Lord Z x Numero Uno 

Barbara Schnieper (SUI) 

Succesful at CSI 4* 1.55m level 

5. Kamara van 't Heike 

Epleaser van 't Heike x Carthago 

Maikel van der Vleuten (NED) 


6. Gamble (prev.: Gino) 

Vingino x Indoctro 

Connor Swail (IRL) 

Successful at CSI 3* 1.50m level 


AMBASSADORS 

7. Glamour Girl 

VDL Zirocco Blue x Caletto I 

Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) 


8. Golia (prev.: Goliath) 

Bustique x Coriano 

Red Morgan (GBR) 


9. Harvard HX 

Bustique x Calido 

Shane O'Maera (IRL) 


10. Ici 

Douglas x Lux 

Ben Maher (GBR) 

Successfull at CSI 5* 1.60m Level 

11. Icebreaker (prev.: Investment) 

Nabab de Reve x Heartbreaker 

Dakoda Mower (USA) 


12. Joyko van Keysershof 

Entertainer x Lovefever 

Jill Silvandersson (SWE) 

Succesful at CSI 2* 1.45m level 



13

From humble beginnings to a must see ‘attraction’ 

Emmers Equestrian 

Nearly forty years ago Chris Emmers joined the family business on the ‘Mill street’ in the Belgian town of Hamont- 

Achel. Her parents Jos and Liza owned an agricultural feed business and then eighteen-year-old Chris joined the team 

bright eyed and bushy tailed. Fast forward almost four decades and we see the same energy reflected in her daughter 

Lisa who passionately tells us about the growth and challenges the reknowned store faces. An equestrian heaven that 

she runs together with her parents, whilst her grandmother ‘Moeke’ still proudly looks on from the sidelines. 

Upon arrival we get the same, familiar greeting everyone 

gets when they enter Emmers Equestrian. Whether you 

are a regular or a first-time visitor the crew always has 

a warm welcome with a big smile in store! After a quick 

photo-opportunity with Dirk, Lisa and Chris, we grab a 

seat in the coffee corner of the Hamont-Achel store and 

ask Lisa about the working title for the article. “Emmers 

can be described as a must-visit theme park for 

equestrians”… Like when you tour the Paris region, the 

Eiffel tower is on the itinerary just like Disneyland. 

Unrivalled inventory 

Lisa smiles: “ I’ve never heard that 

said but it is a nice analogy. 

We often see foreign visitors 

that have come to Belgium 

or the Netherlands or 

surrounding countries 

that plan time to try 

horses and also visit 

our store. We’ve even 

had an occasion where 

a group of people from 

the middle east who 

first came to our store 

to literally buy anything 

and everything they 

needed to keep and ride 

horses. Only afterwards did 

they proceed to actually go 

and buy horses. That is the strength of our stores, we 

can basically supply anything in big or small quantities.” 

And Lisa is right, from small gifts for young pony riders 

to top-exclusive customized riding boots and helmets to 

the latest fashion and new inventions, the inventory of 

Emmers is unrivalled. 

Ever growing family business 

“My mother, an avid rider back in the day, could have 

never foreseen the feed business would grow into this. 

All the changes the company went through are really a 

story of its own. The feed business grew into a (farm) 

pets, aquatic & gardening center in 1987 with a special 

focus on equestrian supplies. Five years on my dad, 

who is also from an entrepreneurial family, joined the 

company as well, so it would continue to be a family 

business. Ten years on the pet & gardening center was 

sold and the equestrian part of the business continued 

as Emmers Equestrian. Since then, we’ve moved 

locations again because the store kept growing and we 

opened two stores in new locations as well: Sentower 

Park in Oudsbergen, Belgium and next to Peelbergen 

Equestrian Centre in Kronenberg, the Netherlands.” 

Multiple generations 

In 2018, when Lisa turned 23, she decided to also 

join the business. “That was against all odds really. 

I am not a rider and although I really like the sport 

and everything that comes with it, I am not a horsey 

girl. I got my Bachelor’s degree in China Studies 

Chris joins 

the family business 

Pet & garden centre is sold 

and the equestrian business 

continues at a new location 

1983 

1987 

Move to a bigger store 

2002 

2010 

Emmers Equestrian moves 

to the current store location in Hamont-Achel 

50 

Molenstraat 

Emmers - Boonen 

1983 



LOCAL ENTREPENEURS 

and a Masters degree 

in Management & 

Organization. The 

things I learned in my 

Master’s degree are very 

useful to this day, but my 

China Studies aren’t. Asia 

and China in particular have 

always been a passion of mine, 

but it turned out that I found that 

same passion for our family business. 

There have been many changes since, partly because 

of the Corona pandemic, which gave the need for a 

proper functioning online store more urgency. We 

want to serve our clients virtually in the same way as 

they would visit our store. But getting the accounting 

system to work seamlessly with the inventory system 

and the website, that posed a real challenge behind 

the scenes. I am very proud of everyone that has 

helped to make that transition a success. We’ve even 

had to rent another warehouse space across the road 

in Hamont to accommodate all the inventory for 

the online sales.” 

Bursting at the seams 

The growth of Emmers Equestrian in numbers is even 

more impressive. “In 2018 we employed 15 tot 20 

people. In 2022 we have 40 employees and we are 

still hiring. Our offices are bursting at the seams”, Lisa 

smiles when she points to the small offices that are 

situated behind the counter in the Hamont store. 

“That is the latest project we are working on. We are 

now moving towards expanding the store with more 

office space and giving the store a bit of a new look 

and feel. The current structure has worked really well 

for us, but we do want to keep improving. And create 

spacious offices for our employees to work in, a 

nice meeting and break room and a store interior 

that is able to showcase all our products in the best 

light possible.” 

Company values 

As high as the shelves 

go in the store - there are 

even products displayed 

hanging from the ceiling - 

the organization structure 

at Emmers is arranged as 

the opposite.“Organizationally 

we have a very flat structure. 

Both myself and my parents are 

very involved and approachable”, Lisa 

continues. “And we strongly value every employee, 

from accounting to sales, to maintenance. Every link 

in the chain is equally important. That is also one of 

our core values: Equality. Next to kindness and being 

service-oriented, in addition to expertise. Besides 

amateur riders, we also have many professionals that 

rely on our store. We want to be able to advise them as 

well on the latest technologies, customization options 

etcetera. And keep on top of our inventory, keep it upto-date 

and grand.” 

Never a dull moment 

Currently we sell 20% of our products online and 80% in 

our stores. But I do foresee the Ecommerce business 

growing. There is a new project in the pipeline to really 

expand our warehouse capacity. We are looking into 

a full-fledged depot with an automated 

inventory and warehouse system 

to improve the logistics and 

efficiency. That does require 

a new location and more 

investments, but we see it 

as a part of our growing 

business and a new 

challenge. There is 

never a 

dull moment 

with us.” 

A second store is opened 

at Sentower Park 

The website business grows 

and a new depot is acquired 

to store the inventory 

LOCATIES 

2013 

2019 

A third store is opened at 

Peelbergen Equestrian Centre 

2021 


opening 4de vestiging 

Uitbreiding 

An adjacent building is bought 

te Bernard Kempplein 1B. 

