Cool Isabel

Isabel got her first pony 'Mira' when she was 5 years old, since then she became truly passionate about horses! When she was 8, she learned horseback riding on her 2nd pony 'Mitchie' at riding-school Rijbaan Piet. With her 3rd pony 'Beauty' she participated in jumping shows and horseball competitions! At the age of 12, she had her first horse 'Osaka', a young jumping mare. Osaka was really hot and had a lot of temperament so Isabel fell off more than once! It was a crazy happy time at the riding school!

A few years later Isabel only wanted to ride dressage. But with a jumping horse, it was quite difficult! Ilias, an experienced dressage horse, came and Isabel learned her first steps in the dressage ring. From level 0 to the national junior level, they grew together. But Ilias got older and Isabel wanted to continue developing. So Equitano came along... A 7-year-old gelding with a difficult character. Isabel learned to grit her teeth and persevere. Because that's what it's all about in sports! While she tried to 'tame' him, a more reliable horse, 'Chiemsee' was bought. So she could gain some competition experience. With him, she rode the Junior, Young Riders and Small Tour level.

With Equitano she rode for 10 years: from HROV level to Juniors, Young Riders and Small Tour level. The whole way she did it herself and with the advice from several trainers. Trainers like Carmen De Bondt, Ton De Ridder, Wim Verwimp and Nicole Werner. With Nicole's training system the tide had turned... During 5 years Isabel was trained by Nicole with Equitano and some other young prospects. Together they succeeded to control Equitano and had scores of 70% in the small tour!

In 2009 Isabel set up her own dressage stable 'Coolhorses'. After she finished her studies (Master in Economics), because she attached a lot of importance to studying! With 'Coolhorses' a dream came true! Horses and dressage were her passion, her life... She wanted to continue this and build up a dressage stable of high level. To get better and better in the dressage sport herself, training pupils and horses, selling horses... Now Coolhorses exists already for 9 years and Isabel wants to continue developing her stability and her performance in the dressage sport.

Isabel trained for 4 years (2012- 2016) with the Swedish rider Patrik Kittel, who helped her to move forward in the dressage sport with horses like Coldplay, Cheatodon, Constand and Aranco. Isabel travelled once a month towards Nottuln, Germany, where Patrik's stable is located. It was a journey of 4,5 hours to get there, but she always looked forward to training there and developing herself and her horses. Aranco started to grow towards the GP level, and the other 3 horses showed some great results in the small tour level, in national and international shows.

From 2017 till 2019 Isabel trained with Sjef Janssen. Thanks to a scouting day for GP prospects, organised by the Belgian Federation (KBRSF), Isabel and Sjef crossed each other's paths. A dream came true for Isabel because she always wanted to train with Sjef. The results were not lacking and there was a strong evolution that was not escaped, anyone... The first GP shows of Aranco became reality and Isabel's other horses Constand, Freedom and Cheatodon grew more and more into the GP level. Some remarkable results were: Constand's victories in the small tour level at Indoor Brabant in 2017, Aranco's 2 bronze medals at the BC 2017 and 2018, the 3rd place on Aranco's first international show at CDI Waregem in 2017, Freedom who achieve (at his young age of 7 yo) the 6th place in the finals Freestyle small tour at CDI5*MECHELEN, Cheatodon who won 2 years in a row the BC for medium tour level in 2018 and 2019, Aranco who won the GPS at CDI3*Saumur with 71,"% and the participation at the WEG Tryon 2018 and EC Rotterdam 2019.

But all beautiful fairy tales come to an end... The KBRSF decided to stop the collaboration with Sjef starting from 2020 and Isabel thought it was necessary to change some things for her horses. She chose to train with Nicole Werner. Back to her roots... She already trained for 5 years with Nicole with her first small tour horse 'Equitano'. Isabel is really happy with the new collaboration and the horses are happy with the way of training.

