Willem Greve: “For now, my focus is on The Dutch Masters and the World Cup Final”

This year, Dutch Champion Willem Greve will defend his title in the HeadFirst Group Prize – Best of Champions on Thursday evening during The Dutch Masters (12–15 March 2026). Last year, the event was a huge success for both riders and spectators, and Willem is very much looking forward to it again.
“Last year it was a fantastic evening for the audience. For people who are interested in understanding why a horse reacts in a certain way to different riders and their riding styles, it was an amazing experience,” says Greve. Thanks to the educational commentary by Jeroen Dubbeldam and Harrie Smolders on Thursday evening, it was horsemanship at its very best. “For spectators, it’s valuable to see what riders do to truly understand the horse.”
The other three participants this year are European Champion Richard Vogel (GER), World Cup winner Julien Epaillard (FRA), and World Champion Henrik von Eckermann (SWE).

Challenge
All four riders competing in the HeadFirst Group Prize – Best of Champions have extensive experience riding different horses, but a horse rotation is a challenge of a different level.
“It’s challenging to ride four different horses, even though we do this every day. At home, we don’t just ride our competition horses; we also try out other horses. The difference is that in Best of Champions you have to jump a full course, not just a few fences to see whether you might want to buy a horse or not. You have to adapt to the horse you’re riding in a very short amount of time.”
Does Willem have a secret to winning the horse rotation? “No, there’s no secret recipe for winning Best of Champions, you also need a bit of luck,” Greve says with a smile.

Rolex Grand Prix
In 2024, the 42-year-old rider from Markelo won the Rolex Grand Prix of The Dutch Masters with the KWPN stallion Highway TN. Highway TN is now ridden by American top rider Lillie Keenan and immediately claimed victory in the Grand Prix in Wellington last weekend. “I went to Florida to visit Highway, and I’m incredibly proud. Lillie is, of course, a very talented rider, but not every horse adapts that quickly and then goes on to deliver a top performance straight away. I think it’s wonderful that everyone can now see what a world-class horse he truly is.”
Fortunately, Greve still has several other strong cards to play, including the 16-year-old Grandorado TN NOP, like Highway owned by Team Nijhof. With this powerful horse, he has achieved numerous victories, including the Dutch Championship title in 2024. Another rising star is the 11-year-old BWP mare Pretty Woman van’t Paradijs, with whom he became Dutch Champion in 2025 and won the World Cup legs in Stuttgart and A Coruña at the end of last year.
“There are plenty of major competitions this year. For now, my focus is on The Dutch Masters and the World Cup Final for the indoor season. For the outdoor season, CHIO Rotterdam and the World Championships in Aachen are on the schedule, with Rotterdam serving as preparation for Aachen. The horses feel great, and I’ve feeling full of new energy as I start this year!”

Don’t miss the spectacular horse rotation, the HeadFirst Group Prize – Best of Champions, and order your tickets here.

Photo: TDM/Digishots