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Strong horses for Aachen 2026: NOP secures Zantana and Pretty Woman!
The NOP secures horses for Dutch riders for the 2026 World Championships in Aachen. Zantana and Pretty Woman shine in top-class sports.
Strong horses for Aachen 2026: NOP secures Zantana and Pretty Woman!
The Dutch equestrian community can rejoice! On October 27, 2025, the Dutch Olympic Horse Foundation (NOP) secured two outstanding horses for the international championships: Zantana RS2 OLD and Pretty Woman van’t Paradijs. These two top ponies should remain unsaleable at least until the World Championships in Aachen in 2026 to ensure the best opportunities for their riders. Eqwo.net reports that Zantana RS2 OLD belongs to an eleven-year-old Oldenburg mare (Glock’s Zonik x Sir Donnerhall) and is ridden by Marieke van der Putten. She shows impressive performances: in 2025 she became Dutch runner-up and achieved a place in the top 8 in the Grand Prix of Aachen. She also achieved fifth place with the team at the European Championships in Crozet (France).
Pretty Woman van’t Paradijs is a ten-year-old BWP mare (Vigo D’Assouilles x Bamako de Muze) and belongs to Willem Greve. She triumphed in the state championship and secured sixth place with the team at the European Championships in A Coruña (Spain). She also achieved second place in the Amsterdam Grand Prix in 2024. These successes make the two pairs promising combinations in top Dutch sport.
Horses with NOP status for the future
The NOP Foundation pursues an important goal: it is committed to securing potential team horses in the long term and promoting participation in international championships. As in the reporting by Eqwo.net highlights, the NOP concludes agreements with the owners of outstanding horses to guarantee their commitment to the national team. The suggestions for NOP status are presented to the foundation's board by the KNHS national trainers, which ensures a targeted selection process.
For the riders it is not only an honor to work with these horses; The horses may also have the suffix “N.O.P.” wear, which is a sign of their special suitability for top-level sport. This underlines the high level of recognition they enjoy in the Dutch equestrian scene.
Both horses not only bring athleticism and elegance, but also a promising partnership with their riders, who will exploit all possibilities for the upcoming championships. The equestrian scene in the Netherlands has definitely shown a good hand for the future!