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Dressage Couples
Edward Gal and Hans Peter Minderhoud
January 10, 2008
 Not
very often does one get to see two international Grand
Prix riders sharing a personal and professional
life.
Riders who live with or are married to their trainers
are much more common than two riders who are partners,
lovers, and collaborating professionals as well as
competitors in the show ring.
One of those high profile celebrity couples in the
dressage world are Dutch team riders Edward Gal and
Hans-Peter Minderhoud. While Gal enjoyed his biggest
fame aboard
the KWPN stallion Lingh finishing second
at the 2005 World Cup Finals in Las Vegas and
winning team silver at the 2005 European
Championships and 2006 World Equestrian Games, Minderhoud
and the KWPN mare Nadine became members of the Dutch
Grand Prix team in 2007 and
won
historic
team
gold
for Holland at the 2007 European Championships in
Turin, Italy. These are big achievements
shared by two riders. There
must be a secret to it besides them getting the
opportunity to ride top quality dressage horses.
Their professional partnership entails regular review
of each other's riding. "We ride together every day
and once in a while Hans-Peter helps
me by
watching
and
telling
me
how
it looks,"
Edward Gal told Eurodressage. Hans-Peter said that
they sometimes even ride each other's horses to check
how the horse feels. Especially towards competitions,
the
collaboration becomes stronger.
 Having a partner
who is also a competitor brings about big advantages.
"Hans-Peter knows what it is like to be a competition
rider; the time you invest in it,
the tons of training and being away from home all
the time," Gal explained, jokingly adding
that, "we only need one hotel room now." Hans-Peter
praised
their
mutual
understanding of the sacrifices dressage riders make
to be international competition riders. "Competitions
are a way of life and it is so much fun if you are
with someone who precisely understands
that
and knows what you are doing, dedicating all your
time to horses," Hans-Peter stated.
Working together as a couple day in-day out unearths
particular personality treats sometimes invisible to
others. "Edward is always positive and cheerful," Hans-Peter
admitted,
"but he can be a bit
stubborn at times." Edward considers Hans-Peter's ambition
his strong side. "But sometimes he can be quickly offended,"
Gal admitted.
 To the question whether they feel any personal competition
from each other, Edward responded that he only experiences
it in the show ring. Hans-Peter claimed, "we both like
to win, but you need this trait if you want to get
somewhere. In the show ring, we are just competitors
but we grant each other the success."
Both Edward and Hans-Peter are looking forward to
the 2008 show season when qualification for
the Dutch Olympic Team will be their main priority.
"Both us will be going for a team place and besides
Anky and Imke, there is only one place left," Hans-Peter
told Eurodressage.
Related Links
Historic Team Gold Medal Victory for The Netherlands
Edward Electrifying in 2005 World Cup Finals' Grand Prix
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