De winkel op het 

to enable the expansion 

De logistieke verwerking van de Bernard Kempplein breidt uit 

of the store and offices 

weborders krijgt meer ruimte. 

naar Bosstraat 22. 

2021 

gepland 2023 

verhuis logistiek 

Nog zoekende naar een 

passende locatie 

gepland 2023 



15

Marli Hommel 

'The horse is an endless inspiration' 

Storm & Thunder 

The horse has many different 

appearances. When its feet hit the 

earth, it is both grounding and a 

force of nature. When it moves it 

can be light as a feather or ever so 

fierce. That beauty has been the 

inspiration for this painting. 

Every edition we display a collection of remarkable images. This year it is our honor to showcase the work of Dutch artist Marli 

Hommel. Born in the Province of Limburg, Marli grew up surrounded by horses, but her love for then only really established 

itself after she finished the Academy of Arts. 

“Due to my study at the Academy of Arts I was taught a broad spectrum of techniques. I initially dedicated myself to the abstract 

art of Japanese pencil strokes. I did a lot of research into the ancient technique and its emotionally laden qualities. I even won an 

award for this work at an art fair at Kawasaki City. 

Back in the day I taught arts at a local school and in my spare time I painted free works of arts. In my free work - paintings that are 

not commissioned by clients - I gradually developed painting figures, humans, bats and the contrast of strong and weak which is so 

very precarious in nature. My sister was, and still is an avid horse woman, so the request to paint horses came quite often. It took 

me a while but when I started with my equestrian art it felt so natural to me. Knowing and growing up around horses meant I could 

really feel and easily shape their bodies and portray the emotion they hold.” 

I knew then that I had found my mission. Even though it was not easy at the beginning, this path has brought me so much joy. Being 

an artist a mission is never complete, but there have been many beautiful and successful works of art. We always strive for the one 

masterpiece but seeing the happiness of the people that commission or buy my free work is why I enjoy creating works of art so 

much. I want to spark joy and make a positive contribution. I paint beauty, not drama and that is what’s reflected in my work. And 

especially the works that have been included in this magazine.” 

You can find more of Marli’s work on: www.marlihommel.com 


in pictures 

Kosmos 

This painting was one of 

the biggest I ever made on a 

commission. It is 5 by 3 meters, 

and I actually painted it with 

help of an aerial lift. It was made 

for one of the 10 most beautiful 

houses in Portugal. It portrays 

the connection between heaven 

and earth and the weightlessness 

of that concept. 



17

' Being an artist a mission is never complete' 

La Source 

This painting was inspired by the circle of life. Where everything ends and begins. 


in pictures 

This is a commissioned work for a family 

in honor of a young girl. 

This is the most sober work shown here. It is a young group of young Friesians. 

When they cross the field together, I see a big moving cloud of black. I did not want 

it to be too dark because it is such beauty. Many horses become one. They are all 

connected in a wonderful way. 



19

LAURA KRAUT 

Almost every year, the Dutch Sport Horse Sales is very pleased to welcome top rider Laura Kraut at 

the auction. Her relationship with the Hendrix family began almost 25 years ago and Emile and Paul 

have played an important role in her career by providing her with a number of top showjumpers. 

“They feel like family”, answers Laura when we ask her about this special partnership. 

Text: Jenneke Smit 

Laura Kraut’s competition resume is significant. She represented 

the United States at the Olympic Games, winning team silver 

in Tokyo in 2020 and winning a gold medal in Beijing in 2008. 

Laura was a member of the gold medal WEG Team in Tryon in 

2018, and a member of the silver medal WEG team at Aachen 

in 2006. During her career she has collected an impressive set of 

wins and her resume also includes numerous World Cup Finals 

and several Nations Cup teams. When it comes to Laura, this all 

wouldn’t have been possible without the memorable encounter 

she had with Emile and Paul Hendrix in 1998. 

First trip to Europe 

In that year, Laura had first set foot on European soil to 

buy a horse. “I had a student back then, Kate Bomgaars, 

and her father was a Dutch guy. In the past he had seen 

an advertisement from Stal Hendrix and contacted them 

20 DSHS | The 2022 edition DUTCHSPORTHORSESALES.COM 20

when he was looking for a horse for Kate. 

This resulted in him buying a horse from the 

Hendrix family by telephone and that horse 

did not disappoint at all. In fact, Athletico was 

exactly as described. That is why Kate’s dad 

insisted that in the next search for a horse, they 

would return to Stal Hendrix. And he asked 

if I wanted to go with Kate”, tells Laura, who 

eventually ended up riding Athletico. “It was 

quite a step for me to come to the Netherlands 

to try horses. Before that I only rode American 

thoroughbreds. I knew nothing about trading, 

found it hard to know who to trust. With 

the Hendrix family, it felt like someone was 

watching over me. Emile and Paul gave me a 

very comfortable feeling, they immediately 

tried their best for me and my students. When 

I was visiting them with Kate, I told Emile that 

I was trying to get a group of owners together 

to buy me a horse for the Olympics in 2000. I 

hadn't heard from Emile for months and had 

kind of forgotten about it, but one day he called 

me out of the blue to say that he had found 

the right horse for me. It was a seven-year-old mare, it was 

Liberty. When I look back on that, it was quite unrealistic to 

consciously look for a future Olympic horse but it turned out 

very well. I trusted Emile's judgment completely and had a 

good feeling about Liberty myself right away.” 

Liberty and Anthem 

Two years later, the duo participated in the Olympics in Sydney 

and finished in the sixth place with the American team. In 

the same period, they won the World Cup of Wellington and 

the Nations Cup of Washington. After her sporting career, the 

genetically valuable Libero H mare returned to the breeding 

farm of Paul Hendrix. “Liberty was an amazing horse and 

the second horse that I bought from the Hendrix family was 

another legend, Anthem. He was the horse that I could always 

count on. He won the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in 

Madrid twice and he won countless of classes. With finding me 

those two horses, the partnership with Emile and Paul started 

off in an excellent way. They really have an eye for matching 

horse and rider. I never come to Stal Hendrix to try many 

horses. Normally the first or maybe second horse that they 

make me try, is the one I end up with. They do all the research 

and then it's up to me, whether I like the horse or not.” Many 

other horses underline this, such as Miss Independent, Milano 

and Quickstar. 