Isabel is now competing with horses like Herr Charmeur, No Limit, Glorious and Soulmate in the small tour and training them up to GP. The Belgian Federation took Herr Charmeur into its High Potential class for upcoming GP talents in 2022. Furthermore, Isabel is also training nice young horses like the talented Machoman, Ferrari, Netallic, Nazzaro and Maserati.

The future looks bright and the only way to the top is ... UP UP UP!!!

Successes

2021

• national victories and places of honour in the 7yo class with Soulmate
• national victories in the small tour with Glorious and Herr Charmeur
• 5th place at the BC 7yo horses with Soulmate
• WINNING with Ferrari in the 4yo test of the BWP trials 
• 4rd place with Ferrari in the Corsendonck Cup for 4yo horses
• national victories and places of honour with No Limit in the st.georges
• SILVER at the BC Lier level 5 with No Limit
• 4th place at the BC Lier in the small tour with Herr Charmeur
• WINNING the first round of the BC small tour with Herr CHarmeur
• 4th place at the BC LIer level 4 with Qizara
• 5th place at the BC Lier medium tour with Cheatodon
• top 5 rankings at the BC Lier small tour with Glorious and a 2nd place in the small finals
• selection for CDI5* Mechelen small tour with Herr Charmeur (due to Covid the show was cancelled)

2020

• national places of honour in the small tour with Glorious
• National victories with Cheatodon in the medium tour
• national places of honour in the 7 yo class with Herr Charmeur and No Limit
• 8th place at the cup of Belgium small tour with Glorious
• SILVER at the BC Lier Medium Tour with Cheatodon
• 9th place at the BC Lier level 4 with No Limit
• 3rd place in the first manche of the BC Lier in level 4 with Herr Charmeur
• top 10 at the BC Lier in the small tour with Glorious

 2019 

• 14th final place with 72,5% at the WC Amsterdam with Aranco
• 2th place at CDN Expo Gent in the Freestyle Inter1 with Freedom
• 9th final place with 71,7% at the CDI5*Doha with Aranco
• GOLD in the GPS met 71,3% at CDI3* Saumur and a 4th place in the GP with 70,8% with Aranco
• participation at the CDIO5* Compiègne with 69% in the GP with Aranco
• first CDN's GP for Constand with international selections
• first international participation in the GP with Constand at CDI4*Leudelange (LUX) with 9th final place in the Freestyle GP
• BRONS medal at the BC level st.georges, Silver cup with Glorious
• GOLD at the BC level medium tour, Diamond cup with Cheatodon
• 2th place in the GP BC Seniors with Aranco (because of the EC coming up Isabel only rode 1 test at the BC)
• participation at the EC Rotterdam with Aranco

2018

• 4th in the Freestyle Inter1 with Constand at CDI2* Compiègne
• 5th in the GP and GP Freestyle with Aranco at CDI4* Leudelange
• BRONS at the BELGIAN CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL 4, Brons Cup with Glorious
• BRONS at the BELGIAN CHAMPIONSHIP SENIORS GP with Aranco
• GOLD at the BELGIAN CHAMPIONSHIP MEDIUM TOUR, Diamond Cup with Cheatodon
• 4th in the Freestyle Inter1 and 7th in the total BELGIAN CHAMPIONSHIP SMALL TOUR, Gold Cup with Freedom
• part of the team for the WEG Tryon, World Equestrian Games 
• GOLD at the Coupe de Wallonie Small Tour with Freedom: won the St.Georges and Freestyle Inter1
• 8th place at CDI5*Mechelen in the Freestyle small tour with Freedom

