Olympic dressage rider Arjen Teeuwissen dies aged 53

The Netherlands’ Olympic medal-winning dressage rider Arjen Teeuwissen has died, aged 53.

The Dutch nationwide federation KNHS confirmed that Arjen handed away immediately on 29 March. He lived within the Netherlands till 1998, then moved to Belgium.

Arjen Teeuwissen was a former Dutch champion, and in 1999 he and KWPN gelding Goliath T had been a part of the silver medal-winning staff on the European Dressage Championships, on residence soil in Arnhem. The staff of Arjen and Goliath, Anky van Grunsven and Bonfire, Ellen Bontje and Silvano and Coby van Baalen and Ferro, had been second to Germany, whereas Denmark took bronze. Arjen and Goliath gained particular person bronze.

The next yr Arjen and Goliath had been third on the World Cup Ultimate in Den Bosch, the Netherlands, and the pair went on to compete on the Sydney Olympic Video games, Australia, the place they gained staff silver. In 2001 they gained staff and particular person silver on the Europeans in Verden, Germany.

The 2003 Europeans at Hickstead was Arjen’s final worldwide competitors with Goliath, who later sustained an damage after which retired. Arjen continued to coach and compete nationally for numerous years, and returned to the worldwide enviornment for one competitors in 2013, the Kapellen CDI3*, in Belgium, with Silver ‘n’ Brass.

In an interview with CHIO Rotterdam in 2022, Arjen mentioned he was now not lively in sport and that every one his horses had been offered, including that he was supporting his husband Frank within the catering trade.

A spokesman for KNHS mentioned the organisation “needs Arjen’s family numerous power with this monumental loss”.

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Since becoming a member of H&H in 2018, Becky has lined a broad vary of equestrian information together with welfare issues, veterinary research, FEI Tribunal hearings and highway security campaigns. She has additionally interviewed prime riders together with Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to call only a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, in addition to the Royal Highland and Blair Fortress Worldwide Horse Trials nearer to residence. She was additionally a key a part of the distant reporting staff for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.