Front row 

Almost every auction we find Laura Kraut, most of the times 

together with her partner Nick Skelton, sitting front row at the 

Dutch Sport Horse Sales. “We bought quite a few horses in this 

auction. For example, the Harley VDL offspring Constable II 

was a very good horse. He was five years old and we bought him 

without trying. We only saw the videos and followed Emile’s 

advice, since I wasn’t able to come to the auction myself. I was 

at a show and because Emile has so much trust in the horse, we 

bought him by phone. Unfortunately Constable II eventually got 

injured in the paddock, that kept him from being an absolute 

a familiar face 

' We bought quite a few horses 

in this auction. For example, 

the Harley VDL offspring 

Constable II was a 

very good horse.' 

superstar. Another horse that we bought in the Dutch Sport 

Horse Sales is Viper Vrombautshoeve Z, in 2013. He is a very 

good horse, we sold him to Emma Heise and she has won many 

classes with him.” What kind of qualities is a top rider like Laura 

looking for in a horse? “Probably the same as every other top 

level rider. We want them to be careful, have blood and good 

rideability. The level is very high and it’s nearly impossible to win 

on a normal horse. We also buy horses for our students and not 

everyone wants the same amount of blood, so that’s another 

good thing of Stal Hendrix and the auction. They always offer a 

variety of horses.” 

Based in Limburg 

In 2021 Laura’s student Brian Moggre was able to purchase 

Kallisto and in last year’s edition Laura also tried her best to add 

a young talent to her string of horses. “Khaleesi was my favorite 

and he ended up as the top seller, unfortunately we did not have 

the last bid. We were so determined to buy him that for sure we 

missed out on others. But luckily we can count on the Hendrix 

family throughout the whole year, as they are my ‘go-to’ when it 

comes to finding the right horse. Emile and Paul share the same 

passion and vision as me, and they feel like family to me.” It’s no 

coincidence that the seasoned international rider is based in the 

Netherlands since April 2021. “My horses found their home at 

Travers Horse Facility. It’s an amazing facility and we really enjoy 

to be this close to the Hendrix family and other hotspots.” 

21 



21

TRADING 

STALLIONS 

BREEDING 

EVENTS 

Stal Hendrix Baarlo 

Napoleonsbaan Zuid 32 

5991 ND Baarlo 

The Netherlands 

baarlo@stalhendrix.nl 

HX Breeding 

Rijksweg 45 

5995 NT Kessel 


info@stalhendrix.nl 

Stal Hendrix Kessel 

Rijksweg 45 

5995 NT Kessel 


kessel@stalhendrix.nl 


www.stalhendrix.nl 


dshs awards 

And the DSHS Horse of the year title goes to… 

ICI Douglas x Lux 

During the Dutch Sport Horse Sales a very special reference has been awarded the title ‘Horse of the Year’. The Douglas offspring 

Ici, who was sold four years ago through this auction, made a promising 5* Grand Prix debut under top rider Ben Maher last 

summer. After a successful period in the young horse classes and CSI2*/3* competitions, the gelding of the Manton Grange 

Stables has now reached the highest level. 

In 2018, the Douglas son Ici was sold in the Dutch Sport Horse 

Sales. Five years earlier this horse bred by the Laumans family 

was purchased by Stal Hendrix in the Limburg Foal Auction, 

after which he has been carefully reared and trained. After the 

sale in the Dutch Sport Horse Sales, Manton Grange rider Tom 

Slattery took place in the saddle, with whom Ici jumped his first 

international classes in 2019. The Douglas offspring achieved 

his first winning results under Jack O'Donohue and then he 

moved to Shane O’Meara’s string of horses. With this rider Ici 

was performed up to 1.45m level. 

Top level 

Since last summer, the DSHS ambassador forms a promising 

combination with top rider Ben Maher. At the CSI5*-GCT 

Valkenswaard they already remained clear in the 1.55m class 

and they made their 1.60m debut at the same competition. The 

nine-year-old gelding seems to have a great future ahead. “Back 

in 2018, we were already very happy that we could offer such a 

good horse in our auction and that Ici has now ended up with 

Ben Maher is a great confirmation of the trust we have always 

had in him”, tells Timothy hendrix. “He has now completed his 

first Global Champions Tour competitions and we expect to hear 

a lot more from him in the future.” Ici was honored as Horse of 

the Year during the 18th edition of the Dutch Sport Horse Sales. 

During the auction, an award made by the Limburg artist Jos 

Dirix was presented to the buyer of Ici, Frederick Goltz of the 

Manton Grange Stables, and Ici’s former rider Shane O'Meara 

was also involved in the ceremony. Meanwhile, Ici continues 

his career with a number of clear rounds and several placings 

in Oliva. 



23


DSHS awards 

From top seller at the DSHS in 2021 to Youngster of the Year 

VIPER Z Vigo d'Arsouilles x Grannus 

In 2021, the Vigo d'Arsouilles son Viper Z made history at the Dutch Sport Horse Sales by being the most expensive horse ever sold 

in this auction. He was purchased for top rider Martin Fuchs, who made a promising start with the now eight-year-old gelding. 

Their first victories are added to the track record of Viper Z and his great potential brought him 

the title ‘DSHS Youngster of the Year’. 

The horse bred by Guido Sperveslage was discovered at the 

beginning of last year by the team of the Dutch Sport Horse 

Sales and after a few competitions under Oda Charlotte 

Lyngvaer, Viper Z was included in the auction collection as a 

promising 1.40m level showjumper. 

Perfect scenario 

During the 2021 auction, the Vigo d'Arsouilles son was sold 

to Luigi Baleri after an exciting bidding duel. With this deal, 

Martin Fuchs became his new rider. “Last year we were already 

very happy to be able to offer Viper Z in our auction. You don't 

come across a horse with those qualities every day. That he 

subsequently ended up with Martin Fuchs is a perfect scenario 

for everyone involved. They have already achieved good results 

together and we hope that Viper Z will develop into a horse for 

the highest level”, says Timothy Hendrix. “We had great trust in 

Viper Z from the start and he definitely deserves the youngster 

of the year title.” In Gorla Minore, Martin and Viper Z claimed 

the victory in the Youngster Tour two months after the auction. 

This year they started off well with a second place in the 

1.40m class during the Sunshine Tour, in April another victory 

followed -this time in the 1.40m class of CSI3* Linz-Ebelsberg-, 

and at CSI5* Aachen they were placed twice in the Youngster 

Tour up to 1.45/1.50m level. 

Ceremony 

Viper Z has a bright future ahead and follows in the footsteps 

of former Youngster of the Year-horses like Naomi van het 

Keizershof, Istinov, Chica B Z and Iberlina. At the ceremony 

during the Dutch Sport Horse Sales, an award made by Jos 

Dirix was presented to buyer Luigi Baleri and Thomas Fuchs, 

the father of Martin. 



25

AT HOME WITH 

VINCENT VOORN 

Text: Jenneke Smit | Photography: Remco Veurink 


At home with 

Almost ten years ago, Vincent Voorn and Jonna Sundblad settled in Weert, located in the western part of 

the province of Limburg. Step by step they have managed to improve and upgrade their domain into a fully 

equipped equestrian complex. It’s about time for an 'at home tour' with this successful duo that focuses 

on training. Their GDS Training company accommodates several top level riders, who are intensively 

supervised by Vincent and his partners. 

Vincent Voorn has a worldwide reputation as a trainer and rider. 

From an early age he has successfully focused on showjumping. 

That has resulted in participation in several European 

Championships, including in Mannheim where he contributed 

to the senior team gold with Alpapillon Armani, as well as the 

Olympic Games in Hong Kong in 2008. With these achievements 

he follows the footsteps of his father, Olympic medalist Albert 

Voorn, but it has been far from a road without ups and downs. 

