we are discussing the madness that occurred at the Ft Lauderdale Pro Swim Marchand has a few areas of improvement to work on if he hopes to return to his Paris form at the World Championships this summer in Singapore having tight battles in both the 200 and 400 IM but ultimately touching 2nd in both October 20th, 2024 Europe, International, News, Records Roos Vanotterdijk hit a trio of Belgian short course meters records at the Drachten qualification meet in the Netherlands this past weekend The 19-year-old Olympian and reigning European champion swam national marks in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke at her first SCM competition this season She broke Kimberly Buys’ record in both the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke Buys held the former 50 freestyle record at 24.80 from the Eindhoven stop in the 2018 World Cup series Vanotterdijk undercut that mark by three-hundredths swimming a 24.77 and finishing fifth in the final Vanotterdijk narrowly missed the record in prelims swimming a lifetime best 24.82 before grabbing it in the final The 100 backstroke record had stood much longer; Buys held the record at 58.15 since the 2012 European Championships she dispatched Buys’ record with a 58.12 in prelims Vanotterdijk came into this meet with a lifetime best of 58.56 from October 2022 and dropped .52 seconds from her best over the day She was out much faster than her pace from 2022 opening her race in Drachten with a 27.99 compared to 28.35 splitting 30.05 over the back half after splitting 30.21 in 2022 Given the speed she showed on the opening split of her 100 backstroke she bettered the Belgian record in the 50 backstroke The former standard in the event was her own—she set it at 27.27 at the October 2022 International Swim Festival chopping .66 seconds off the record with a 26.61 during prelims She couldn’t match that mark in the final but was still under her previous best with a 26.88 Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" she joined her local club team because her best friend convinced her it would be fun Shoulder surgery ended her competitive swimming days long ago More from Sophie KaufmanSee All Subscribe to our newsletter and receive our latest updates Firefighters in the Netherlands had their hands full on Tuesday night A house fire in Drachten killed one person Another housefire in the historic center of Delft sent one person to the hospital and spread quickly Firefighters are still working on extinguishing that blaze There was also a large fire in a commercial property in Nijmegen and a fire at a scrap yard in Amsterdam caused a stench in the capital started in a terraced house on Schuttersveld at around 00:15 a.m Firefighters found the deceased victim inside the home while fighting the blaze The fire brigade evacuated several homes on the street due to the blaze. The home where the fire started was badly damaged. Adjacent buildings suffered smoke and water damage, the local office for the emergency services, Veiligheidsregio Fryslan, reported the fire brigade had the fire under control but was still working on extinguishing it The fire in Delft started in a home on Nieuwstraat at around 8:30 p.m on Tuesday and spread to several upstairs apartments in that street and two houses on Wijnhaven The emergency services took one person to hospital with unknown injuries Firefighters also rescued two cats from different homes while fighting the fire The large fire in the center of Delft is now “largely under control,” but extinguishing it completely will still take several hours, the fire brigade reported on Wednesday morning. The affected homes were badly damaged and are uninhabitable, the Veiligheidsregio Haaglanden reported. The fire department expects that one of the buildings will collapse and has therefore cordoned off Nieuwstraat. A large fire destroyed a commercial building on an industrial estate in Nijmegen overnight. The blaze on Vlotkampweg was first reported at around 10:00 p.m. The fire brigade responded with eight fire engines and three aerial platforms. They prevented the blaze from spreading to other buildings, but the building where it started was lost. Several explosions were heard while the fire brigade fought the blaze. According to the fire brigade, vehicles, gas bottles, and barrels in the building exploded due to the heat. According to De Gelderlander, two garages and a wholesaler of car parts were located in the building. In Amsterdam, a fire raged in a scrap yard in the Westelijk Havengebied, causing a lot of smoke and a stench in the area. Veiligheidsregio Kennemerland reported that the fire could be smelled as far as Haarlem. The fire department used cranes to take apart the scrap yard and extinguish the fire on Vlothavenweg. A fireboat was also deployed. © 2012-2025, NL Times, All rights reserved. 2024 Electronics giant Philips is planning to cut a further 400 jobs at its production site in the Frisian town of Drachten The job cuts have been prompted by a decision to shift the production of baby bottles and other domestic apparatus to Indonesia and an external supplier The move is part of efforts to make the company more competitive Philips currently employs 1,700 people in Drachten and will continue to produce electric toothbrushes and shavers at the factory The decision still needs to be approved by the works council Philips is not ruling out forced redundancies but says it hopes the jobs can go naturally by the deadline of 2027 Trade union federation FNV said the decision is a blow to the local economy. “Philips is opting to export jobs to Indonesia and China and leave hundreds of households here in the cold,” a spokesman told local broadcaster RTV Noord We could not provide the Dutch News service without the generous support of our readers Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days We could not provide this service without you Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey is laying off 46 engineers at its innovation center in Drachten There were already fears of cuts after the company last year announced the shutdown of its Austrian site The report about the layoffs follows the news that president and CEO Henk de Jong is being succeeded by Véronique Pauwels effective 21 March a spokesperson talks about a “transformation” marking the start of a new chapter for Versuni in Drachten the site is and will remain