Balearic Champs 2026 – A Winning Start to a Championship Podium
Updated: Sep 27
The Balearic Show Jumping Championships have become a very special part of my show jumping journey. At our debut in 2024, King and I won with the Balearic Champs my first major championship title. In 2025, we returned as defending champions and finished as Vice-Champions after four clear rounds.
This year, everything was different again. A new age category. A new challenge. A new horse. And once again, a podium finish.
From September 18 to 20, the Balearic Show Jumping Championships took place at Hipódromo Son Pardo in Palma de Mallorca. After six weeks of intensive training in Mallorca, six days a week with my four horses King, O’Brian, Gasira and Quark, I was excited to finally put all that work into the arena.
And what a weekend it became.
A Winning Start
Friday could hardly have started better.
I opened the weekend with my seven year old “wild” O’Brian van Rinsma State in the Open 1.20 m class – and we won!
It was a fantastic way to start the championships and a great feeling to see our training paying off in the arena.
But there was another important round still to come. For the first time, I was competing in the Juvenil 1* category, which is for riders aged 15 to 18. I am only 14. That made me the youngest rider in the entire category.
Riding Quark de Preuilly Z only since about two months, I went into the first qualification round with a clear goal: stay focused, trust our training and give it everything. And we did. 1st place in the Juvenil 1* qualification. Thrilling!
Two starts. Two wins. It was the perfect beginning to the weekend.
When the Rain Took Over
Then Saturday arrived – and unfortunately, the championship weekend literally went underwater.
After such a strong opening day, it was frustrating not to be able to continue competing. But there was nothing we could change. So we waited, took care of the horses and stayed focused for Sunday. Because the championship would be decided there.
Championship Sunday – A New Challenge
Sunday was the big day. As the youngest rider in the Juvenil 1* category, lining up against high-calibre riders, I knew I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.
The championship round was intense from the very beginning. In the qualification round for the jump-off, one pole came down - just a slight touch, but enough for four faults.
But there was still a chance. Only five riders qualified for the jump-off. And I was one of them.
Suddenly, everything was still possible.
All In for the Jump-Off
I had to go first in the jump-off. That meant I had to set the time – and set it quickly. The plan was simple: ride a fast, attacking round, stay clear and put pressure on the riders coming after me.
So, I went for it. Focused. Fast. And definitely not holding back. Quark gave me everything. We attacked the course, found our lines and stayed clear. He was just amazing, giving me everything and using all his incredible experience when it mattered most.
Now the pressure was on the riders coming after me.
And in the end, we had delivered a fantastic round – with the second-fastest jump-off time of the entire competition. That four-fault qualification round didn't matter anymore. We had given ourselves a real chance.
A Podium in a Higher Age Group
When the final results were in, Quark and I had secured 3rd place in the Juvenil 1* Balearic Championship. A bronze medal. A podium once again – for the third year in a row, after 2024 and 2025. And an incredible result in my first championship at this level.
As the youngest rider in the field, standing on that podium felt particularly special.
But for me, this result is about more than the medal. It is about the six weeks of work that came before it. Six days a week. Early mornings, in the saddle from 8 a.m. Four horses a day. Different exercises. Different challenges. And countless small improvements. That work was building the foundation.
This weekend, I got to see what that foundation could do under pressure.
Another Step Forward
Looking back at my three Balearic Championships, each one tells a different story.
2024, King and I won my first major title.
2025, we finished as Vice-Champions after four clear rounds.
2026, I stepped into a new age category as the youngest rider – and came away with another championship podium.
Three years.
Three different challenges.
Three unforgettable experiences.
And this year's championship showed me something I really wanted to discover: The work is paying off.
There is still so much to learn. There are bigger classes, new horses and new international challenges ahead. But after this weekend, I am even more excited for what comes next.
Train. Improve. Believe. Repeat.
The next level is already underway.
Comments