On the left is a cattle show, on the right is a harness horse competition and two horses. It is clear that the Zuidenveld country festival has settled in Nieuw-Weerdinge. With something new behind it on the pitch.
Five horses, five riders and five boarders form a trio team on a large field. That someone was in the saddle was no surprise. That there were teammates hanging on the back of the horse at full gallop was for most of the visitors. Just a skateboard with four terrain tires underneath, the trust and talent to balance a successful race lap off the big bang. Welcome to the wonderful world of riding a horse.
Teamwork with sisters and horses
This sensational sport came from England. A small but tight-knit Dutch group had become addicted in no time. Among them are sisters Monique (13) and Yvette (15) Horring. Comes from an active equestrian family from Schoonebeek. They’ve both done dressage, but in this sport they can work together.
Monique Boarder: ,,It can go really fast and it’s really teamwork with my sister and our horses. Other equestrian sports are much more individual. It’s really a team sport with a very relaxed atmosphere around it.”
With that said, the board’s talent doesn’t say much. During the race, the competitors cheer each other on and after the race, asked and not asked, throw buckets of water at each other’s necks against the heat. If someone falls, they first check for damage, and immediately afterward judge together how cool the fall was. Extreme sport inside the lines, friendly outside.
Not running
,,It really resembles the atmosphere in wake- or skateboarding”, said Nienke Heij from Horseboarding Holland. “This is a certain type that really likes this. Non-horse fanatics sign up too. My own friend is from longboarding and was even a little scared of horses at first. Now we race together.”
After the show the sisters from Schoonebeek, their younger brother Jesper (11) ended. Today she also braved six laps behind sister Yvette and colt Jura. Though it certainly wasn’t going slow, her sister was flying a bit faster. Now above 30 kilometers per hour is not avoided, even faster on the straight road. Therefore, the sisters are among the best in the Netherlands.
Zuidenveld and 150 years of Nieuw-Weerdinge
The organization of the Zuidenveld village event and the birthday party of the village of Nieuw-Weerdinge, which have existed for 150 years, joined forces this year. Thousands of people visit cattle fairs, horse races, fairs and concerts in the party village on Saturdays. Zuidenveld has been held since the 1920’s.
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