a source of future innovation point to deteriorating employment conditions since Philips Domestic Appliances was acquired by the Chinese investor Hillhouse Capital in 2021 This article is exclusively available to premium members of Bits&Chips Become one for only €15 and enjoy all the benefits Having trouble logging in? Please call us at 024 350 3532 (during office hours) or send an e-mail to info@techwatch.nl Bits&Chips strengthens the high tech ecosystem in the Netherlands and Belgium and makes it healthier by supplying independent knowledge and information Bits&Chips focuses on news and trends in embedded systems Our coverage revolves around the influence of technology Bits&Chips uses technologies such as functional and analytical cookies to improve the user experience of the website. By consenting to the use of these technologies, we may capture (personal) data, unique identifiers, device and browser data, IP addresses, location data and browsing behavior. Want to know more about how we use your data? Please read our privacy statement Give permission or set your own preferences Danish Rikke Svane and her gorgeous Trakehner bred Finckenstein were the winners of the first international Grand Prix class held in Europe in 2015 Svane and Finckenstein impressed the five judges on the panel to score a winning 71.020% in the Grand Prix The 2015 CDI Drachten boasts a massive field of over 100 competitors for three days of showing The Grand Prix was judged by Monique Peutz Svane and her 13-year old Finckenstein (by Latimer x Kennedy) were able to top the leader board in a field of 19 riders With her score of 71.020 Fie Skarsoe's student edged out German Carola Koppelmann on the talented 13-year old Westfalian gelding Deveraux B (by Dimension x Rivellino xx) who finished second with 70.740% German Ellen Schulten-Baumer has made her return to the international arena in November 2014 at the Munich Indoor competition and she's continuing her campaign on the 13-year old Hanoverian Grosso's Gentle (by Grosso Z x Ordos xx) in Drachten The pair produced consistent marks on the board and finished shy of 70% at 69.800% to rank third The top scoring Dutch rider on home turf was Laurens van Lieren on his 14-year old Dutch warmblood gelding Ulysses la Haya (by Gribaldi x Ulft) Belgian Fanny Verliefden has made her come back to the CDI ring on the talented Dutch mare Annarico (by Lord Loxley x Havel) The pair competed at small tour level in 2013 and trained for the Grand Prix work last year In their first international Grand Prix class they scored a very promising 69.260% Photo © Digishots Related LinksScores 2015 CDI DrachtenOver One Hundred Horses Entered for 2015 CDI DrachtenCharlie Hutton and Rikke Svane Thrive at 2014 CDI Saumur Stalls for Rent at Durondeau Dressage in Peer, Belgium Exceptionally Well Located Equestrian Facility in Wellington, Florida Well-built Equestrian Estate With Multiple Business Opportunities in Sweden Stable Units for Rent at Lotje Schoots' Equestrian Center in Houten (NED) For Rent: Several Apartments and Stable Wing at High-End Equestrian Facility Stable Wing Available at Reiterhof Wensing on Dutch/German border Real Estate: Well-Appointed Country House with Extensive Equestrian Facility in the U.K. Rémi Blot Philips is planning on laying off up to 400 people in Drachten between now and the start of 2027 It concerns 200 permanent jobs and 200 flexible positions which are being eliminated after a decision to move the production of baby bottles and pacifiers to Indonesia and an external supplier Phillips currently employs 1,700 people in Drachten The possibility remains that some workers will be forced out but Philips plans to first see if the headcount falls naturally before terminating workers The company also said that it wants to help employees find new jobs in the coming years The technology group will continue producing razors and electric toothbrushes in the Friesland area A spokesperson said the decision is part of a new strategy announced last year to make Philips more competitive the location in Drachten will be able to focus on its strengths due to the restructuring which is mainly the complex and largely automated metalworking required for razors and toothbrushes The move will also benefit cost-saving plans as the organization will be more streamlined The company stated that they understand that this will have an impact on their employees but that it is a necessary move to remain competitive and sustainably create value The decision still needs to be considered and approved by the Works Council which advocates for employees in the technology sector has said that it was concerned about the reorganization The Philips plans have also come as a surprise to the union because the factory in Drachten is known as “one of the smartest product locations in Europe.” Philips declared that its branch in the north of the country “is and will remain” a specialist production location FNV called it “a blow for the entire region.” The labor union’s chair wants Philips to invest more in Drachten to make the activities profitable at the location “Philips is choosing to export jobs and employment opportunities to China and Indonesia and is leaving hundreds of homes in the region in the cold,” she explained "I did not see this coming," said Friso Douwstra the provincial lawmaker who handles economic issues in Friesland I had the feeling that production was increasingly returning to the Netherlands and to Drachten." Douwstra said he and an alderman in Smallingerland are still in talks with Philips Drachten is part of the Smallingerland municipality not the destination — south gate  if you happen to be traveling through drachten in the netherlands you might lay eyes upon studio frank havermans‘ contemporary reinterpretation of a city gate recalls the old gates and doors that used to mark the boundary between city and countryside south gate is designed to mark the journey being on the road on highways is often experienced as a necessity the goal is to arrive at the destination as quickly as possible it attaches itself to the wondrous image of travelers in a hurry or not: where do they come from and where do they go?’ images © rené de wit at first look, south gate takes on a futuristic form in keeping with frank havermans’ often alien-like architectural portfolio the gate is in fact informed by the region’s present