Janneke Boonzaaijer (27) from Renswoude is on her way to her second Olympics in Paris. She has learned a lot from her first Olympic experience. “The whole process is so beautiful! I listen to my feelings,” she sums up.
Janneke stresses about her attitude to life and horseback riding: “There is only one thing that really matters and that is your feeling for your horse. During your horse’s training, you can have so many other goals in a competition besides winning. Like riding a competition in a relaxed manner. To teach your horse that there is not always pressure. The frustration gets so big sometimes. The step from level 3 star to 4 star is very big. And your sport really does becomes a lifestyle. Truly integrating is not so easy. There are plenty of one-hit wonders who do it with one horse… I ride with several horses and my horses are not all the same. . My goal: like world and Olympic show jumping champion Jeroen Dubbeldam, get the best out of one horse. To see each horse individually, respect it and grow from there.”
With ACSI Campbelle, ACSI Champ de Tailleur, and I’m Special, you also ride three very special horses
“They indeed represent all three of my learning moments. With ACSI Champ de Tailleur, we hope to show the best we can in Versailles, Paris. I took him over from Lieke van der Werf. It has become that he does it if I say it’s possible. He trusts me very much. Always with the front leg away, easy to close, always looking ahead and searching for the jumps, really amazing. He thinks ahead! He makes it very easy for me as a rider now. It’s nice how it has grown. In the cross in Luhmuhlen, I was only 1 second over time. That’s where coach Andrew Heffernan saw me and I got to go to the Tokyo Olympics. In Tokyo, we were busy with him every day. My mother Ria washed his tail every day. It has never been so white as it was then, haha. He also loved the indoor cross in December in Geneva. All those people just for him! He knows he is number 1 and he loves that attention.”
And I’m Special N N.O.P. goes with you as your reserve horse.
“Yes. She is very special. She has so much quality! That’s recognized, she is now N.O.P., also a very nice process. With Champ I’m totally two hands on deck, but I’m Special N N.O.P will certainly do everything once she learns that I can help her.”
And Campbelle is un the field at home with her foal?
“Yes. Mama Campbelle and her colt Utoko Grove sired by our own stallion ACSI Moreno are doing very well! Campbelle has become a life lesson for me. She is now my hobby. I competed in ZZ-Zwaar dressage with her, hopefully once more in Prix St Georges, jumping 1.40 m with her. I do not forget that I am to blame for Campbelle not being mentally fit for cross-country anymore. I was too eager at the time and pushed her too hard. This has and still hurts me… I will never do that again. As I said before, your feeling for your horse is paramount. As I say: she is a life lesson!”
A life lesson you can now put into practice in Paris…
“My plan A has succeeded: the PARIS OLYMPICS, hopefully with HUGE success. Where I will continue to say that my feeling for ACSI Champ de Tailleur must remain greater than the all-encompassing goal of riding a perfect Olympics. Eventing is perfect if Champ gives the perfect feeling to do this together with me.”
And does the eventing sport have a future?
“Certainly! Horses really enjoy this work, I am convinced of that. It is versatile, it is outdoors, it is really one of the most enjoyable things to do with your horse. Horses are autistic. Our horses all get their own feed mix that they do best on. That’s not a question for me, it’s perfectly normal. As long as I think I would want to be a horse with us, it is more than good. If everyone would dare to look in the mirror… And dare to reflect… Dare to give the right freedom, the right exercise, the right food… Then this sport will remain the ultimate sport of human and horse for a very long time!
You are a hard worker. You don’t stop until around 9:30 PM daily and hardly take any breaks. But without main sponsor ACSI and your side sponsors BR, Duo Protection, Oxer Socks, Favola Bella, Cavalor, Devoucoux, Abion, and Hijman, this would have been difficult. Is there sp,ething you like to tell them?
“Without this support, it would have been very difficult. I think it’s great to have been able to work together with them towards the Olympics, top and thank you!”