Friend request 

But 'what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger' and all the experiences 

over the past two decades have made Vincent into the person he is 

today. As a rider he was part of the Dutch team many times and as 

a trainer he contributes to the success of a series of riders. Over the 

years, the now 38-years-old Vincent has focused more and more 

on training. His own experience forms an important ingredient 

in this, because he knows what it’s all about in the sport and 

what participating in global and national championships entails. 

Together with his wife Jonna Sundblad, he built up an impressive 

company. “In 2010 I met Vincent at the international competition 

in Lummen. I competed in a few international competitions per 

year and he immediately caught 

my attention when I saw him. 

After I sent him a friend request 

via Facebook on the spot, we got in 

touch”, Jonna looks back. “We first 

had a long-distance relationship 

and then I came to the Netherlands 

for the summer to work for Malin 

Parmler.” She never returned to Sweden, Jonna decided to work 

at Eric Berkhof’s Margaretha Hoeve, to accompany Vincent. “I 

initially focused on riding the young horses there, but at a certain 

point I became a full stable manager. That lasted for a year and a 

half and that laid the foundation for all the work that I now do here 

at our own stables,” tells Jonna. 

'We have invested again 

and again and most wishes 

have now been fulfilled.' 

Perfect location 

After more than eight years of employment, Vincent started 

his own business in January 2013 together with Jonna. “At Audi 

I have had a fantastic career and actually achieved everything 

I could have dreamed of. In 2013 I felt like it was time for the 

next step. First we rented 25 stables at the former location of 

Eric and Maikel van der Vleuten in Mierlo. I had three clients at 

that time and we wanted to build 

it up slowly. But after six months, 

that location turned out to be too 

small,” says Vincent Voorn. “This 

location in Weert was offered for 

quiet sale and Yves Houtackers 

tipped me about it. At the 

moment I went to see the place, 

I immediately knew that this was going to be it. It was partly 

outdated but the possibilities were endless. A big advantage was 

the separate apartment building which can accommodate eight 

riders and/or grooms, that had just been completed. It had all the 

possibilities that we could wish for.” In the years after moving 

to Weert, Vincent started to focus more and more on training 

students and this stable was ideal to accommodate several riders 

with a certain number of horses. “In the beginning Jonna and I 

had thirty horses under our care here, with only one groom. Those 

were very long days, but fortunately neither of us were ever afraid 

to work hard.” The accommodation could be expanded step by 

step and the stable now has forty boxes divided over several units, 

two large outdoor arenas, a covered horse walker, two racetracks 

and a number of fields and paddocks. GDS Training is the home 

of riders like Emma Augier de Moussac and Ida Selin. 

Own design 

With a great eye for detail and horse welfare, Vincent and Jonna 

have expanded their seven-hectare domain into a fully equipped 

accommodation. “We have invested again and again and most 



27

'When we settled here, 

my focus was on riding. 

Performing in top sport was 

my plan A, and training 

others was plan B.' 

wishes have now been fulfilled. In the future we will completely 

renovate the main building, which will also enlarge the indoor 

arena, and in the short term an additional building will be 

converted into an office and fitness room.” Jonna in particular 

has promoted for the latter, because fortunately the riders are 

paying more and more attention to being fit. In addition to their 

own use, the riders who train at GDS Training can also use it. “In 

recent years we have been constantly refining the location. Since 

last summer we now live at this place ourselves and that is a big 

advantage. We used to have an apartment in the city of Weert, 

but at some point you get tired of that small balcony,” laughs 

Vincent. Jonna has contributed to the design of the house which 

has a Swedish touch and the layout is ideal for their situation. 

For example, the house has a large guestroom, which is perfect 

for when Jonna’s family or other guests come to visit. "That was 

really a wish of mine and although we had to sacrifice some of 

our own space in the house, we only see benefits from it. Besides 

that, the house has a large garden, which is really enjoyable for 

our children”, compliments Jonna. 

Collaboration 

In addition to the enormous space, peaceful surroundings and 

all desirable facilities, the accommodation of GDS Training 

is centrally located. Weert is home to other horsemen such as 

former national coach Rob Ehrens and international trainer and 

rider Yves Houtackers. “We were looking for something in this 

area because it is centrally located and many riders are based 

here.” But that’s definitely not the main reason that riders from 

abroad especially, know how to find GDS Training so well. “When 

we settled here, my focus was on riding. Performing in top sport 

was my plan A, and training others was plan B. But that has 

gradually changed and my plan B has become plan A. It is difficult 

to combine competing at a high level and optimally supervising 

your students. If you want to train your clients well, that is a fulltime 

job. I want to be available for the students who are based at 

our facility every day. I take care of the training together with my 

good friends Tom Martens, who is here for a few hours every day, 

and full-time Spencer Roe. Because there are three of us, there is 

always someone who can help the students at the international 

shows. If necessary, we can cover three different shows in the 

same weekend. We all work in the same system and the client 

can choose with whom he or she wants to do the daily training. 

It works perfectly and we are selective in who we allow to train 

here, because the student’s motivation has to suit ours. We give 

our full commitment, so we expect it in return. That underlines 

the success. Our collaboration also includes the occasional sale 

of a horse, although trading is not a main goal for us.” 

Total concept 

The students are optimally supervised by Vincent and his partners 

at the international competitions. This total concept does require a 

lot of organization and that is what Jonna mainly focuses on. “I try to 


At home with 

take care of the management of the stable, 

the bookkeeping and the organization for 

the competitions as good as possible. For 

example, if we go to the Sunshine Tour, 

I make an overview with all the starting 

times for everyone in the team. Then 

each student knows who can accompany 

him or her and everyone knows where 

the others are at that moment. It works 

perfectly and that is quite necessary if 

we go there with about 30 horses.” Both 

Vincent and Jonna can be found way less 

in the saddle than before. For Vincent, his 

last official competition was about two 

years ago. “If you don’t focus on competing 

on top level, it won’t happen. Of course I 

still dream of riding in the orange jacket, 

but at the moment I’m too busy with other 

things. I do ride horses at home to get to 

know them better to help the student’s 

progress, or when the students are away. 

Somethings I ride five horses per day, 

sometimes none for two weeks in a row.” 

Chef d'equipe 

Besides training GDS’s own clients, 

Vincent was appointed as national coach 

of the Dutch Young Riders in January 

2022. Besides that, he assists chef d’equipe 

Jos Lansink. “For me, this position is a 

very nice challenge and I consider it an 

honor that I was asked for it. The focus in 

our company is to make horses and riders 

better. We help the people who train with 

us to achieve their goals. That takes time 

and is a longer-term plan, in sport you 

have highs but also lows, you have to 

go through that together. I concentrate 

on training the Dutch Young Riders 

and also on the EEF Series. I see those 

Nations Cups as a good opportunity for 

combinations to gain experience and thus 

promote the development from youth 

to seniors. That includes a long-term 

plan and that way of working suits me.” 

