03 Jul Reunion in Ommen: The BEMER Riders Tour heads into the third round
(Ommen/NED) Top sport, show and hospitality, that is the recipe for success behind the CSI Ommen. It is the second year that the BEMER Riders Tour is visiting the Schuttert family’s equestrian centre in Stegeren, Netherlands. The international horse show at three-star level is held from 5 to 9 July and promises an exciting third stage with a top line-up.
Organiser Hendrik Jan Schuttert can’t hide his excitement: “After last year went so well, the riders are very enthusiastic about this season of the Riders Tour. We experienced two great stages in Hagen and Munich and we are very happy to organise the third one. The line up is even stronger than last year, with almost a quarter of the top 100 in the world and many good riders from different countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland or Great Britain. It’s a really strong, international field.”
Ranking leaders meet top international competition
Athletes from 15 nations grace the entry list for the CSI3*, among them five familiar faces from the current BEMER Riders Tour ranking. ‘Rider of the Year 2021’ Patrick Stühlmeyer, who already has 20 points to his name from winning the opening stage in Hagen, will be keen to add to his points tally. Fellow German Michael Kölz shares the ranking lead with Stühlmeyer on equal points. After securing his first ever stage win in Munich in May, Kölz has certainly developed a taste for Riders Tour success.
Japanese Olympian Eiken Sato picked up 15 points in Hagen and is always a strong contender, especially when he saddles up his top performer Chacanno JRA. They will be facing strong competition with Dutch rider Vincent Dings (9 pts) and former European Young Rider Champion Thibeau Spits (2 pts) from Belgium. The latter just showed his top form with second place in the international young rider competition at the CHIO Aachen. Among the top starters are also Bertram Allen and Shane Breen from Ireland, Sophie Hinners, Rene Dittmer, David Will and Holger Wulschner from Germany, Brit William Funnell and Belgians Koen Vereecke, Niels Bruynseels and Jos Verlooy. From the top Dutch riders, Marc Houtzager and Willem Greve, the brand new winner of the prestigious 1.60m Grand Prix at the CHIO Rotterdam, will also be competing. Last, but not least, there’s the Grand Prix winner of 2022, Remco Been (NED), who will surely be keen to defend his victory on the stallion Holland v.d. Bisshop.
Young Rider of the Year mixing it with the seniors
Matthis Westendarp (GER) received starting places at four senior Riders Tour stages by winning the inaugural BEMER Young Riders Tour last year. The 22-year-old already indicated his desire to compete in Ommen early in the season and he is saddling up his top partner, Chillert Blue NRW. There are two competitions for the BEMER Riders Tour in the Netherlands: First, there is the qualifying round, an international jumping competition with jump-off and the day’s highlight of the big tour on Friday. The best 50 pairs of this qualifier will then compete in reverse order in the BEMER Riders Tour rating competition on Sunday, the Grand Prix van het Vechtdal powered by Handelshuis Schuttert & Provincie Overijssel with two rounds. The third leg of the BEMER Riders Tour at the CSI3* Ommen in the Netherlands can be seen live at clipmyhorse.tv. Starter and result lists will be available at www.jumpingdedriehoek.nl.
Ranking BEMER Riders Tour after the second of eight legs
1. Patrick Stühlmeyer (GER), 20 points
1. Michael Kölz (GER), 20
3. Eoin McMahon (IRE), 17
3. Penelope Leprevost (FRA), 17
5. Eiken Sato (JPN), 15
5. Maximilian Weishaupt (GER), 15
7. Stefan Engbers (GER), 13
7. Alessandra Reich (AUT), 13
9. Maurice Tebbel (GER), 11
9. Pia Reich (GER), 11
9. Simone Blum (GER), 11
9. Jenny Rankin (IRL), 11
13. Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE), 10
13. James Shore, (GBR), 10
15. Vincent Dings (NED), 9
Legs of the BEMER Riders Tour 2023/24
Horses & Dreams meets Sweden, Hagen a.T.W. / GER, 19 – 23 April 2023
Pferd International, München-Riem / GER, 18 – 21 May 2023
CSI Ommen, Ommen / NED, 06 – 09 July 2023
Fest der Pferde, Donaueschingen-Immenhöfe / GER, 27 – 30 July
Turnier der Sieger, Münster / GER, 24 – 27 August 2023
CSI Lier Azelhof Horse Events, Lier / BEL, 31 August – 03 September 2023
CSI Arena Nova, Wiener Neustadt / AUT, 05 – 08 October 2023
VR CLASSICS, Neumünster / GER, 15 – 18 February 2024
Photo: Back again – Remco Been from the Netherlands and Holland v.d. Bisschop won the 3rd leg of the BEMER Riders Tour in Ommen last year (c) Leanjo de Koster / Digishots