Harrie SMOLDERS

Harrie SMOLDERS, Dutch Jumping athlete.

General Interest
Nicknames	"Mr Consistent" (harriesmolders.com profile)
Injuries	He sustained broken ribs in a fall one month before the 2020 Olympic Games, but was still able to compete at the Games in Tokyo. (sidelinesmagazine.com, 13 Sep 2021)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"As long as the horses are healthy and love their job we'll keep scoring. I won't force any horse just to get some extra points." (equnews.com, 04 Apr 2018)
Awards and honours	He was named the Dutch Rider of the Year in 2017, 2018 and 2023. (wosj, 02 Mar 2024)
Other information	COACHING In June 2018 he signed a training partnership to coach Jennifer Gates, daughter of Microsoft founder Bill Gates and owner of Evergate Stables. He is based at their facility in Belgium. "I'm looking forward to working with Jennifer to help channel her ambition, passion, and work ethic to reach the highest level in our sport. I'm excited to see the success she achieves as she focuses full-time on riding." (volkskrant.nl, 05 Aug 2022 ; worldofshowjumping.com, 21 Feb 2019; equnews.com, 28 Nov 2018)
General highlights	He won team silver at the 2022 World Championships. He was selected for the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games. He helped the Netherlands to victory at the 2021 Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final. He finished second at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final in both 2022 and 2023 with Monaco.

Sport Specific Information
When and where did you begin this sport?	He began riding at age eight.
Why this sport?	His sister had taken up the sport. His father and his grandfather were also involved in riding and breeding. He was not initially keen on jumping, having won dressage and eventing competitions at the start of his career, but at age 16 he chose jumping over football. "I played for a local club in our town, my position was mostly as a striker or as an offensive midfield player, like a number 10. I loved both [horses and football] actually, a lot, they gave me a lot of pleasure. But my feeling was that I had more chance in horse riding."
Club / Team	Evergate Stables: Belgium
Name of coach	Jos Lansink [national], NED

Further Personal Information
Family	Wife Inge, sons Pim and Siep
Residence	Antwerp, Belgium
Occupation	Athlete, Coach, Horse Trainer
Languages	Dutch, English