Dutch Dressage News

Marlies van Baalen Graduates from Warendorf

With Marlies van Baalen's latest sixth individual ranking at the 2002 Dutch dressage Championships and her excellent scores at the CDI Balve, Germany, aboard the American owned KWPN stallion Idocus, Van Baalen's graduation at the Warendorf Equestrian Academy got pushed to the background. Daughter of Dutch 2000,Olympian Coby van Baalen, Marlies graduated with honours as "Bereiter" at Warendorf and received the Stensbeck plaque, a special prize named after Oscar Maria Stensbech, Germany's first great Ritmeister.

Trained by Johann Hinnemann and her mother Coby Van Baalen/Dorrestijn, Marlies received high notes from the German panel of judges. She scored 8/10 on showjumping, 10/10 on dressage, 10/10 on theory lessons and 9/10 on teaching.

Her dressage scores were achieved by presenting the German bred stallion Roman Nature and one unknown horse. Her jumping scores were achieved by borrowing one of Holger Hetzel's show jumpers. "We did not want to buy a show jumper to have Marlies pass for her exams. Every horse in our barn ends up being trained in dressage anyway if the horse shows piaffe/passage potential," Coby joked.

Source: KWPN

Related Links
Scores 2002 Dutch Dressage Championships
Scores CDI Balve 2002
Rider in the Spotlight: Marlies van Baalen
Image copyrighted: Arnd Bronkhorst