Dressage Disaster: Dinja Van Liere Has Her Hands Full With Hermes In The Grand Prix Freestyle

We have seen a lot of dressage disasters here at Dressage Hub since we started the Dressage Disaster series of videos, but I think this might be the biggest disaster we have seen yet.

Dinja van Liere had her hands full with her grand prix dressage horse Hermes in the Grand Prix dressage freestyle at the CDI 5* in Doha as part of the FEI world cup dressage series of events.

Hermes decided he wanted nothing to do with the grand prix dressage freestyle and despite several attempts to make it happen Dinja van Liere was not able to recover and was elminated from the grand prix before she even started.

[horsesanimalsandeverything]

Awesome rider. She stayed calm and composed, and didn’t take any frustration out on the horse. She did the right thing to give him a positive few circles and then stop

[marshamoore]

I have really studied this video. There have been some comments that were seemingly very concerned. Again, I think this young woman showed superb skills. Her calm and gentle nature was impressive. I am an old woman who has many years of riding/training under my belt. I can no longer ride and miss it terribly. The horse really needed her instruction. And she gave it well with loving encouragement. Maybe he did get spooked. I don't think so! He was having an off day. Had to be ridden through it. Again, so well done! Great job young lady. A privilege to witness your excellent skills!

[annkelly]

Hermes said, "Not today!"
It sucks when your mount is having none of it or is spooked. We all have bad days, even our horses.
Excellent sportsmanship, patience & understanding shown by the rider. Very well done to her!

[Mariannemink]

This is a superb example of an excellent rider who ensures that her horse will be ok the next time they enter the arena. She remained calm, rode him with the intention to help him find his own calm to go forward again, then left the arena after succes in that area. And most importantly, she supported him by stroking -as opposed to patting-his neck everytime he showed calm behaviour. Hats off to her.

[kristineller]

I am bookmarking this video because the rider remembered the first rule of dressage: Forward. She also demonstrated the understanding of Podhajsky’s rule of letting the horse achieve something, no matter how small, and letting him go. She recognized this test wasn’t happening, asked for a forward trot, and rewarded the horse. Exemplary horsemanship and love for her horse.

[reeritz]

Now that rider is a professional..she doesn't get angry, panic or quit. She handles a frustrating situation with quiet determination. She loves that horse...all those comforting pats. KUDOS 👏👏👏

[jeanniehobbs]

When my aging horse started having back pain, the only way I knew something was wrong was that she backed up without being asked. This horse seems to be trying to escape pain.

[jasperish]

What an impressive rider! She was so consistent and never showed any frustration, always gentle

[casskio]

This increased my respect for this rider tenfold. She remained calm and from what I could see she was very deliberate in being encouraging for her horse and after she got him to settle somewhat she ended it on a good note and didn’t push to complete the test. She used it as a training opportunity and listened to her horse telling her that today wasn’t the day. I remember reading an interview/article about this soon after it happened and she said in there that they were having him checked by a vet and were working to find the root of the problem. I can only hope to strive for being this good of a horsewoman 👏👏👏👏

[nohillforahighstepper]

She should have received a medal for that. That was the best example of horsemanship at the competition. Regardless of what the horse missed, she performed expertly.

[marinal]

Dieses Pferd hat keine Angst, sondern läuft den Schmerzen davon

[peacefulway]

I think that riders who demonstrate such exemplary skills like patience, calmness, gentle handling and staying present during such challenging moments of show need to be given extra points at the end of the routine. Well done.

[raymondwong]

It’s commendable of her to forego the test and just let her horse ride it out. I think the music for the clip doesn’t have to be this dramatic. 😁 👏🏻 to the rider and horse.

[ohlottie]

What an incredible rider! Her seat and composure are amazing. It was so nice to see her give reassuring pats to her horse and just do her best to still achieve some progress and success within the situation.

[rosepickering]

Poor horse is clearly communicating its underlying emotions.

[janicesmith]

Magnificent horse and magnificent rider! She rode like a real pro and constantly tried to help the horse gain confidence. This ride was not a "disaster" but an important training lesson for the team.

[Raeyaleo]

She did a great job of handling that situation. This is the perfect example of what a rider should behave like and be capable of doing.

[danouk]

Pff even the best of the best have their challenges. She handled that elegantly and gracefully. Thank you for a reminder that horsemanship is key always <3

[sallasundell]

Im from Finland 🇫🇮, and I don't understand why people force their horses. The horse is loyal and extremely cooperative without coercion. Mutual respect and loyalty cannot be forced.

[phoenixgilman]

Stunning horse. The rider was calm, loving, yet firm with her horse. Very impressive!