Vincent himself became 2005 European 

champion with the Young Riders. All in 

all, Vincent and Jonna are continuing 

to expand their GDS, which stands for 

'Golden Dream Stables', company. “When 

I walk around here, I definitely am a very 

happy person. That we have been able to 

build this together and that we were able 

to maintain this standard, I wouldn’t have 

wanted it any other way. Fortunately, our 

sons Spencer and Nicola are also starting 

to show interest in the ponies. It would be 

great if they could continue our passion 

one day.” 

'When I walk around here, 

I definitely am a very happy person.' 



29

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31

Jack Verstappen: 

“The Limburg Foal Auction is an annual highlight” 

Breeder Jack Verstappen has been a regular contributor to the Limburg Foal Auction for years. He 

has built up a successful damline with the Grand Prix mare Especiale and his foals are always in 

great demand. During this year’s edition, foals from the passionate Limburg breeder were sold for 

good prices and the Limburg Foal Auction has developed into an annual highlight for Jack and his 

wife Lilian over the years. 

Text: Jenneke Smit 

During the 22nd edition of the Limburg 

Foal Auction, the majority of the breeders 

returned home with a good feeling as the 

unprecedented number of 81 jumping 

foals has achieved an average price of more 

than €10,600. The top price of €33,500 was 

achieved by the Tokyo du Soleil colt Soleil 

Especiale, one of four well paid foals out 

of the breeding of Jack Verstappen and his 

wife Lilian Walenbergh. 

Gratification 

It was not the first time for Jack and Lilian 

to have bred the top seller at the Limburg 

Foal Auction. Three years ago, they had 

a very successful night when the Zirocco 

Blue VDL daughter Online Especiale left 

for the United States for €36,000. “We have 

been breeding about three to five foals in 

recent years. Since 2009 we sell some foals 

through auctions and except for two foals, 

all the others have been sold in the Limburg 

Foal Auction. The formula of this auction 

suits us well and the foals often end up with 

people where they will have opportunities 

in the sport. That is very important to us 

as breeders and that’s why we only offer 

foals in this auction nowadays,” tells Jack 

Verstappen, who started breeding in the 

early 1990s. “The Limburg Foal Auction is 

an annual highlight for us, which we work 

towards every year. It starts 

with the choice for the right 

stallion and then we try to 

do everything we can to 

present the foals in optimal 

condition at the auction. It 

involves quite a bit of work, 

but fortunately also gives a 

lot of satisfaction. Especially 

with the results of recent 

years”, his wife Lilian adds. 

“We feel at home at the 

Limburg Foal Auction and 

especially from the moment 

that the auction has made 

the decision to continue with jumping 

foals only, very good prices and sales 

percentages are achieved.” 

Grand Prix mares 

The foundation for Verstappen’s breeding 

was laid with two mares, who both 

performed at the highest level with Eric 


van der Vleuten. By not cashing in on the 

mares but keeping them for breeding, Jack 

has not made an easy but -in retrospect- a 

very valuable investment. One mare, the 

Lector daughter Expo Graphic, is listed 

as the granddam of the most successful 

showjumper out of their breeding: 

the Grand Prix stallion Peppermill 

(s.Burggraaf), with whom John Whitaker 

won several Grand Prixs and medals at 

major championships. The other mare, the 

Voltaire daughter Especiale, won Grand 

Prix and World Cup qualifiers herself. 

After a very successful sports career in 

the 1990s under Eric van der Vleuten, 

she returned home in Swalmen to serve 

breeding. Jack and Lilian are now taking 

full advantage of this decision. “Especiale 

has brought us several daughters after 

her sports career and we have therefore 

been able to build up this damline. We 

had to invest a lot and because we got 

too many horses at one point, we started 

selling foals since 2009.” Jack and Lilian 

have already bred the international 1.50m 

showjumpers Extra Special (s.Andiamo), 

which was sold through the Limburg Foal 

Auction in 2009, Be Special (s.Chacco- 

Blue), Especiale Too (s.Ustinov) and Also 

Especial (s.Argentinus). Several foals 

from the last-mentioned mare have been 

sold at the Limburg Foal Auction. Until 

a few years ago, Jack ran the breeding 

business together with his sister Christien 

Delissen, who -just like him- was an 

avid horse enthusiast. Brother Jo has his 

own breeding lines and has already had 

successes with his foals at the Limburg 

Foal Auction as well. 

Breeding goals 

For next year Jack expects foals from, 

among others, Casallco, Emerald van 't 

Ruytershof and Cape Coral RBF Z. “Emile 

Hendrix has advised us to use Casallco 

and for the rest we always trust on our 

own feeling. We do not only opt for the 

big names, but also dare to use young 

stallions. The Especiale damline has 

proven itself over the years, and that’s 

why it’s easier to give a young stallion 

a chance. Although the sale of foals at 

the auctions is an annual goal for us, we 

are not guided by commercialism in our 

breeding choices. Our goal is to breed 

a good showjumper, but breeding real 

top jumping horses is only possible for 

few breeders. We have experienced great 

success with Peppermill and of course we 

hope to experience it again, but for that we 

depend on where our breeding products 

end up. Fortunately, a lot of our horses 

have ended up with good riders through 

the Limburg Foal Auction in recent years, 

so we are looking forward to the future.” 

Sport 

and breeding 

Jack Verstappen can be found at national 

and international competitions almost 

every weekend and that provides him 

with valuable insights for breeding. “You 

still see that many breeders don’t follow 

the sport closely. I am definitely not saying 

that I know how it works in breeding, 

but at least I try to breed horses 

that the sport asks for. At the 

competitions you see many 

horses, offspring of certain 

stallions and the stallions 

themselves. Besides that, 

it is very nice to see home 

bred horses at the shows 

and that also provides valuable 

information for our breeding.” 

Nowadays, Chacco-Blue is one of the 

most popular progenitors and it’s not 

a coincidence that Jack and Lilian 

have already used this stallion 

nine times years ago. Three 

of them now serve as 

breeding mares: 

Go On Especiale, 

It's Especiale and 

Limburg Foal Auction 

' We feel at home at the 

Limburg Foal Auction.' 

their personal favorite Double-Speciale. 

They are all in foal for 2023. “We already 

covered with Chacco-Blue in 2005 and 

I really followed my own feeling. Now 

years later, we are really happy with that 

decision. In breeding you have to have a 

lot of patience and take a lot of setbacks. 

It is our great passion but it involves also 

a lot of hard work. Actually, a human life 

is too short to build a good damline and 

we regret that we have no successors. But 

that's why we now enjoy the highlights to 

the fullest”. Whether the breeders will be 

there again next year at the Limburg Foal 

Auction? “That's definitely our goal!” 



33

DUTCH SPORT HORSE SALEs 

AMBASSADORS 

We continue from page 12 -13 with another 

collection of ambassadors. Sold at the Dutch 

Sport Horse Sales between 2019 - 2022. 

Some of these horses are all still relatively 

young, but they are all jumping from strength 

to strength. 

