by Jesse Wieten
ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- No highlights yet from the jumpers of Israel at the FEI European Championships in Rotterdam, but guided by Dutch equestrian legend Jeroen Dubbeldam the team from the small jumping country already made history.
"Not too deep! A little bit more to the right!"
The sun is shining at the Kralingse Bos, the wooded park in Rotterdam where the FEI European Championships are staged until Sunday. A coach and a horse rider are doing their warming-up next to the stadium. It's Israeli rider Elad Yaniv on his horse Alvaro du Gue, advised by Jeroen Dubbeldam, Olympic gold winner of the Games in 2000.
"Not too deep", Dubbeldam says once again before Yaniv enters the arena filled with thousands of spectators for an extra round in the jumping competition. "And good luck!" Dubbeldam adds. "Thanks", replies Yaniv and off he goes.
Since May this year Dubbeldam and the experienced Dutch horse coach Hans Horn, former head coach of the Netherlands, Sweden and Italy, took over the technical lead of the Israeli team. It was Israeli top rider Daniel Bluman who approached Dubbeldam many times over the past years as they knew each other for a while already. And finally Dubbeldam said yes.
"Bluman is a good friend," Dubbeldam told Xinhua. "In the past I had no time. I have other things to do, have my own stable and I am still a rider myself. Then I came up with this idea to do it with Hans. We work according to the same system and think the same about equestrian. Daniel thought that was a good idea and convinced the Israeli federation."
The 46-year-old Dubbeldam won a gold medal with his horse De Sjiem at the Sydney Olympics, captured an individual and team gold medal at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen, France and also won team and individual gold at the 2015 European Jumping Championships in Aachen, Germany.
"Dubbeldam is a master," Bluman said to Xinhua. "He is my idol for many years. A real treat to work with such an athlete, such a sportsman. It means a lot to be guided by him, together with Hans. I am really lucky and happy."
Last week the Israeli team had training sessions with the whole team in Dubbeldam's stable in Weerselo in the eastern part of the Netherlands. The stable is called De Sjiem, after the horse with which Dubbeldam captured gold during the 2000 Olympic Games.
During the days together the team members not only work hard, but also talk a lot. "About experiences," Dubbeldam explained. "How to deal with a certain situation. Some rider asked me how I did that on the road to Sydney. How to prepare. We share stories, have discussions, ask questions. Like in soccer I heard Dutch soccer player Willem van Hanegem also used to sat down with young lads to just talk about soccer. As simple as that."
The mission of Dubbeldam and Horn was to qualify for the Olympic Games with Israel as jumping team for the first time in the country's history. They did at their first attempt during the Olympic Jumping Qualifier at the Maxima Park in Moscow by the end of June. Bluman, Dani Waldman, Elad Yaniv and Ashlee Bond secured the spot at the Olympics, while Dan Kremer was present as fifth and reserve rider.
"The qualification will be a moment I will remember for a long time," Kremer said to Xinhua. "We made history, we did something no one did before. I grew up in Israel and watched the sport on TV. I always dreamt of being at the Olympics and I am one step closer now."
Not only the qualification meant a lot for them as sportsmen it also meant a lot for them to achieve this milestone for the country of Israel. "The biggest pride you can have," said Kremer. "We are a unified team of riders from different places with the same mission, from the same country."
Back to Rotterdam, the European Championships. Ashlee Bond is absent as her horse retired and Kremer came into action instead. Kremer, Yaniv, Bluman and Waldman failing to qualify for the top ten round of the team competition and finished at the 14th position. Belgium grabbed the gold on Friday, before Germany and Britain.
Dressed in a regular yellow T-shirt and blue jeans Dubbeldam reflects on the first days of the European championships. He let Yaniv do an extra round on Friday and he saw a good round of Yaniv with his horse Alvaro du Gue. Both Dubbeldam and Yaniv are leaning at a wooden fence close to the stadium.
"This round made me really happy," Dubbeldam says. "We rode this round, because we think it is important that they get more championship experience together. His horse is unexperienced and it is very important to build confidence with a good experience. That's what we achieved. It was the best round I have seen from him so far. Very positive for him towards Tokyo."
With Bluman and Waldman Israel has two real top riders, which is too little to advance in a team competition. That's why Dubbeldam is happy with a positive development by the other candidates.
Yaniv emphasized on the importance of the experienced Dubbeldam noticing details, like the advise to not push the horse too much, "Not too deep", or the note that the horse jumps a little to the left from nature, "A little bit more to the right".
"When we talked about the course I got the feeling that Jeroen was going to ride the horse," says Yaniv. "It was a very tough round and when I walked on the course I had doubt. Jeroen took responsibility towards the horse and the horse gave 200 percent."
"I am so proud and lucky to have Hans and Jeroen as 'father' and 'big brother' on the team," Yaniv continued. "It means a lot for the heart of the rider to get so much affection, understanding and experience. I am really grateful."
Jeroen listened with a smile and a little emotion. "Nice to hear," the Dutchman said. "From the other side the feeling is the same. We are in the middle of a process and still growing. The atmosphere in the team is very good."
