spring-reiter.de spoke to Willem Greve, who has won the Grand Prix of Stuttgart, A Coru\u00f1a and Leipzig, among others, about horsemanship, his philosophy on training horses and honesty in sport. And the current number 24 in the FEI world rankings gave valuable tips for young riders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018I DON’T WANT TO CHASE THE RANKINGS OR THE MONEY\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While your colleagues were competing in lucrative tournaments in Doha, Abu Dhabi, Ocala and Wellington, you were in Neum\u00fcnster. How did you come to that decision?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve:<\/strong> I tried to figure out what the best plan would be for Grandorado and Pretty Woman with regard to the upcoming season. I will ride Pretty Woman in Gothenburg before the World Cup Final, so she won’t have to fly as much and everything will be easier. I don’t want to chase rankings or euros, but rather make a really good plan for the mare for the World Cup Final and, of course, for the World Championships in Aachen in the summer. Grandorado also has his breeding season, and with the quarantine, it’s always a bit more difficult with a stallion. And the tournaments in Ocala, Wellington, Abu Dhabi and Doha are all taking place without me. The VR Classics are a great tournament. A really traditional horse show and a great experience for my other horses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You just said that you don’t chase after euros, but you have to be able to afford that, don’t you?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve:<\/strong> That’s true, but I just look at what’s right for my horses, not what’s important for my wallet. That’s probably why I’m not so high up in the world rankings, but I want to have a clear conscience and do everything right for my horses. Being high up in the world rankings doesn’t get me a discount at the supermarket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018IT WAS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO HAVE TO GIVE UP HIGHWAY.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You’ve had a mega run with two World Cup stage wins this season and are currently riding so well that you even had to give up your top horse Highway TN to Lillie Keenan. Is that right?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve:<\/strong> It was very, very difficult for me to give up Highway. But I accepted it, and that’s just how it is sometimes in our sport. But I miss him every day. He was my partner for the last six years and with this horse I grew to the very highest level in international sport. He has won five or six 5* Grand Prix. He has such an attitude, he wants to work for you every day. It’s incredible, he has such a great character and is the sweetest horse. But I’m also very proud of him that he jumps so well with Lillie right from the start, and Lillie is simply a very good rider. The team takes great care of the horses, which is also good for me when things are going so well with her. But above all, I’m happy for Highway and I’m really proud of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Grandorado TN N.O.P., Pretty Woman van’t Paradijs N.O.P. and Party in de Hus, you are now spoilt for choice?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve:<\/strong> I have trained almost all of these horses from a young age and now everything is coming together. They are at a good age, have experience and are all fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve knocks on wood.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Grandorado is now 15 years old. He had a long break after Barcelona and is now in very good shape for the winter. He may have to be used for breeding again in the spring, but we still have to think about that, and after that I will try to build up a new group of horses that can continue afterwards. Grandorado has missed many championships due to bad luck \u2013 my fall and his injuries \u2013 and he always had a double agenda with stud duties. I’m glad he’s in great shape at the moment and we’ll have to see how he gets on in the sport, but he won’t be competing for another five years. Maybe a few more years. He is an exceptionally good horse, and his offspring are now slowly making their way into the big leagues, and then he will probably continue his job as a stud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also have high hopes for the nine-year-old Party in de Hus. If everything goes according to plan, he will hopefully be my next championship hope, together with Pretty Woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018I KNOW THAT I HAVE GREAT HORSES, WHICH IS WHY I TREAT THEM WITH SUCH CARE AND RESPECT.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Who are you planning to take to the World Championships in Aachen this summer?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve: <\/strong>I have no idea! Pretty Woman will be going to the World Cup Final if she stays fit. As for the others, we’ll have to see. In the end, we’ll just have to wait and see. Two years ago, I also had two horses for the Olympic Games in Paris, but in the end I was left on the sidelines because Grandorado wasn’t fit. So I prefer to stay calm and cautious. A lot can happen. I know I have great horses, which is why I treat my horses with such care and respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How have you managed to stay at the top of the sport for so long?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve<\/strong> laughs: I haven’t been at the top for that long. No, I’ve always tried to train the horses well, and I’ve also trained a lot of horses and then sold them, because that’s my main source of income. I’ve mainly been a dealer \u2013 for years. With stallions like Carambole back then or Grandorado, I naturally met good owners. Team Nijhof is an absolute plus for me in that the two stallions are not sold, they secure income through stud fees. So I’ve been able to focus more on the sport in recent years, but I’ve always sold horses as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At what age do the horses come to you?