and historical ship industry as its shape is derived from portal cranes the design also features a floating element at the top that slowly moves up and down in its own rhythm located at one end of a bike and pedestrian tunnel south gate aims to become part of the route whether it’s a daily commute or a one-off journey ‘what thoughts arise when passersby physically or mentally walk where does the gate lead to?’ ask the studio design & project management: studio frank havermans process management: TAAK amsterdam client: municipality of smallingerland TAAK enginering & construction steel work: SMST drachten enginering concrete work: ingenieursbureau boorsma concrete work: aannemersbedrijf eikelenboom year: 2021 photography & drone: © rené de wit | @architectuurfotograferen AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style A new round of dismissals from Philips is also being felt in Best Today it was announced that 400 jobs will be cut at a Philips factory in Drachten It is the umpteenth round of dismissals at the Eindhoven company in recent years the affair surrounding the sleep apnea machines is said to be the basis for the major reorganisation in the Frisian city Philips settled a lawsuit about it for more than 100 million But more economic and individual claims are likely to follow These will again cost millions,” says Arjan Huizinga of the CNV trade union “that continues to resonate within the company.” The trade unionist thinks it is unfair that Philips blames the staff “Can the fact that Philips has to overcome a major financial hurdle in terms of legal costs and compensation be the measure for a reduction in employment And soon for a meager or even no wage improvement?” Huizinga wonders the mass dismissal in Friesland also has consequences for the Philips branch in Best There has been a disappointing order intake for several quarters is the only Philips production location in the Netherlands This is different in Best because that is where the healthcare department is located that suffers from the sleep apnea affair Orders are lagging behind because customers no longer trust Philips quality,” says Huizinga “Employees in Best are already feeling the downpour.” “There is no guarantee that the problems will be solved after the reorganisation in Drachten Philips refuses to provide employment guarantees I fear that this will again cause major unrest in the company and that is something Philips cannot use,” the trade unionist concludes Philips itself says that the intervention in Drachten is not a consequence of the sleep apnea affair “The announcement is separate from our voluntary safety notification regarding sleep apnea devices,” a spokesperson said “This intended decision stems from the growth strategy announced on January 30 2023 and is aimed at better utilising the potential of Drachten by focusing more on the unique skills of our people there With this we want to make Drachten future-proof again.” and website in this browser for the next time I comment the Dutch traffic engineer who became famous not for what he added to road design and urban planning He believed drivers become more alert and cautious when there’s more uncertainty on the road.  “The trouble with traffic engineers is that when there’s a problem with a road, they always try to add something,” Monderman said to Wired it’s much better to remove things.” According to the anthropologist James C. Scott Monderman began with the observation that: when an electrical failure incapacitated traffic lights the result was improved flow rather than congestion he replaced the busiest traffic-light intersection in Drachten the number of accidents plummeted to only two compared with thirty-six crashes in the four years prior Traffic moves more briskly through the intersection when all drivers know they must be alert and use their common sense while backups and the road rage associated with them have virtually disappeared Monderman likened it to skaters in a crowded ice rink who manage successfully to tailor their movements to those of the other skaters He also believed that an excess of signage led drivers to take their eyes off the road and actually contributed to making junctions less safe Monderman’s philosophy, popularly called “shared space,” as coined by the English urban designer Ben Hamilton-Baillie, has been implemented in cities around the world. It seems to be working. Instead of causing chaos and collisions, the “red-light-removal schemes” almost always result in improved sociability and traffic flow, and fewer accidents in some cases. A study of center-line removal in Wiltshire found that people drove more safely without the markings and the number of accidents decreased by 35 percent.  The key to his philosophy isn’t mere anarchy but rather an understanding of the behaviors that result from the implied context of a road within its community (Monderman standing next to a traffic circle, via Jerry Michalski) was sent to the small village of Oudehaske to see what could be done about vehicle speeds – weeks earlier a car had fatally struck two children While conventional options at the time might have included speed bumps or more signage – both known in the industry as “traffic calming” – Monderman ultimately suggested making Oudehaske more “village-like.” It was an intervention based on aesthetics, as Tom Vanderbilt writes: and the asphalt replaced with red paving brick with two gray “gutters” on either side that were slightly curved but usable by cars “but had all the possibilities of six.” The results were striking so much so that Monderman’s radar gun couldn’t even register their speeds Rather than give drivers a simple behavioral mandate—say a speed limit sign or a speed bump—he had subtly suggested the proper course of action.” the default traffic mode in parts of the world where standardized traffic systems were never implemented Here’s an example from Ho Chi Minh City As Hamilton-Baillie writes in an article for The Guardian: “The thing about the signals being removed is that the driver is no longer being given a green light And what the green light does is to communicate to the driver that you’ve got priority here – you should be going ahead and you should be angry if grandma is on the road in front of you.” the road-death rate per motor vehicle is significantly higher than the U.K can be attributed to the relatively recent