13. Naomi van het Keizershof 

Cardento x For Pleasure 

Jessica Springsteen (USA) 


14. Jean Couture 

Arezzo VDL x Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve 

Donald Whitaker (GBR) 


15. Isabella HX 

Diamant de Semilly x Libero H 

Sanna Backlund (FIN) 


16. Katokyboy HDH 

Arezzo VDL x Cream on Top 

Rachel Fields (USA) 

Successful in International Young Horse Classes 

17. Jykarlos 

Warrant x Holland 

Fredrik Spetz (SWE) 


18. Iberlina 

Vittorio x N-Aldato 

Edoardo Alain Dubois (ITA) 



AMBASSADORS 

19. Kallistos 

El Salvador x Quality Time TN 

Brian Moggre (USA) 


20. Kolivar 

Colestus x Plot Blue 

Victor Mariano Luminatti (BRA) 


21. Viper Z 

Vigo d'Arsouilles x Grannus 

Martin Fuchs (SUI) 


22. Baracuda's Boni 

Baracuda x Cardino 

Anastasia Nielsen (MON) 

Successful at CSI 3* 1.35m Level 

23. Konita HX 

Vingino x Ustinov 

Eline Goethals (BEL) 

Succesful in International Young Horse Classes 

24. Limited Edition HX 

Cape Coral RBF Z x Cumano 

Yves Houtackers (NED) 




35

Home of 

auctions. 

SCAN TO FIND 

OUT MORE 

All the lots of 

elite auctions 

on one platform. 

WWW.BARNBRIDGE-AUCTIONS.COM 

36 DUTCHSPORTHORSESALES.COM 

DSHS | The 2022 edition DUTCHSPORTHORSESALES.COM DSHS | The 2021 edition 1

the next generation 

Janou 

Hendrix 

talks taking over the reins 

Being in the spotlight is usually something Janou Hendrix shies away from. But with her nephew 

Timothy and her brother Michel featuring in previous editions of this magazine, there really was 

no way around taking the stage in this Next Generation feature. Even though the work Janou 

handles for the family business is largely behind the scenes, it is impressive to say the least. “Working 

together with my family is something I am very proud of. Sure, it also comes with its challenges, but 

I love a good challenge”, Janou begins to tell with a smile. 

Growing up on the family yard Janou naturally starting 

riding at a young age. “I remember the pony shows we 

attended with great fondness. I was also quite competitive. 

But I never imagined myself being a professional rider. I did 

not really know what type of a career path would suit me 

when I was younger”, Janou looks back. “I just knew I loved 

going to and taking part in events and being part of the 

horse industry. In that sense my job now is still doing what 

I love. But I did not want to be part of the family business 

right from the start. It took me a while and I am grateful 

for the lessons I learned along the way.” 

Passion for sports 

Janou studied Sports Marketing and after gaining 

her bachelor’s degree she did a master’s in Business 

Communications. “I really enjoyed my studies, and I 

gained amazing work experience during internships at 

Carlsberg - though the Haelterman family of Haras de 

Laubry - and at football club Atlético Madrid. The latter 

really fired my passion for sports marketing and events. 

I intended to work abroad after my studies, but a job 

opportunity closer to home came up in the banking world. 

I figured it was an industry I did not know much about but 



37

it might come in handy one day and so I accepted a position as an assistant 

account manager at ING Bank. I learned a lot and steadily grew within the 

company, eventually handling the accounts of major stake holders. I still 

value the corporate experience I gained, but after a few years it was evident 

I needed to broaden my horizon.” 

Rearing to go 

In her spare time Janou already helped out in the family business and 

initiated the organization of show Jumping Peel & Maas. “I was rearing to 

move on, but the jump to the family business was a big one.” After ING Bank 

I first started my own marketing and communications company. Handling 

projects for both equestrian and non-equestrian businesses to grow and 

improve their online presence. Next to that I began working parttime for 

'I get really inspired by big shows 

and the ideas I gain there.' 

Year-round there are multiple events organized by Stal 

Hendrix. Some are under the HX-umbrella and others have 

a separate identity. Since 2020 Janou has taken over the lead 

and now manages and coordinates the following events: 

• HX Auctions online 

• Stal Hendrix competition 

• Show Jumping Peel & Maas 

• Dutch Sport Horse Sales 

• Limburg Foal Auction 

Next to these events she coordinates the marketing and 

promotions for Stal Hendrix, HX Auctions, HX Stallions and 

HX Breeding at several big shows such as the KWPN Stallion 

Show and the World Championships for Young Horses in 

Lanaken. And all the online and offline web presence and 

social media management of the forementioned events 

and HX businesses. And in the meantime, she also started 

the online auction platform Barnbridge with family friend 

Erik Jerneld. 

“My yearly calendar really revolves around the events 

we organize or take part in. It starts in January with the 

promotion of the HX Stallions and ends in December with 

the making of this magazine. Organizing events has always 

been something I really enjoyed but having taken over 

that part of the business completely has given me a new 

appreciation of what it all entails. All the work behind the 

scenes is as challenging as the events themselves. Especially 

the two live auctions we organize in September. These are 

the perfect storm really. The run-up to the auctions, the 

event days and the aftermath are very intense but also a 

lot of fun. The sense of achievement once everything has 

been handled and our clients are happy, that makes it all 

worthwhile.” 


the next generation 

Stal Hendrix.” It took a leap of faith to completely take hold 

of the reins, but in 2020 Janou took the lead of HX Events and 

began managing all the marketing and communications for 

Stal Hendrix, HX Stallions, HX Breeding and HX Auctions. 

“I never shy away from challenge, but I also felt like I was 

taking on a big responsibility. I was fortunate to have the 

support of my family and some freelance professionals - but 

to be perfectly honest - also due to the corona pandemic I 

had a fairly smooth transition into the events because the 

ones that did take place were all online that year.” 

Inspiration 

“I did set one important condition before joining the family 

business. I wanted a broad spectrum of responsibilities. 

And both work from home but also at external events. I 

get really inspired by big shows and the ideas I gain there 

I translate into new opportunities for our own company.” 

Hence Janou also continues to provide her services at 

major events such as The Dutch Masters and Jumping 

Indoor Maastricht. “I also find the work of other ‘next 

generationers’ very inspiring. For example, Judy-Ann 

Melchior and Marta Ortega Pérez. These are both very 

successful and powerful women who both had huge shoes 

to fill. I am quite sure they also had some reservations but 

are now on the top of their game in continuing the empires 

of their families into a new era.” 

Respect 

“I believe the (positive) pressure to perform is something 

most entrepreneurs feel, but for the next generation of 

the Hendrix family is also means we have to build on 

40 years of experience. Paul and Emile have done things 

a certain way and trying to change or improve some of 

those things is a learning curve. The respect we have for 

them is unlimited, but times are changing and that does 

require strategic adjustments that need to be well thought 

through.” 

“I am the last person of our family to join in. Timothy has 

been at the helm of the Baarlo stable with Emile in an 

advisory role for a while now. While my brother Michel runs 

the new stable in Kessel - which functions as an extension 

to the original breeding stable - the management here is 

now slowly and gradually shared between me and Paul. 