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve:<\/strong> I have foals, yearlings, two-year-olds, almost 100 horses in total. Then I try to have a group of four- and five-year-olds. I only have 18 stalls at home. My girlfriend takes care of the younger horses. Most of the horses for sale go to America; I work a lot with Jimmy Torano and McLain Ward. Of course, I also keep horses and try to maintain a balance. I also have to be careful that it doesn’t get too big. I have great people in the stable, I have a very good trainer who is currently at the Sunshine Tour with eight horses, gaining experience with them. It’s all grown a bit, but I also want everything to be reasonable when it comes to selling horses, and I want to be able to fully support it. When I say that a horse is well-behaved or careful, then that’s how it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What criteria do you use to select horses?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve:<\/strong> I always have to have a good feeling about the horse. The quality and the price have to be right. I like a beautiful horse with beautiful eyes. I don’t only have showstoppers, but it’s like with people. What you find beautiful in a man or a woman is a matter of taste. And in the end, it’s not just the horse, but also a sensible basic training. You have to believe in a horse, train it sensibly and thoroughly, make sure it doesn’t have any bad experiences, and give it time to grow. Then you can achieve a great deal with a horse if it has a good character, and it can learn a lot too. And if, in the end, they are not good enough for the big leagues, which most are not, you can still find many customers for them. If a horse has a lot of experience, has seen a lot, jumps confidently over water, and is easy to ride, then you can sell the horses well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you pay a lot of attention to pedigree, or do you have a favourite stallion as a sire?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve:<\/strong> No, in our area in Holland there are of course a few good mare lines or breeders that you’ve had luck with. But it’s not that I necessarily only want Chacco Blue or Emerald offspring. I do look at the pedigree, I’m very interested in that, but it’s not that I have a stallion that I’ve always had luck with. Instead, I generally always look at the horse first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018YOU CAN’T FOOL YOURSELF, YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF HONESTLY WHETHER THE HORSE IS PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY READY FOR THE TASKS I ASK OF IT.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What is your philosophy when it comes to training horses?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve:<\/strong> In any case, it is important to have a lot of patience and horse sense. It is important to adapt to each horse individually and ride it in such a way that the horse feels comfortable. Some horses need more work than others, and in the end, you can make a difference with this. You can’t fool yourself either; you always have to ask yourself honestly whether the horse is physically and mentally ready for the tasks I’m asking of it. And if you ignore that in order to chase money, you’re shooting yourself in the foot. That sounds totally simple and logical, but sometimes you find yourself in a situation where you think, \u2018Phew, I have to or I want to ride.\u2019 In the end, however, you always have to be honest with yourself. Grandorado wasn’t fit before the Olympics in Paris. He just didn’t feel like himself. That can happen so quickly. I then decided that I wouldn’t ride. And then lots of people said, \u2018You idiot, you can go to the Olympics, you have to ride.\u2019 But when a horse you’ve known for ten years doesn’t feel right and isn’t moving normally, then I question it. I knew something was wrong with him, I just didn’t know what. I just knew he wasn’t fit enough to jump at the Olympics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You always seem very cool and calm. Do you ever get nervous?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve<\/strong> grins: When I know I have everything under control and everything is running smoothly, then I’m not nervous. But I’ve only become so cool over the years. I used to think I had to prove myself every time. That’s much better now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018TRAINING THE HORSES WELL IS GREAT AND ALSO GIVES ME THE MOST SATISFACTION.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You gained a lot of international experience during your pony days, successfully competing in ten European Championships with seven different ponies and horses. How important were these early championship experiences for your development?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve:<\/strong> “Everything comes back to that. Those were very important experiences. I never had an expensive pony. We always had the ponies that didn’t work for others. We got them back on track and then sold them. Or we took a pony in part exchange, which I then rode in the European Championships the following year. I learned horsemanship with the ponies and everything that goes with basic training and dressage work. We never bought ready-trained ponies, but trained them to become successful ponies. And that’s what gives me the greatest pleasure. Training horses well is wonderful and gives me the most satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, there are many riders who buy fully trained horses and are successful with them. However, they are unable to train them themselves. What is your view on this?