Marc Houtzager: Mr. Europe is a horse without a manual

1. What makes Mr. Europe so special to you?

“Mr. Europe is a very good horse to work with in my team. He can jump well and has developed quite quickly to the 1.50m level. It is a horse that will soon be usable for the big work.”

2. How does Mr Europe deal with the stable?

“Europe is very nice in the stable. He is a stallion, but he behaves very normally.”

3. How is he to drive?

“Mr. Europe is a nice horse to ride, a horse without instructions. His training has been going well so far.”

4. What's the best thing you can do with Mr. Europe have you experienced until now?

“We have achieved good rankings in the international young horse classes. For example, as a six-year-old he won in De Wolden and as a seven-year-old in Valkenswaard. In the autumn we were second during the CSI4* in Münster in the 1.50m class.”

5. What are your future plans with Mr. Europe?

“Mr. Europe is only nine years old and then the real sport starts. I don't have a real schedule yet, but I hope and expect that he will grow to the 1.60m level."

6. Do you advise people to buy a foal at the Prinsjesdag auction? Or do you recommend a three or four year old?

“As a rider I would rather buy a four-year-old than a foal. It's a long way until they are four years old. However, I think it's great that there are auctions like the Prinsjesdag auction. The auction has a positive effect on sport. It is good for the breeders if they can sell their foals well, which is stimulating. You notice that there are fewer good young horses on the market, because less has been bred in recent years.”