I’ve been more involved in the personnel management for 

example, and we evaluate more and more together about 

the breeding program and the stallions.” 

Lessons learned 

“One thing I’ve taken away from my banking job and 

implemented here is weekly meetings. It sounds simple, 

but the impact has been very valuable. In the corporate 

world there might be too many meetings, but we did not 

really have a set moment for the whole family to meet and 

discuss ongoing matters. Now every Monday afternoon 

that moment is blocked in everyone’s calendar, and we all 

meet to strategize and decide on things together. That is 

really the best part of the family business, being able to 

continue and grow together. It is a shared effort, and we 

all complement each other. That does not mean we don’t 

bud heads sometimes, however in the end we all strive for 

a common goal.” 

'The respect we have 

for Paul and Emile is unlimited.' 



39

Mr. & Mrs. David Strain 

Family Hechme 

Family Lammers 

Mrs. Laura Gerst 

& Mr. Beaux Alexander 

Family Schalken 

Mr. & Mrs. Siyahi 

Team Hattel Horse 

'We look forward 

to it every year' 



The RED Carpet 

Mr. Vinny Duffy, Mr. Alex Gill & Mr. Tiernan Gill 

Mr. John 

& Mr. Nick Steeghs 

Mr. Piet Jr. & Mrs. Michelle Raijmakers 

and Mr. Inigo Lopez de la Osa 

Mr. Fergus Coburn & Mr. Olivier Philippaerts 

& Mr. Nicola Philippaerts 

Yves Houtackers and Brigitte Vanhalme 

Mrs. Suvi Al Dhahi & Mr. Faris Al Dhahi 

Team GDS Training 

Mrs. Claire Mckean & Mrs. Brian Moggre 



41

Meet the locals 

VICTOR LUMINATTI 

SPORTHORSES 

Sporthorses all the way from Brazil to Limburg 

Victor Luminatti always knew his show jumping career would take him to Europe. But that his first own stable would be 

in the rural Limburg countryside, he definitely did not foresee. “This stable is everything I ever dreamed of, although I 

still find it a challenge to pronounce the name of the village it is located in. Egchel”, Victor says with a smile. 

“I think I was about five years old when I first sat on a horse. It 

feels like a lifetime ago”, Victor, who is just 30 years old, looks 

back. “In Brazil the equestrian sport, especially back then, was 

not nearly as developed as in Europe. So, when I was ten years 

old, my sister and I finally - after months of nagging our dad 

- got him to enrol us in lessons at the local riding school. But 

we skipped the whole pony phase. We were taught on horses, 

there simply weren’t any ponies. At 14 I rode my first national 

competition and as a 21-year-old I jumped the south american 

championship in Argentina at 1.45m level with the Young 

Riders.“ 

Local guidance 

“I stayed at Thiago’s stables for quite some time, until he 

moved to another facility in 2020. I really enjoyed staying 

there, training together and such, but I did always want to start 

a stable of my own. I moved to Travers Horse Facility, next to 

Peelbergen, and stayed there until this place was finished. I 

visited several locations to build a stable, but they all needed 

big renovations or just did not feel right. Then I got talking to 

Massimo Antoniolli and see where that got me”, Victor explains 

with joy. Italian rider and businessman Antoniolli and his Dutch 

After his successfull debut representing Brazil in international 

shows, Victor was very motivated to continue his showjumping 

career but his parents insisted he needed to finish his Business 

Management studies at the University of Rio de Janeiro first. 

“In 2015 I graduated and could focuss on my showjumping 

career. Back then I was training and winning a couple of grand 

prix so I felt comfortable enough to go to the Wellington 

Equestrian Festival in 2016. After that I wanted to move to 

Europe to improve my riding and experience the showjumping 

circuit there. I trained with Christian Ahlmann for 6 months but 

after some back luck - health wise with my horses - I went back 

to Brazil.” After Victor’s horses were fit again, they were on the 

plane back and landed with fellow countryman Thiago Ribas 

da Costa in Limburg. 


wife Nadia are locals and had bought, renovated and sold 

equestrian properties before. “They already had the permits 

and design ready for the property in Egchel and I really felt this 

location had the wow-factor.” 

meet the locals 

'My favourite part of the stable 

is the racetrack, you can have 

a nice big canter there' 

“Massimo and Nadia have been a great help. The property 

had the main house, the outdoor arena and a few paddocks, 

but that was it. In total it took 1,5 to 2 years to build, and we 

were able to move in early April 2021. I would say it is now 

completely finished although there are always little things to 

tackle. I am very happy with the way it turned out, especially 

the big 30x50 indoor arena and the racetrack that takes you 

from the outdoor arena all the way round the grass arena. It is 

actually my favourite part of the stable. You can have a really 

nice canter on the track. I also like the way the stables are 

build. They are built in an oval with the boxes on the outside 

and the tack rooms and wash stalls in the middle. There are 

18 boxes per oval. On one side we keep the mares and on the 

other side the geldings and stallions. There are two identical 

ovals, both connected to the indoor arena. I have my horses in 

one oval and we currently rent one out to Denis Lynch, who has 

been a great help to me and my horses as well.” 

Family man 

Victor admits to being home sick a little sometimes. “I have 

a very close-knit family and they are far away. But the new 

stable it has allowed me to invite my sister and brother-in-law 

to stay and work with me. They help manage the yard and are 

working on expanding the breeding program. This area of the 

Netherlands is for me and my horses the best place to be. With 

so much experienced horse people and lots of shows in the 

vicinity I am very glad to have landed here. We could’ve ended 

up anywhere, Germany, Belgium, you name it. But we feel at 

home now in Holland. The Dutch are friendly, well-organised 

and almost everyone speaks English. I am fortunate to have 

found this place and to work here with my family every day.” 

'Kolivar caught my eye immediately' 

Well over two years ago Victor received the Dutch Sport Horse 

Sales catalogue. After browsing the pages, he marked then sixyear-old 

Kolivar as a favorite. Watching the video of this grey 

gelding by Colestus x Plot-Blue the Brazilian rider figured he 

would try his luck. “He caught my eye immediately and found 

his breeding and hence his potential interesting. He looked like 

he’d give a nice ride, so we first went to look at the presentation 

which is always the day before the auction. After seeing all 

the auction horses, I knew for sure I liked him most. The next 

morning, I tried him under the saddle and I was sold.” 

Kolivar jumped his first international YH-classes in the spring 

of this year. He gradually moved up to 1* and 2* level, winning a 

1.30m class last October in Morocco. “In the start of the New Year 

I want to slowly begin preparing him for the bigger classes and 

have him jump some ranking courses at the end of 2023. I look 

forward to developing him to the top level the coming years.” 

“His character stood out to me, besides his jumping technique, 

scope and easy ride. As a young horse he already had a real 

grown-up mentality. He is one of the most gentle horses I’ve 

come across in my career. He is easy to handle, brave and gives 

a nice ride. As a trader this is a real positive thing, should he 

not live up to his potential, he will be easy to sell because of his 

relaxed behaviour. Don’t get me wrong, he is still sharp and keeps 

an eye out on his surroundings, but I am confident everyone can 

ride him. Here at home my fiancée also enjoy riding him.” 