motorization of the countries The extent to which urban planners plan to use shared space in the U.S. remains unclear. Some cities have already begun to experiment with it, like Seattle’s Bell Park Implementing these ideas on a larger scale could require a fundamental shift in the way we think about cities “Essentially, what it means is a transfer of power and responsibility from the state to the individual and the community,” Monderman said For those wanting to follow in Monderman’s footsteps, consider this following guide, courtesy of Wired: HOW TO BUILD A BETTER INTERSECTION: CHAOS = COOPERATION Remove signs: The architecture of the road – not signs and signals – dictates traffic flow Install art: The height of the fountain indicates how congested the intersection is Share the spotlight: Lights illuminate not only the roadbed Do it in the road: Cafes extend to the edge of the street further emphasizing the idea of shared space See eye to eye: Right-of-way is negotiated by human interaction Eliminate curbs: Instead of a raised curb sidewalks are denoted by texture and color ha ricevuto le repliche delle dieci medaglie olimpiche distrutte dall’incendio di Palisades Fire a inizio anno Gretchen Walsh spiega come una bracciata in meno sul primo 50 e il piano di gara di Todd Desorbo l’abbiano portata al WR di 54.60 A meno di due settimane dal via del Mare Nostrum Tour a Monaco il cast si arricchisce con campioni olimpici e medagliati iridati March 14th, 2020 Coronavirus, Europe, International, News The Dutch-based Swim Cup-The Hague and Swim Cup-Eindhoven were both listed among the Olympic-qualifying meets cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation unfolding worldwide. As a reminder, you can review all of the cancelled meets and postponements here. Today, Saturday, March 14th, the Royal Dutch Swimming Federation (KNZB) released additional information concerning their top-tier aquatic sports programs “In addition to the measures that have been taken for all activities of the KNZB we have also taken all kinds of measures to limit possible risks for our top athletes and their family and friends,” says technical director André Cats “Our top athletes would like to keep preparing for upcoming tournaments but we absolutely do not want this to pose a risk to their environment Our top athletes are also very aware of the risks of the coronavirus That is why we take a close look at all home situations and our hygiene protocols have been raised to a maximum level “From this weekend we will train with our swimming team for a period of time at Zwemcentrum De Welle in Drachten,” continues Cats “The CTOs Amsterdam and South were very willing to come to a solution In Drachten we have the entire living and training situation under control we naturally hope that the situation in the Netherlands will stabilize in the foreseeable future Evert-Jan Siderius, director of Sportbedrijf Drachten: “Because Zwemcentrum De Welle is completely closed to the public from last Thursday evening, we are able to offer top swimmers in the Netherlands a closed and safe training facility. Thanks to short lines with the KNZB and the CTO The federation reiterates the contingency procedures for Olympic qualification are in the works, stating, “The KNZB is busy revising the qualification procedures for a number of sports towards the Games in Tokyo and will discuss this with NOC.” Sunday ; the swimmers left Drachten and are in back in their homes Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC More from Retta RaceSee All The Prix St Georges class at the 2013 CDI Drachten on Friday 4 January 2013 was probably the most exciting class of the day with several future stars entered to compete at international PSG level for the first time in their career: Emmelie Scholtens and Apache Edward Gal with Asther de Jeu and a come back from Dutch Champions Lynne Maas on Salo Emmelie Scholtens and the KWPN licensed stallion Apache (by UB40 x Inspekteur) made their international show debut in Drachten and they made it work As a youngster the dark bay Apache was always all over the place totally unfocused and unable to walk because of tension In Drachen the gorgeous stallion showed incredible maturity and was the most focused we had ever seen him While the medium trot was ridden as a full blown extended trot The collected walk could have been a fraction more relaxed and in the extended walk the stallion got tense did not lengthen the frame nor the stride and did not stretch into the contact The canter was nice with the horse showing good potential for collection in the half pirouettes The 4 and 3-tempi changes were correct but the flying changes to the left are more difficult for the horse and he becomes croup high in them The combination scored 73.973% to win the Prix St Georges Lynne Maas and Salo returned to the show ring after an 18-month period of injury The 2008 and 2011 Dutch Indoor Prix St Georges champions still haven't moved up to Grand Prix level but nevertheless the combinbation shines with their experience and confirmation in the small tour The almost black Ferro offspring is an eye catcher and produced a beautiful PSG test in Drachten The rider tends to lean back a little in the saddle but overall the combination is a joy to watch The sympathetic Salo showed superb trot extensions great collected walk and turns on the haunches and fantastic 3 and 4 tempi changes He could have been a tad bit lighter in the contact and in the extended walk the horse should make a longer stride but in general it was a great test which deserved its 73.447 score Adelinde Cornelissen made her international small tour debut aboard the home bred Dutch warmblood Zephyr (by Jazz x Farmer x Appolonius) The bay gelding is a very elegant and lightfooted mover with a nice touch of knee action Overall he needs to gain more power in the hindquarters and push more from behind but the 10-year old who only started serious dressage training at age 6 The trot work was lovely but the horse opens the mouth and retracts the tongue The collected walk was good and the walk pirouettes very small The extended walk had two hooves overtrack The canter work had promise with good 3 tempi changes However in the 4-tempi one change was short behind and there was also a hiccup in the change at C The sympathetic Zephyr has potential for growth and scored 71.473% to rank third Edward Gal made his