Dutch Young Rider Wendy van der Helm is on a mission this year. With four Intermediaire I horses at her disposal, she is vying for a position in the Dutch Young Riders team, for which at the 2004 European Young Riders Championships
is the ultimate goal of the year.
Newest acquisition to Wendy van der Helm's horse collection is the KWPN licensed stallion Inspekteur. Van der Helm is leasing the dark bay stallion (Darwin x Amor) from her trainer Coby van Baalen. Inspekteur already won team gold and individual bronze under young rider Marlies van Baalen and was ridden last year by young rider Vincent van Gasselt, who didn't make into the final cut for the Dutch team.
Van der Helm is totally crazy about Inspekteur. "When Vincent stopped riding 'Spekkie' I immediately asked Coby if I could ride him. We clicked right away and I am training really hard," Van der Helm said. Six days of the week, van der Helm is riding horses at Coby's barn in Brakel, The Netherlands, and for two months she has been training Inspekteur. "He's a funny, macho horse with very good paces. It has always been my wish to ride him, even if it were to be once. Now I even have the chance to compete him," an ecstatic Van der Helm said.
With Inspekteur, Wendy van her Helm wants to enlarge her chances on becoming a winner in the tough Dutch Young Riders circuit. The 20-year old Van der Helm also has Mauro B (Investment x Casanova), Michigan (Farrington x Apollonios xx), a horse which she purchased from Arjen Teeuwissen, and Inpuls (Ahorn x Jagermeester). Van der Helm is one of very few Dutch riders with four (!!) Intermediaire I mounts to chose from.
Photo © Dirk Caremans
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