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve:<\/strong> This is a significant problem. There is an increasing shortage of good trainers who can provide young horses with solid training. In the past, our strength in the Netherlands and also in Germany was that we were able to train horses very well and thoroughly. There were also young people on farms who could still train a horse. That has changed today. Nowadays, all trainers want to compete internationally themselves, and training a horse has become so expensive because the costs have skyrocketed. The whole market has changed completely, also with online auctions, and the foundation is increasingly being lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are more and more 5* tournaments worldwide, but the small national events and traditional tournaments are becoming fewer and fewer and are struggling\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve: <\/strong>We have seen for years that there are more elite tournaments for 5* riders. And then there are the working tournaments, such as Riesenbeck, Opglabbeek and Peelbergen, which are platforms for horse marketing. In addition, there are tours such as Oliva, the Sunshine Tour, Vilamoura and Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don’t know if it’s a problem. It’s just a shame. Traditional tournaments such as Hanover, Bremen, Dortmund, Berlin and Dresden are all gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which horse is your \u2018once in a lifetime horse\u2019?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve<\/strong> doesn’t hesitate: Carambole, without a doubt. I am fortunate to have had and still have many good horses, but Carambole is the horse that brought me into the big leagues and to whom I owe a great deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you see someone filming you in the warm-up arena, do you ever talk to them?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve:<\/strong> Yes, it’s important to me to be transparent. It’s important to me to explain why I do something. In Hamburg, someone complained about my riding, so I dismounted, gave them my cap and said, \u2018Show me how to do it better.\u2019 After that, everything was fine. How should the sport deal with the growing criticism?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve:<\/strong> We definitely have to stay calm, stand up straight and not let ourselves be pushed into a corner. I think the criticism also has to come from within our own ranks. We have to strengthen each other, but also openly point out mistakes, because we have a responsibility to each other. I just spoke to a judge and he said that we all need to feel much more responsible for our sport, and he’s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO BE AWARE THAT IF WE DO SOMETHING WRONG, IT HAS AN IMPACT ON THE ENTIRE SPORT.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n But when judges take action, they face the problem that they are no longer invited to tournaments\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve: <\/strong>Yes, but the judges also need to have the courage to make the right call at the right moment. Everyone speaks for themselves and everyone knows for themselves whether they have crossed a line or not. What someone can live with and what they cannot live with is different for everyone. A good friend of mine always says, \u2018Everyone rides their own bike.\u2019 Only you are responsible for what you do. No one else. But we also have to be aware that if we do something wrong, it affects the whole sport. It reflects on all of us. You always have to be clear about that. When you’re at the top of your sport, you have a responsibility. And unsightly images on the internet make it difficult for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Does society have a false image of horses, and is it possible that they are being humanised too much?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve: <\/strong>The misunderstanding is often that people think that what is good for them is also good for horses. Horses enjoy working for us. They have always done so, for hundreds of years. Horses love being at competitions. And we are happy to show that. Of course, there will always be people who cannot be convinced, and there is no point in trying. If you have 100 people, 15 per cent are in favour of equestrian sports, 10 per cent are against them, and then there are the other 75 per cent who are somehow undecided. We have to make sure that they don’t join the 10 per cent who are against them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People always say that we only do this sport for the money. But sport horses receive better care and enjoy more attention than the average person in a nursing home in Germany or Holland. We need to get that message across.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018WORK HARD, WATCH CAREFULLY, LISTEN ATTENTIVELY AND DON’T SPEND SO MUCH TIME ON INSTAGRAM\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Why don’t you compete in the Global Champions Tour?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve:<\/strong> “I’ve been asked a few times. They are great tournaments. But in the end, you have to ride certain stages and you have obligations, even if it doesn’t fit in with your plans for you and your horses. The horses also have to travel a lot. It’s all very costly. And you need a lot of horses. It hasn’t worked out for me so far. And the other tournaments that take place at the same time are also nice. That’s why it hasn’t been an option for me so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You know from your own experience how quickly a good horse situation can change for a rider\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve:<\/strong> I’ve already experienced having four Grand Prix horses and within two weeks everything was different. Because two horses were injured, one went to another rider and the fourth horse was used for breeding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is your most important tip for young riders?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Willem Greve:<\/strong> Work hard, watch carefully, listen carefully and don’t spend so much time on Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The interview was conducted by Corinna Philipps from spring-reiter.de. ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Willem Greve likes to speak his mind. The 42-year-old Dutchman, who won two World Cup victories this season with Pretty Woman van’t Paradijs N.O.P. and recently triumphed in the Grand Prix of Neum\u00fcnster, has just won the third World Cup stage in Gothenburg with Grandorado TN N.O.P. 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If I don’t know anything about something, then I have to keep my mouth shut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n