Prix St Georges debut with Emmy de Jeu's 8-year old Dutch warmblood mare Asther de Jeu (by Contango x Jazz) The mare has scored a few whopping marks at national small tour level but at her first international show Asther got too hot despite her talent The mare is a bit long in the back but is very eager to work and quick behind Her trot work has much suspension and elegance with very good balance and self carriage the extended trot could have been ridden more In the collected walk there was a lack of fluidity and the mare lost the clarity of rhythm The extended walk was very nice with a long rein and two hooves overtrack In the extended canter the mare became very hot and regularly lost the clarity in the 3-beat rhythm as she was over-collected The canter half pass to the right was tense and short and the flying change at X forced The mare really took the weight on the hindquarters sat and showed excellent potential for collection In canter Gal shortened the curb rein more and more and the mare crept behind the vertical in the tempi changes However Edward seemed to have control over each step The 4 ad 3-tempi changes were tense but correct The judges rewarded the test with  71.131% and ranked them fourth Text and Photos © Astrid Appels - No reproduction allowed Eurodressage was on the scene at the 2013 CDI Drachten to take photos of all riders. If you are interested in ordering prints from this event, please contact us at info@eurodressage.com Related LinksScores 2013 CDI DrachtenLavinia Arl Leads Pony Division at 2013 CDI DrachtenHooge and Kooijman Bring Home the Trophies from 2013 CDI Drachten Shared spaces are changing urban street design by removing all formal rules and regulation The objective is to make drivers and pedestrians more aware of their environment Town centers become more comfortable and welcoming though: the visually impaired are vulnerable in shared spaces '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" Netherlands (AP) — Circus Renz Berlin's fleet of blue red and yellow trucks have had a fresh lick of paint over the winter as coronavirus measures shut down the entertainment industry across Europe "It's catastrophic for everybody," said Sarina Renz of the family circus that has been in existence since 1842 the circus is parked up behind an equestrian center in a northern Dutch town waiting and hoping for an end to the crisis are spending their time in sandy fields munching their way through the circus' supply of food and supplies donated by locals We're already nearly through our reserves Now other people have helped by bringing things for the coming weeks There are 18 members of the extended Renz family on hand to look after the animals other performers have already been sent home Children from the family pass the time playing around the trucks and animals and get home schooling -- that's new for most children in the Netherlands but not for the Renz family who usually are moving from one show location to the next too often to attend a regular school the family has to get used to a more stationary way of life but one without the lifeblood of the circus: The public "We're just used to performing our shows "We live to make other people happy with our shows 2016–Sweden’s Juliette Ramel on Buriel K.H made a spectacular international Big Tour debut for the 10-year-old KWPN gelding in capturing the Indoor Drachten CDI3* Grand Prix Friday night the first FEI dressage competition of this Olympic year (Osium x Krack C) scored 73.460 per cent for the victory with Denmark’s Cathrine Dufour on Atterupgaards Cassidy second on 72.740 per cent and Marlies van Baalen of the Netherlands on Ratzinger third on 71.000 per cent in the Grand Prix of 24 starting combinations from 14 nations Juliette acquired Buriel in 2013 and trains in the Netherlands with Nicole Werner who operates the dressage stable with Edward Gal The pair competed at Small Tour in May last year and launched their Grand Prix career at a national show in the Netherlands two months ago the Belgian warmblood gelding Tumbling Rocky and the NRPS stallion Karolus van Wittenstein were the dominating horses in the small tour classes at the 2012 CDI Drachten in The Netherlands on 6 - 8 January 2012 The small tour mustered a troop of 21 combinations for action in the Prix St Georges alone After a rocky show come back at the 2011 CDI-W Mechelen Hans Peter Minderhoud and the KWPN licensed stallion Johnson (by Jazz x Flemmingh x Sultan) found their groove again in Drachten even though the Prix St Georges was not the highlight ride in their career so far but appeared quite busy and overeager in the trot work The extended walk was good in rhythm but lacked overtrack In canter the horse has nice straight flying changes but could have shown more uphill tendency as he also crept behind the vertical The pirouettes showed great promise because Johnson has wonderful ability to collect and sit The winning score of 71.342% must have been a pleasant surprise The duo went on to place second in the Kur to Music with 72.650% For the very popular KWPN breeding stallion Uphill the first week of January was a very busy one On Wednesday morning 4 January he won the Prix St Georges at the national show in Zuidbroek and the same day late in the evening he finished second in the Inter 1 Kur to Music Two days later he was second again in the Prix St Georges at the international show in Drachten and fourth in the Inter I Kur on Sunday Under Christa Laarakkers the beautiful and chunky bay stallion (by Oscar x Apollonios xx) displayed his FEI potential but the 11-year old still needs to improve on his self carriage and submission The trot was decent but the horse showed a better balance on the right lead losing the rhythm on the left volte The collected and extended walk were good and Uphill had little problems with the canter work He regularly had his mouth open and he loudly ground his teeth in walk The duo scored 70.131% to finish second in the PSG They got a 71.925% Kur score two days later Patrick van der Meer and the 9-year old NRPS registered stallion Karolus van Wittenstein (by Krack C x Partout) are a pair to watch for the future which appears a bit small under his tall rider excelled in the trot extensions with his suspension and power The trot work was smooth and floating but Karolus could have been more steady in the contact and consistent at the vertical Some