Nathalie van der Mei has been appointed the new national coach of the Dutch show jumping team. Her appointment was made, among other things, on the recommendation of a advisory group consisting of three renowned show jumping riders. Van der Mei succeeds Wout-Jan van der Schans and will lead the Dutch show jumping team in the run-up to the upcoming European Championships and the Olympic Games. The advisory group, consisting of Jeroen Dubbeldam, Eric van der Vleuten and Roelof Bril, unanimously recommended van der Mei to the KNHS. In the trio’s view, she possesses the experience, expertise and unbridled commitment required to fill the position of national coach at the highest level. One factor that played a role was that she can fully concentrate on this task and has a clear vision for the further development of Dutch show jumping.
Even after their appointment, which officially takes effect on January 1, 2027, the advisory group will remain involved. Van der Mei can count on the support and advice of Dubbeldam, Van der Vleuten and Bril in her new role. This means that the knowledge and experience of three prominent representatives of Dutch show jumping are still available for the senior program.
Stronger connection between top sports and talent development
The appointment of Van der Mei is part of a broader redesign of the show jumping program. A stronger connection between top-level sport and talent development is being sought, whereby Van der Mei will also be responsible for the Dutch participation in the Longines EEF Series, a series of national competitions at the highest level. Youth coach Edwin Hoogenraat will, in turn, be responsible for the juniors and young riders, while his colleague Koen Leemans will take care of the Children and Pony riders.
Van der Mei, the first woman to hold the position of national coach of the Dutch Equestrian Association’s A-National Team, looks forward to her new assignment: „It is a great honor to become national coach of TeamNL riders. The Netherlands has an exceptionally strong group of riders, horses, owners, trainers and caretakers. I am looking forward to working together with them to achieve sporting success while simultaneously contributing to a strong training structure for the future.“
Clear vision
According to Technical Director Laurens van Lieren, the stated role distribution is based on a clear vision: „In the coming years, we want to work even more purposefully on climbing to the absolute top of the sport. From this thought, we are opting for a stronger common approach within the trampoline program. While the age categories have had their own focuses in the past, in the coming years, with a view to the influx of athletes, we want to work even more clearly based on a common vision for talent development. The focus is thus shifting from individual programs to a consistent training line.“
Van Lieren emphasizes the importance of cooperation within the coaching staff: „For us, it is especially important that within the program we work as a team. Not everyone does their own thing, but the coaches work together towards the same goal. It is really intended that the coaches strengthen each other. Together they create an optimal top-level sports culture.”.
The goal is to develop „sustainable“ combinations at the 1.60-metre level that can compete with the world elite in the long term and represent the Netherlands at European Championships, World Championships and Olympic Games. With Nathalie in the senior category and in the EEF series, Edwin in the older junior riders and Koen in the youngest talent category, we are building a continuous training line towards the highest international level.“
About Nathalie van der Mei
Nathalie van der Mei, born in 1965, made a name for herself as an international show jumper. With Heechhiem’s Springtime she achieved breakthrough at the highest level and was considered for participation in national prize competitions for the Netherlands. After that she rode various other international sports horses and developed into an esteemed trainer of young show horses. In the following years, her focus gradually shifted towards coaching, training, and talent development. As a trainer and mentor, she remained closely connected to the sport and earned an excellent reputation in Dutch show jumping. With her appointment, the KNHS is choosing a national trainer who combines experience from top-level international sport with extensive knowledge and commitment to the development of riders and horses.