2017

• 2nd in the big finale Freestyle inter1 with Constand at CDI3* Lier
• WINNER OF INDOOR BRABANT small tour with Constand; winners of the St.Georges and freestyle Inter1 at the CDI-W 'S Hertoghenbosh
• SILVER at the BELGIAN CHAMPIONSHIP SMALL TOUR with Brencis (Gold Cup)
• GOLD at the BELGIAN CHAMPIONSHIP Level4 with Freedom (Brons Cup)
• WINNER OF THE CENTRAL OCEANS BATTLE small tour with Constand
• BRONS at the BELGIAN CHAMPIONSHIP SENIORS GP with Aranco
• 2nd in the small final of the Belgian Championship Small Tour with Cheatodon
• 2nd in the small final of the Belgian Championship level4 with Faithfull
• SILVER at the CUP OF BELGIUM Small Tour with Brencis
• 3rd in the GP and GP Freestyle with Aranco at CDI3* Waregem
• 10th in the Freestyle Inter1 with Brencis at CDI3* Waregem
• 4th in the GP and GP Freestyle with Aranco at CDI5* Mechelen
• 4th in the Freestyle Inter1 with Freedom at CDI5* Mechelen

2016

• 2nd in the small final small tour with Cheatodon at CDI3* Nieuw en Sint Joosland
• 7th in the big final Freestyle Inter1 with Constand at CDI3* Nieuw en Sint Joosland
• BRONS at the CUP OF BELGIUM small tour with Constand
• 5th in the big final Freestyle Inter1 with Constand at CDI2* Compiègne
• 4th in the big final Freestyle Inter1 with Constand at CDI4* Roosendaal
• GOLD at the BELGIAN CHAMPIONSHIP SMALL TOUR with Constand; he wins all 3 tests!
• BRONS at the BELGIAN CHAMPIONSHIP YOUNG HORSES of 6 year old horses with Glorious
• SILVER at the Cup of Wallonie with Brencis, and 1st place in the Freestyle Inter1
• 2nd in the St.Georges with Constand at the CDI3* Lier and 3rd in the big final
• 6th place with Cheatodon in the St.Georges at CDI3* Lier and 8th place in the small final Inter1
• 2nd in the Freestyle Inter1 of the WEN with Constand
• Placed for the finals at CDI3* Drachten small tour with Cheatodon

2015

• 6th in the big finale CDI5* Mechelen with Cheatodon
• Placed for the finals at CDI4* Lier small tour with Cheatodon
• 2nd in the DERBY competition Flanders Dressage Event with Coldplay
• 2nd at the Belgian Championship small tour with Cheatodon
• 9th at the Belgian Championship small tour with Brencis
• 3rd at the Belgian Championship st georges level with Constand
• Placed for the finals and places of honour at CDI Compiègne small tour with Cheatodon and Aranco
• 1st place at CDI3* Saumur small tour with Cheatodon in the st georges
• 1st place at CDI3* Saumur small tour with Cheatodon in the Inter1

2014

• 3rd at the Belgian Championship M10 (Brons cup) with Constand
• 3rd at the Belgian Championship St Georges (silver cup) with Cheatodon
• 4th at the Belgian Championship St Georges (silver cup) with Coldplay

2013

• 3rd at the Cup of Belgium with Aranco
• 1st at the Belgian Championship M10 level (Brons cup) with Coldplay

2012

• 1st at the 5 year old young horses division with Constand
• Participation at the World Championship for 5 year olds with Constand
• 6th at the Belgian Championship for 5 year old horses with Constand

2011

• 6th at the Cup of Belgium small tour with Equitano
• 2nd at the Belgian Championship for 4 year old horses with Constand
• 4th in the Cup of Moorsele small tour with Equitano

2010

• 5th at the Cup of Belgium small tour with Equitano
• 2nd at the Cup of Flanders small tour with Equitano

2009

• 4th in the finals at CDI Pompadour small tour with Equitano

2006

• 3rd with the Belgian team at CDI Stadl Paura Young Riders  (preparation EC) with Equitano
• Reserve for the European Championship Young Riders with Equitano
• 3rd at the Belgian Championship Young riders with Chiemsee, 4th with Equitano
• 1st at the Pikeur Trophy with Equitano
• 3rd in the consolationas final at CDI3* Saumur Young Riders with Equitano