half halts on the short side at A were very visible the best one could see in the Prix St Georges that day The horse became slightly tense in collected walk and started to do half steps in the turn on the haunches In the canter the stallion lost some impulsion and was slower in his reaction to the aids The three tempi's were good but in the fours the horse lost the straightness in the body and become crooked to the left The pair scored 69.079% to finish third in the PSG and their promise and potential showed as they continued the competition with a win in the Inter 1 Kur with 72.925% Belgian former young rider Lynn Maiburg and her 16-year old Belgian warmblood Tumbling Rocky (by Fortuin Z x Feinschnitt van de Richter) were quite undervalued in the Prix St Georges which showed tremendous progress in their training had a flawless test with beautiful canter movements and total control over the rhythm and flow Only the contact with the bit could have been lighter as the horse got behind the vertical in the trot work and occasionally opened his mouth Their 65.236% Prix St Georges score made no sense and the Belgian pair certainly set the record straight by winning the Intermediaire I class with 69.052% Dutch based Italian junior rider Chiara Prijs Vitale made a big entry with her new horse Hot Chocolate at the 2012 CDI-J Drachten on 6 - 8 January 2012 Prijs Vitale won the Junior Riders team championship and individual test and placed second in the Kur to Music Prijs Vitale paints a whole new picture on top of the sensitive 15-year old Oldenburg mare Hot Chocolate (by Sandro Hit x Lateiner) compared to her previous junior rider's horse Michigan With the bay mare Prijs Vitale can sit focused and quiet in the saddle and make her horse dance beneath her while the contact stays light and steady at all times The trot work was the absolute highlight of the test Only in walk the combination failed to impress as the horse lacked clarity of rhythm the individual test with 72.368% and slotting in second in the Kur with 74.458% Prijs Vitale began riding Hot Chocolate four weeks ago when her parents started to lease the horse from former Italian eventing chef d'equipe Michele Betti The Oldenburg mare was previously competed by Betti's life partner Prijs Vitale's biggest competitor in Drachten was Suzanne van de Ven on the 17-year old Rhinelander mare Donna Gracia (by Donnerschlag) The highly experienced mare makes the junior rider's test look like a piece of cake: fantastic flying changes and beautiful walk pirouettes pushed the score high up Only in trot the rider has the tendency to push her seat in the saddle instead of letting herself be carried by the horse Van den Ven finished second twice (69.279% and 70.614%) and won the kur to music with 74.625% "What a super start of 2012," said an ecstatic Van den Ven "Second in the team test and individual and I won the finals with almost 75% Belgian Jorinde Verwimp and her tall Dutch warmblood gelding Tiamo (by Lester x Hemmingway) were very consistent in their performances throughout the weekend and placed third three times In the team championship test the pair stood out with their huge flying changes and massive trot and canter extensions The whole could have looked a bit more smoother and rhythmical with a lighter curb contact and the rider squeezing her knees slightly less into the saddle 70.000% in the individual and 73.791% in the kur "I had an awesome time in Drachten," Verwimp commented "It was a very successful competition in cold Friesland Text and Photos © Astrid Appels - No Reproduction Allowed Related LinksScores 2012 CDI DrachtenVos and Peeters In the Limelight at 2012 CDI-P Drachten Ben Schröder (NED) secured a home win in Sunday's CSI3* GMB Grand Prix of Indoor Drachten Riding the 10-year-old gelding Davino Q (Vingino x Monaco) Schröder was the best in the field of 57 riders in this 1.55 Grand Prix.  It was a tricky course that waited for the riders with the horses having to lengthen and shorten around the twisting track where the big fences came quickly out of the corners It took a while for the first clear to come and when it did it was in style - delivered by home hero Michel Hendrix (NED) on Baileys (Indoctro x Come On) Hendrix got company by seven more riders in the jump-off.  Only two of the horse-and-rider combinations managed to repeat their clears from the first round in the jump-off and it was Schröder that was the fastest with his time of 41.01 seconds. Piet Raijmakers Jr. took the second place on the 10-year-old gelding Van Schijndel´s Dominus (Berlin x Odermus) with his time of 41.39 Fastest in the jump-off was Christophe Vanderhasselt on the wonderful 10-year-old mare Identity Vitseroel (Air Jordan Z x Darco) but with four faults they had to settle for the third place also he on a score of four in the jump-off just like Sjaak Sleiderink (NED) on Ivan R (Apple Juice x Sam R) who ended fifth.  Text and picture © World of Showjumping © 2025 World of Showjumping - All rights reserved Powered by Artionet - Generated with IceCube2.Net Hans Peter Minderhoud and the dapple grey stallion Zanardi took out the small tour at the 2014 CDI 3* in  Drachten on 3 - 5 January 2014 The brand new promising combination belied their low mileage On their second CDI appearance in a big arena the pair certainly showed they are the ones to watch in the future "Zanardi felt really good in Drachten,” Hans Peter told Eurodressage “As it was his second time in a big arena I could feel that he was a bit excited but still he was really with me and he made no mistakes.” After making their CDI debut with two victories in Roosendaal at the beginning of December 2013 Minderhoud and Zanardi rolled on to Drachten to sweep the boards there They won the Prix St Georges with 73.368% and took the Intermediaire I Kur with 75.900% Minderhoud has been training Zanardi since the stallion was a 6-year old In 2010 the grey was competed nationally by Bart Veeze and shortly after the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky Hans Peter's eye got caught on this diamond in the rough “I own the horse together with Renate Landa who also owned his sire "He is a super sweet stallion and it’s only in prize givings that he gets very excited.” is by Rubels out Ilieze (by Avignon x Enfant de Normandie) The stallion is a mirror image of sire Rubels who launched Hans Peter's international dressage career