Jeroen van Lent excited for first Nations Cup on Belgian soil
The 2025 season promises to be an exciting one for Belgian dressage. Not only is the sport continuing to grow in terms of results and visibility, but from 15–18 May, Belgium will for the first time host a leg of the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™, taking place at CDIO Lier. Belgian Dressage Team Manager Jeroen van Lent is enthusiastic: “This comes at an incredibly good moment for our sport.”
The progress Belgian dressage has made in recent years is clear. With consistently strong performances, the momentum is building, and Van Lent sees no reason for it to stop now.
His ultimate goal for CDIO Lier? “Of course, we want to win. But we can’t control what the other teams do. A podium finish is definitely the aim, and maybe even more. For this Nations Cup on home soil, we’ll be sending our strongest team. We want to show up and deliver! We owe that to our supporters.”
A fitting venue
Lier will host the very first Nations Cup Dressage leg in Belgium, and Van Lent is hoping for a large turnout. “We will be standing proud alongside established events like CHIO Rotterdam. Lier is a worthy venue, and like CDI Lier’s indoor edition, I think this Nations Cup Dressage will continue to grow in the coming years.”
Azelhof offers top-class facilities: indoor and outdoor arenas, spacious paddocks, permanent stabling; “it’s a venue you can only admire. I’m very pleased that the team at Belgium Dressage Events has stepped up to take on the organisation of this event,” says Van Lent.
Pushing for a top performance
Although the final list of competitors has not yet been confirmed, it’s already clear that some of the sport’s big names will be making the trip to Lier. “Riders who are still unsure about coming this year will definitely want to be here next year. This is a venue that many other nations can only dream of.”
Van Lent has his top team nearly ready for the Nations Cup: “We’re going for a great result and, of course, we hope the event will be a big success. The riders, the organisers and the public all deserve that. We’re aiming for a top performance, no less.”
Photo Justin Verboomen: Digishots
