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Domien Michiels ready for a comeback in Mechelen after injury
“By working together as Belgian dressage team members members, we’ve individually grown to a higher level”
On December 28 and 29, more dressage enthusiasts than ever will gather in the Nekkerhal to enjoy performances by international stars and top Belgian riders during the FEI Dressage World Cup. Among them is Domien Michiels, who made history in February as the first Belgian ever to win a World Cup qualifier. After months of recovery from an injury, he is thrilled to be competing in Mechelen once again. Together with Intermezzo, he will step back into the arena for the first time since their remarkable performance at the Olympic Games. We spoke to him about the upcoming FEI Dressage World Cup and the impressive rise of Belgian dressage.
What do you think of the line-up for the FEI Dressage World Cup in Mechelen this year?
“Impressive, without a doubt. With names like Dinja Van Liere, Nanna Skodborg Merrald, Bianca Nowag-Aulenbrock, and Dorothee Schneider, the audience is in for spectacular sport. Our Belgians will certainly contribute as well. Think, for example, of Larissa Pauluis, who is currently performing exceptionally.”
How are you looking forward to competing again?
“With mixed feelings, to be honest. A few months ago, I broke my shoulder falling down the stairs. It was a real challenge to get both myself and Intermezzo van het Meerdaalhof (BWP) ready in time for Mechelen. This will be our first competition since Paris, so it has been quite a while. Intermezzo has had enough of our break by now. He’s a true competitor and is eager to get back into the ring. For months now, he’s been giving me questioning looks in the stable, wondering why we’re not loading up the truck to head to a competition.”
He’s undoubtedly the pride of Belgian dressage breeding.
“Absolutely. With that mentality, he became the first Belgian horse ever to win an FEI Dressage World Cup. It truly moves me to see how happy he makes his breeders. As modest Belgians, we often think we can’t achieve great heights with our horses or with a less flashy young horse. But that’s not true. By training your horse well and believing in yourself through all the ups and downs, so much is possible. I sometimes hear from other dressage riders that our story inspires them to pursue their big sport dreams. Some even say it motivated them to ride Grand Prix. For me, that’s the greatest reward for our work.
We also see more and more Belgians competing at the Grand Prix level, a step many talented riders hesitated to take in the past. That could really give Belgian dressage a significant boost in the coming years.”
In recent years, the Belgian dressage team has achieved milestone after milestone. What do you think is behind that success?
“It’s a combination of many factors. Everything has to align: we had great horses, etc. But the key for me is collaboration. A few years ago, the federation set up a strong training program. Within that framework, top riders regularly came together to train. We got to know each other better and became supporters of one another instead of rivals.
We realized that individually we might not always reach the highest peaks, but as a team, we could achieve that ambition. We rode with each other instead of against each other. That brought us not only the fifth-place finish as a team in Paris but also improved us individually. I scored 2% higher there than ever before. That was the best feeling I’ve ever had. It felt like I had won gold: together with the team and surrounded by so many loud Belgian supporters… I can’t wait to see them again in Mechelen.”