by twice winning the World Young Horse Championships in Verden never made the transition to Grand Prix but Hans Peter hopes to reach that final goal with Zanardi Training him together with assistant rider Marieke van der Putten Hans Peters credits the horse for its three good gaits and a lot of talent for the collected work “I train in Harskamp together with Edward and Nicole Werner," he added "Our plans for 2014 are to compete at a few more shows at small tour level and then train Zanardi up to Grand Prix." Zanardi's next start is scheduled for the 2014 CDI-W Amsterdam at the end of January Text by Sarah Warne - Photos © Digishots Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker British small tour rider Nicola Lickley enjoyed a successful international debut at the first CDI of the calendar in Drachten Nicola travelled to the popular Dutch venue with her KWPN gelding The combination belied its low mileage to post top ten placings at small tour amongst high-class company Nicola and the 10-year-old gelding (by Sir Sinclair) were awarded 68.05% for eighth place in Friday’s 19-strong Prix St Georges qualifying them for Saturday’s Intermediaire I freestyle where they came 10th on 67.77% Both classes were won by Hans Peter Minderhoud on his rising star Zanardi (by Rubels) with 73.36% and 75.90% who runs Kingswood Equestrian Centre with her husband Rob and trains with Netherlands-based Danish Olympian Anne van Olst was delighted with her horse’s performance in the atmosphere of the Drachten arena “It was absolutely fantastic to compete at such a big show There was a very good standard of horses and some top top competitors,” she said “Zaire hasn’t a lot of experience but he reacted so well in the arena and the comments from the judges were lovely For the freestyle I need to get a stronger floor plan To get through to the kür though was more than I expected I’m now going to work on a more technical programme and commission Tom Hunt to produce my music.” Nicola has owned the bay since the end of January 2013 She’s very good at matching horses and riders and she couldn’t have found me a better horse He’d only done four shows before I had him – three mediums one advanced medium – but I felt straight away that he was ready to take on the work And I now feel there’s so much more I can get out of him I plan to do some more small tour internationals before moving to grand prix.” Lickley also has the ride on Anne van Olst's former Grand Prix horse who arrived in Great Britain in December 2011 to be retired from interntional showing However with Lickley the Danish warmblood (by Traumdeuter x Elizar) qualified for the 2012 British Nationals where they finished 9th with 64.58% in the  Intermediaire II Text by British Dressage, adapted by EurodressagePhoto © Digishots Related LinksScores 2014 CDI DrachtenAnne van Olst Sets Hope On Broere Dexter Research has shown that removing white lines induces uncertainty and thus cuts vehicle speeds by 13%. This has been the case on London’s A22, A23 and A100. Pilot schemes are also in place in Wiltshire, Derby, and round the Queen’s house at Sandringham (don’t ask). Read moreBehind this demarking lies the concept of “shared space” and “naked streets”, developed in the 1990s by the late Dutch engineer, Hans Monderman He held that traffic was safest when road users were “self-policing” and streets were cleared of controlling clutter now adopted in some 400 towns across Europe Yet for some reason Monderman’s ideas remain starkly uninfluential in the world of “big” health and safety you tend to seek eye contact with other road users You automatically reduce your speed … and take greater care.” got up to the speed limit and removed my seatbelt I swiftly adjusted my threshold of acceptable risk Adams has figures to prove that countries – indeed US states – that do not require motorbike helmets have fewer biking accidents than those that do The most dangerous place on a road is at traffic lights Almost half the accidents in most cities occur at lights This is due not just to war between “amber gamblers” and reckless cyclists A crossing is where everyone should be watching everyone else The Highway Code demands drivers give cyclists “as much room as you would when overtaking a car” but a cycle lane is far narrower While drivers must manoeuvre past random cyclists cameras on a Lancashire road showed that drivers gave cyclists in marked lanes 18cm (7in) less distance at far higher speeds than those on an ordinary road Painted lanes made everyone feel super safe Yet for all these “experiments” and “pilots” over more than a decade, why is the concept of shared space not more popular? The answer is that the white line down the middle of the road is a metaphor of the age. It is the guiding hand of a benign government. Its abolition hints at a loss of control, a lurch from authority towards personal responsibility, even towards anarchy. Mankind cannot tolerate too much naked tarmac. No sensible person could want more confusion and uncertainty in life. We need the firm paintbrush of a caring minister. Read moreMonderman, who died (in his bed) in 2008 saw traffic management as a symptom of a deeper ailment “We’re losing our capacity for socially responsible behaviour the more people’s sense of personal responsibility dwindles,” he said It was this loss of responsibility that yielded the paradox that ever more intrusive safety and security actually make us less safe Traffic is the most visible manifestation of that A giveaway is the absence of fixed barriers dividing many road carriageways – other than on motorways We allow drivers to race towards each other at closing speeds of 100mph without so much as a row of cones between them The reason is that we trust drivers not to kill themselves It is a place where we daily put our lives at the mercy of strangers We show a reckless faith in a chef’s skill and care But at least a chef who poisons us is in trouble who maim and kill us with their regulations merely go on dreaming up ever more of them They pretend they are making our lives safer when they are doing the exact opposite Portishead is a coastal town in England about 120 miles west of London. The town of 22,000 people experimented with turning its traffic lights off on a major road in September 2009 The removal of the lights in Portishead, a city that has grown quickly in the last decade, was part of a four-week study “to solve long-standing congestion at the junction,” which was so debilitating and disruptive it sparked street protests and political campaigns from frustrated residents Self-Organizing Leads To Less Chaotic Streets The counter-intuitive finding is that streets without traffic signals mean that cars drive more slowly and carefully because the rules of the road are ambiguous—there’s no red, green or yellow to tell drivers precisely what to do.  