Rotkreuz, 01.04.2020

Fabienne Brenninkmeijer (17) is on the way up

The ambitious show jumper Fabienne Brenninkmeijer (17) is on the way up. She was newly admitted to the junior trainee squad (Junioren-Nachwuchskader) - but her progress is now also affected by the corona crisis.

The riding career of Fabienne Brenninkmeijer started early. "I jumped with a pony for the first time when I was four years old," says the now 17-year-old, who comes from a large Dutch family and has dual citizenship.

The family used to regularly go on vacation in northern Germany, and all learned to ride at the nearby equestrian centre. In addition to the parents, this also included her five siblings. Her mother, Julie Brenninkmeijer, bought the first horse for the family: a difficult but talented mare named "Alcantara". Fabienne recalls, and describes how it was: “I was allowed to ride the horse in a jumping lesson. Mommy fell in love with the mare, and bought her as a family horse.” The mare did not just become a family horse, but laid the cornerstone for Fabienne's riding career. After initially training at the Sihlbrugg Reitzentrum (riding centre), she later switched to the Schönau facility in Hagendorn.

Fabienne moved to Chevenez, in the Canton of Jura, with her horses “Cliff” and “Iron Berthus” at the end of 2019. Her focal point is now the stable of Edwin Smits and his family. He is her new trainer, and she goes to tournaments with him, both at home and abroad. The last trip to Spain ended abruptly in mid-March due to the corona crisis, however. After only two days they had to leave the country as quickly as possible with their horses.

This was the second international show for Fabienne with her jumping horse “Lantaro von Hof”, and her first as new owner. The family only acquired the twelve-year-old gelding, which comes from a Swiss breed, three weeks ago. A stroke of luck, it seems. “Lantaro has a lot of talent and temperament. He has a big fighter's heart and always jumps,” says Fabienne. With this experienced horse, she has come a step closer to her goal of riding at the three-star or four-star level. "Step by step," as she says. "The horse can do it, now it's up to me."

Fabienne Brenninkmeijer with Cliff (on the right) and Iron Berthus PP at the riding facility in the Canton of Jura, where she lives and trains.

The likeable young woman, who classifies herself as very goal-oriented and who likes to carry out her tasks efficiently, recently attended secondary school in Rotkreuz. She would now like to concentrate on equestrian sports, and is aiming for a professional career. But she is still staying on the ball when it comes to schooling - Fabienne is planning to study online to earn the Canadian high school diploma. In addition to training in the saddle, the 17-year-old also tries to keep herself physically and mentally fit. She trains as often as possible in a fitness centre, and works on her mental strength together with a mental trainer

It’s no coincidence that the talented rider made it into the junior trainee squad (Junioren-Nachwuchskader). She is supported in this by her family, as well as by Cavalli Reitsport, her sponsor. In addition to good competition performance in 2017 and 2018, as well as the completion of a sports test, the availability of the horses also play a central role for admission to the junior trainee squad. With “Lantaro”, “Cliff” and the now recovered “Iron Berthus, the young rider has three top horses at her disposal.

They are all in Chevenez at the moment and “can simply be horses for a while”, as Fabienne puts it. She helps with mucking out and feeding, and then dedicates herself to her favourites. The animals are allowed onto the paddock or on the pasture daily, and also onto the surrounding area. Fortunately, Fabienne's everyday life is hardly restricted due to the corona virus. “I live on the site and can ride my horses. I go to the village to shop, otherwise I spend time in the yard.”

Nobody currently knows when the next tournaments will take place. "I hope that I can go to Concours again in May," says Fabienne. But she’s not complaining about the situation, but is remaining calm.

 "I'm lucky that the tournament atmosphere doesn’t make my horses nervous."

So there’s no great disadvantage from the break in tournaments, she says. In the meantime, she continues to train and raves about her trainer Edwin Smits: "His riding is technically perfectly and he has so much worldly wisdom - I can learn a lot from him in every respect." But Fabienne doesn't have any idols, she simply wants to be her own role model. As soon as things get going again after the compulsory break, she will be ready - and the horses will be too.