43


Fun facts 

Fun facts 

Besides renowned breeders, fantastic horses and trainers, plus top equestrian facilities the province of Limburg also 

has lots of other things to offer. The Limburg people are a thrifty bunch and not only work hard at creating fantastic 

business and experiences in Limburg itself, also the export the province is good for is well-known worldwide. 

Not well-known but amongst themselves they speak in a dialect that can be quite confusing to the rest of the 

Netherlands. Think we are exaggerating? We dare you to pronounce the Limburg word for ‘tea towel’: Sjottelslet. 

MINI 

Small but grand! Since the reopening of 

VDL Nedcar in the Limburg town 

of Sittard in 2014 the factory has proudly 

produced four different MINI models 

for BMW Group. 

Sjottelslet 

Known in general Dutch as a 

tea towel, the Limburg version 

is not only a tongue twister to 

pronounce but could also be 

mistaken for a rather impolite 

swearword. 

Vlaai 

Sounds a little of putting, 

but vlaai is the sweetest 

treat the Limburg province is 

famous for. A typically baked 

( fruit) pie comes in many 

varieties and is so precious 

it is currently on the list for 

an EU protected status for 

regional products. 

Theme Park Toverland 

If you listen very 

closely when you are at 

Peelbergen Equestrian 

Centre you can heard 

the people on the roller 

coaster rides scream. 

Toverland is one of the 

youngest theme parks 

in the Netherlands but 

already has a magical 

reputation. 

Pinkpop 

If you like a good festival then you will have heard 

of this one: Pinkpop. This annual - three day - pop 

festival was founded in the Limburg village of 

Landgraaf in 1969. One of the most memorable 

headliners - Bruce Springsteen - is even rumored to 

have considered changing his ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ 

to Born in Landgraaf :) 

Asperges 

Whilst the Irish claim to have gold pots 

at the end of rainbows, the Limburg 

people actually grow it. Asperges are 

commonly referred to as Limburg gold. 



45

IN CASE YOU 

MISSED IT! 


IT WAS A 

FANTASTIC 

EVENING! 


colophon 

18! 

e 2018 

Sales. 

your 

nt. 

, the 

will be 

ar, 109 

under 

leased 

g the 

ontact 

otices, 

il. Our 

ut the 

SAVE THE DATE! 

selection committee 

Timothy Hendrix 

Emile Hendrix 

Michel Hendrix 

Paul Hendrix 

Yves Houtackers 

SAVE 

THE 

DATES 

Presentation DSHS 

Monday 

September 

25 th 2023 

Auction DSHS 

Tuesday 

September 

26 th 2023 

Limburg Foal Auction 

Wednesday 

September 

27 th 2023 

2017 

DSHS Presentation 

Monday, October 1, 

2018 

Website 

You can find the latest news 

HON 

about the auction on our 

website. Visit the site regularly 

to stay up to date. 

www.dutchhorsesales.com 

Lay out & DTP 

Liz van de Vorstenbosch - Equine MERC 

Photography 

Cover: Meghan Bacso 

P1: Luc van Moorsel, Ridemagazine, 

Dick Holthuis, Digishots 

P2,3: Digishots 

P4,5: Luc van Moorsel, Digishots 

P6: You Adolfo will automatically Juri see our 

P9: 

news 

Luc van 

on your 

Moorsel 

timeline if you ‘like’ 

P10,11: Noelle Floyd, Chronofhorse, 

Ridemagazine 

the Dutch Sport Horse Sales 

P12: Dick Holthuis Facebook page. 

P15: Interplast 

dutch 

Holland 

sport 

Foundation 

horse sales 

P16-19: Berny Zeekaf 

P21: Luc van Moorsel, Horse Service 

International 

P22,23: Digishots, Jack Mancini, Sportfot 

P25: Digishots 

P26,27: Luc van Moorsel 

P30,31: Dick Holthuis 

P32,33: Sportfot, Erin Gilmore, Clicphoto, 

Stefan Keturi, Jack Mancini, Ben Radvayni, 

Haley Kane Photography, S. McMiller, Digishots 

P34-37: Luc Follow van Moorsel us on Instagram! 

P32: Dick Holthuis 

Take a look at the gorgeous 

P34-37: Luc van Moorsel 

P38,39: pictures Luc van that Moorsel were taken during 

P41-43: Pexels, Shutterstock the auction. 

P45: Dick Holthuis 

#dutchsporthorsesales 

DSHS Auction 

Tuesday, October 2, 

2018 

Website 

EDITOR IN CHIEF 

Janou Hendrix 

CREATIVE EDITOR 

Eva van den Adel 

PUBLISHER 

You can find the latest Hendrix news Events B.V Several times a year we 

about the auction on our Rijksweg 45 send out a mailing via 

website: www.dutchhorsesales. 5995 NT Kessel 

MailChimp. E-mail us at info@ 

com. Visit the site regularly so 

dutchhorsesales.com if you’d 

info@dutchhorsesales.com 

you can stay up to date. 

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DISCLAIMER 

While every effort has been made to 

ensure the accuracy and completeness 

of the information, no guarantee is given 

nor responsibility taken for errors or 

omissions in this magazine. 

Follow us on Instagram! Take 

a look at the gorgeous pictures 

that were taken during the 

auction 

#dutchhorsesales 

LIMBURG FOAL AUCTION 

Wednesday, October 3, 

2018 

You will automatically see our 

news appear in your timeline 

if you ‘liked’ the Dutch Sport 

Horse Sales Facebook page. 

dutch sport horse sales 

COLOPHON 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

As stated in the articles or: 

Cover: Remco Veurink 

P3: Arnd Bronkhorst 

P4-5: Digishots 

P12-13: Sportfot, 1clic, Sara Shier 

P14-15: Eva van den Adel, Emmers Equestrian 

P20: Annan Hepner 

P21: Sportfot 

P23-25: Sportfot, Digishots 


P34-35: Falkenbergsfoto, Sportfot, 1clic, 

Sara Shier, Equisport photo 

P37-39: Eva van den Adel 


P42-43: Eva van den Adel 

P45: Stock images 


TEXT 

As stated in the articles or: 

Eva van den Adel 


ES.COM DSHS | The 2017 edition 45 


47


We We courteously invite invite you you to to the the next next 

edition of of the the Dutch Sport Sport Horse Sales. 

Please mark mark September 25 25 th and th and 26 26 th th 

in in your your calendar. It will It will be be our our pleasure 

to to welcome you you on on these these days. days. 

The The following day day on on September 27 27 th th 

the the Limburg Foal Foal Auction will will be be held held 

at at the the same same location. 

In In the the meantime, you you can can always 

contact us us by by e-mail should you you have have 

any any questions or or suggestions: 

info@dutchhorsesales.com 

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR AT AT 

THE 2023 EDITION

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