A Wired article from 2004 quotes Hans Monderman the late architect of Holland’s minimalist roads who explains his approach of affecting driver behavior: “A wide road with a lot of signs is telling a story,” Monderman says there’s no need to pay attention to your surroundings And that’s a very dangerous message.” A Hans Monderman-designed streetscape in Drachten When a driver doesn’t know who exactly has right of way, he or she seeks eye contact and reduces speed. These “naked streets” without traffic lights, road signs, barriers and other traffic controls forge shared streetscapes where cluttered space is replaced with common sense  These approaches are part of efforts to create walkable streets and design road conditions for multiple uses question its viability to vulnerable and disabled pedestrians But still the argument for change is persuasive. Says video producer Martin Cassini: “A new hierarchy emerges with vulnerable road users at the top when there are no lights to dictate behavior are seen as fellow road users rather than obstacles in the way of the next light.” You can find another article on London’s plans to manage traffic through such efforts here Dutch Lisanne Zoutendijk wielded the axe of power in the young riders division at the 2016 CDI Drachten on 8 - 10 January 2016 The 17-year old  decided back in November 2015 to compete in both the junior and young rider division and has produced her first Young Rider hattrick at the first CDI of the year 2016 A smaller field of 11 young riders gathered at the Friesian Convention Centre in Drachten and Zoutendijk brought along the 13-year old Dutch warmblood bred Watteau (by Jazz x Houston) for the small tour level YR classes Throughout the show the pair faced stiff competition from German duo Anna Lisa Theile on Ducati K (by Damon Hill x Rosenkavalier) and Dutch Laura Quint on Velazquez (by Krack C x Alasca) They were on Zoutendijk's heels the entire time an experienced Dutch youth team rider and European Pony Championship medal winner 72.939% in the individual test and 75.333% in the Kur to Music "I didn't expect this when we drove here," said Zoutendijk "I've only been riding at Young Riders level for a short while and last month in Roosendaal Watteau was very tense Now the tension was gone and I can really focus on riding the test." Zoutendijk also contested the junior classes on her younger horse Davina an 8-year old Dutch warmblood mare by Johnson x Ulft She will be moonlighting in both age categories this 2016 show season "I'm preparing myself for the Young Riders' tests The next three months I will be competing Watteau in the young riders' division at the three observation trials for the European Championships," Zoutendijk explained "In agreement with Tineke Bartels (Dutch team trainer) we can then still choose I'll ride the mare Davina with the juniors She's only 8 and has less experience compared to Watteau." Photos © Digishots The optimal performance of the Lelylijn railway line would shorten the travel time from Groningen to Amsterdam-Zuid to 68 minutes The project organization of the Lelylijn reported this based on research results from three possible trajectories The train would go from Amsterdam to Groningen and back it will be the first time that Drachten has a major train connection This would reduce the travel time from the town to Groningen to 15 minutes as opposed to the 45 minutes that it currently now The trip to Amsterdam would take around an hour Stations that are not directly on the Lelylijn would also see a reduction in travel time to the Randstad It has not been confirmed what trajectory the Lelylijn will take. However, the chances of the railway coming to fruition have improved in the last month. The line is included in the European rail network, and the coalition parties have included the construction of the line in the coalition agreement. The other two possible trajectories, via the Afsluitdijk or Assen, have a longer travel time and have never been favored by the people involved. Business associations VNO-NCW Noord and MKB Noord responded positively to the results in a press release. The organizations see opportunities for workers to live in the north but work in the west of the country. They also see opportunities to attract employees in Emmeloord. “I am in favor of a Lelylijn full of young people who are going to work in World Potato City Emmeloord,” said Jan van Hoogten, an advisor for VNO-NCW. Photo: Philips via Wikimedia CommonsPhilips is closing its last remaining factory in Britain and transferring production to Drachten in Friesland The plan involves closing the Philips factory in Glemsford in the southern county of Suffolk Neil Mesher, chief executive of Philips UK and Ireland, told the East Anglian Daily Times the closure was part of a wider global strategy and would have been made ‘regardless of Brexit’ The company said earlier that it is reducing its number of manufacturing bases from 50 to 30 as part of its plan to focus on healthcare technology As yet it is unclear how many jobs will be transferred to Drachten. Philips currently employs some 2,000 people in the northern town who make shaving apparatus and develop household products A man from Drachten is suspected of posting nude images of the Dutch women's handball team but the police confiscated various digital data carriers from him Over the weekend the police received dozens of calls in connection with the investigation into the leaked footage Most were from people asking what to do and how to find out if nude footage of them are floating around online The police are investigating the role of the sauna owner and employees in this case Officers confiscated four cameras from the sauna including one hidden in the ceiling of the massage room That camera was active until Thursday last week This week a video showing nude visitors to sauna SpaWell in Peize Drenthe was found on popular porn site Xhamster