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Henk van Bergen

“Each Dressage exercise must have a gymnastic influence on the horse….The movements and the exercises that are used in dressage must be part of the improvement of the overall quality of the horse.”

H. v. B. A Tip of the Hat, NEDA Newsletter, May 2006

Career Highlights:

  • Owns and operates Dressage Stall Brakkenstein in Nijmegen, Holland, host site of the Dutch National Championships
  • Trained with Ernest van Loon, George Theodorescu, Piet Oothout & Reiner Klimke
  • International Clinician, including England, the United States and Spain
    • Spring 2006, NEDA Spring Clinic & Symposium at Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA
    • Spring 2007, Clinic at Mistover, Pawling, New York
  • Dutch Level M Champion at age 16
  • 1966 Certified Instructor; Royal Dutch Riding School (Hollandsche Manege)
  • 1984 Coached Tineke Bartels at the Los Angeles Olympic Games
  • 1988 Coached Japanese Dressage Team at the Seoul Olympic Games
  • 1988 Appointed Dutch National Trainer
  • 1992 Coached Dutch Dressage Team at the Barcelona Olympic Games; Silver Medal

Henk van Bergen owns Brakkenstein Dressage Stables Nijmegen, the Netherlands where he and his wife, Wilma ride and teach. He coached the Dutch dressage team at the 1972 and 1992 Olympics and private students at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. In 1988, he was the coach of the Japanese team at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Currently, he is the official national coach for England’s Junior and Young Riders. He gives regular clinics in England, the United States and Spain.