Dutch dressage chef d

Dutch team chef d’equipe Sjef Janssen has resigned with immediate effect.

“I’m a 200% professional and I expect that from my A and B squad, too,” said Janssen. “If I don’t get full commitment from them all and can’t get them all on the same line one-and-a-half years before the Olympics, then I think it is better for me to concentrate on Anky and the other individuals in the team who I train privately anyway.”

Under Janssen’s management, The Netherlands beat the German team for the first time in 28 years of competition at Aachen 2005.

George de Jong, the Dutch Equestrian Federations director for Top Sport expressed his disappointment at Janssen’s decision, saying: “We had a good feeling that we were on the right road for the preparations for Hong Kong. Janssen gave new stimuli to the management of the dressage team and worked on a very professional level.”

Sarah Jenkins

H&H editor-in-chief

Sarah has more than 20 years experience as an equestrian journalist and editor. She has reported from major championships including the Europeans and the World Equestrian Games. She has co-written books on equestrianism including The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horses & Ponies. Sarah has ridden since childhood, owned horses and ponies for over 25 years, and worked for and trained with Olympic gold medallist event rider Leslie Law prior to going to university.