21 February 2017
Paard&Koets and International Driving Event Horst join forces
In 2018 Paard&Koets (Horse&Carriage Fair) will be moving to the De Peelbergen Equestrian Centre in the South of Holland and merging with the International Driving Event Horst aan de Maas. This merger will double the impact and size of the event and will make it easy for driving fans from the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium to reach. Organizers are hoping that the larger size of event will attract more visitors from abroad.
In 2014 Paard&Koets was, after a year’s absence, back on the calendar much to the delight of the driving fans. The management of the event was taken over by Academy Bartels Event Management who were vital in the resurrection of 32-year-old event. For the last three years the event has taken place at the ‘Nationaal Hippisch Centrum’ (National Equestrian Center) in Ermelo, but in that time Paard&Koets has outgrown the facility. “De Peelbergen offers unlimited possibilities for the further growth of Paard&Koets”, explains organizer Gijs Bartels. The International Driving Event is held on the newly landscaped field in front of the three indoor halls which will accommodate the majority of vendors. The driving sports arena will be twice as large. A new arena will be added for driving related demonstrations and shows. There is enough space to accommodate 100 vendors of which approximately 75 will offer driving related products and 25 general equine products. In addition, there is also an exhibition space at De Peelbergen for studbooks, which has been a much appreciated part of the event in the past. According to Bartels, “We want to be the main event for drivers worldwide and this strategic move accelerates our ambition.”
To begin the merger with Paard&Koets in 2018 the International Driving Event Horst aan de Maas will move to De Peelbergen in 2017. The CAI3* competition will be staged from April 20-23, 2017 and is an established name on the competition calendar for singles, pairs and four-in-hand teams. The four-in-hand drivers will compete for the National title as well as for World Cup points. “We annually organize a leading international event which perfectly matches the ambitions of Paard&Koets and which focuses on international visitors”, says Nico Rijbende, chairman of Driving Event Horst aan de Maas. “Together we have the ambition to organize top driving events and we are pleased that Paard&Koets will help us to realize this new driving event in the coming years!”
The first joint edition of Paard&Koets and the International Driving Event will take place on April 20, 21 and 22, 2018. As Paard&Koets is moving from the autumn to the spring, the organization decided to cancel the event scheduled in November 2017.
