Willem Greve crowns ‘Best of Champions’ in spectacular HeadFirst Group Prize

The very first edition of the HeadFirst Group Prize - Best of Champions was a resounding success. In this unique class, in which riders changed horses, Dutch champion Willem Greve ran away with the win. He left behind a top field that included none other than world champion Henrik von Eckermann, Olympic medallist Maikel van der Vleuten and European silver medallist Philipp Weishaupt.

The concept, known from past world championships, was competed again for the first time since 2014. The man behind this special test? Jeroen Dubbeldam, the world champion at Caen in France with SFN Zenith and sport director of The Dutch Masters. He saw in the horse change the opportunity to put craftsmanship and horsemanship in the spotlight. Together with Harrie Smolders, he provided the audience with expert commentary and short interviews with the riders.

Dubbeldam glowed afterwards: ‘I had not dared to dream this! The audience was a listening ear, they were quiet as a mouse but in the nicest way - they were observing. I enjoyed it immensely and I think everyone in the hall did too. The skill of these top riders came out beautifully. This tastes like more!’

Willem Greve shines again
For Willem Greve, The Dutch Masters feels like coming home. Last year he already won the prestigious Rolex Grand Prix, and now he showed his class again. Remarkably, he stayed clear with the three horses of his competitors, but did have a fault with his own mare Hadwyn van ‘t Ravennest. In the jump-off, however, he immediately set the tone with a razor-sharp clear round - and that proved enough for the win.

Greve himself was extremely enthusiastic: ‘It is fascinating to see how we all respond to a new horse. And how fantastic Jeroen and Harrie then explain that, both for the experts and for the general public. It was an intriguing competition. Maikel, for example, who was surprisingly good with Philipp's big horse - that was very nice to see. For two hours, the audience watched breathlessly. What a wonderful bonus night for The Dutch Masters!’

The best horse of the evening came from the stables of German rider Philipp Weishaupt. His nine-year-old gelding Cupido 130 stayed clear under four different riders and did not even touch a bar. He also delivered a flawless round in the jump-off, but a fraction slower time than Greve eventually gave Weishaupt second place.

World champion Henrik von Eckermann finished third after his experienced mare Calizi dropped a pole in the jump-off. Maikel van der Vleuten cleverly rode three clear rounds, but missed the jump-off due to eight penalties with Calizi. Van der Vleuten's nine-year-old mare Lalique deserves a special mention: with four clear basic rounds and nothing but praise from her guest riders, she proved her quality.