Dinja van Liere is one of the leading Dutch dressage riders of her generation, having produced several horses to Grand Prix from a young age. One such horse is young KWPN stallion McLaren. He has only competed in two Grand Prixs to date, but scored 75% in his first one. With exceptional talent for collection and the passage, Dinja has high hopes for McLaren, and, in particular, for the SLTN CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle at Indoor Friesland this weekend.
Indoor Friesland is one of the Netherlands’ major indoor equestrian events, combining international dressage and showjumping with a strong emphasis on entertainment. The event attracts the very best riders not only from the Netherlands but internationally, having established itself as a major autumn fixture in international showjumping and dressage sport. The classes take place in the distinctive horse shoe-shaped arena, brining the audience close to the action and creating a thrilling atmosphere.
This Sunday, Dinja and McLaren will take to the arena to debut a brand new Freestyle routine in the Grand Prix Freestyle class, and the theme is truly unique. Dinja describes McLaren as a “true Ken” — handsome and cool — so it made sense that the freestyle adopted a Barbie and Ken theme.
After reaching Olympic and World Championship success with her established superstar Hermès, Dinja is now looking ahead to the next generation, of which McLaren is an exciting part.
The pair’s Freestyle routine in the Intermediate I from The Dutch Masters 2026 in March got the crowd’s attention with their choice of up-beat music, gaining a score of 76.760% from the judges and taking the win. Watch their winning test here.
Now the pair have stepped up the Grand Prix just 7 months later, will they manage to attain the same result?
Tune in to the SLTN Grand Prix Freestyle at Indoor Friesland this Sunday 11th October from 1:30pm BST, and catch all of the action from both the dressage and showjumping classes at Indoor Friesland here.