Three-time world champion Marijke Hammink: “Staying champion is harder than becoming one”

Wed 29 Jul, 17:05 Sport

In September, Marijke Hammink became world champion for the third consecutive time with her Four-in-Hand Welsh ponies—an exceptional achievement. How does she do it? MenSport & Showpaard was curious and asked her a number of questions.

Do you ever get used to being world champion three years in a row?

“You never really get used to it. The third time was just as exciting as the first—maybe even more so—because the competitor before me drove a faultless cones round, which added extra pressure. Making the time wasn’t a problem, but all the balls still had to stay up. In the final part of the course, I didn’t take any risks; better a safe clear round than a ball down at the last moment. At my first World Championship I drove quite freely, but at this third one there was definitely more pressure, also from myself.”

Stable De Knollentuin

Marijke is 34 and lives in Bornerbroek. She runs Stable De Knollentuin, where she trains ponies—mainly for driving, not riding. Fifteen years ago, her work consisted of 80% riding and 20% driving; now it’s the other way around. In summer, she organizes pony camps, and around seventy children from the region take weekly lessons, often on the same ponies she competes with. She is also in high demand as a driving instructor, but her days are already so full that she hardly has time to take on more.

Do you have a ‘once in a lifetime’ pony?

“Yes, I think so: Pietje van de Knollentuin. Together with Beukenhof’s Wesley, he has competed in all five World Championships. Pietje is truly special. Fifteen years ago, he came here from owners who had him as a companion pony for their daughter, but he was too big and spirited for her. They traded him—a Welsh with some Hackney blood and no papers—for a Shetland pony.

Pietje isn’t particularly beautiful and is on the larger side, so at first I thought: ‘I’ll wait until a better one comes along and then trade him.’ Well, many have come and gone since then, but Pietje is still here and will never leave. He’s a golden pony with a fantastic character who always keeps going. He’s now 17, still very fit, and I think he’ll still be part of the team at the next World Championship in two years. We also use him for weddings, funerals, and even sleigh rides—a true all-rounder.”

Marijke Hammink with Pietje van de Knollentuin (keft) en Beukenhof’s Wesley (right) - Photo: Gemma Jansen

How did you get started?

“I caught the pony bug through my grandfather and my mother. At a riding school bingo, I won a small piebald Shetland pony, Bingo van de Knollentuin, whom I trained myself. My grandfather had a small three-wheeled cart, and when I started competing, I needed a four-wheeler. A year later, I won the Winter Competition with Bingo. My grandfather had more Shetlands, so I gradually added more ponies, also combining them into teams. In 2011, I became Dutch Champion with four large Shetlands. At that point, I thought: ‘This is the highest I can achieve with these ponies, I’ll stop at this peak.’ But I always remained a fan of beautiful, large, piebald Shetlands.”

And then the Welsh ponies came into the picture?

“I loved competing and was—and still am—very competitive. I replaced the Shetlands with Welsh ponies. In 2011, I already had a few older Welsh ponies at home, and that autumn I bought four brown Welsh colts at the Zuidlaardermarkt. In 2012, I competed with a Four-in-Hand in Maasdijk and became KNHS champion in class 3, though one Shetland was still part of the marathon team. Every time I added a Welsh, a Shetland left—usually to friends or acquaintances, because I wanted them to go to good homes.”

“Now I only have Welsh ponies. I’ve never regretted the switch: Welsh ponies have more presence, a fantastic temperament, move better, and cover more ground than Shetlands. For example, a Shetland tends to slow down at a water obstacle, while a Welsh will actually pull more—that difference is beautiful. I do pay attention to bloodlines; I like small heads and ears, but I’m not looking for showpieces—I want real working ponies with good conformation and movement.”

If a sponsor said: ‘Pick any Four-in-Hand horse team,’ would you?

“No, I’m perfectly happy with my ponies. We do everything together—competitions, forest rides, even holidays. They’re versatile and kind for the children in lessons, and when they look at me with those lovely faces and white markings, I melt every time. Of course, driving a Four-in-Hand horse team would be great, but my heart is with Welsh ponies. I also have some Connemaras for the bigger children; I could drive them too, but finding four matching ones would be quite a challenge. To assemble my current team, I tried about 100 ponies. The best pony individually can be the worst in a team if it doesn’t fit.”

Which phase of the competition do you enjoy most?

“Each phase has its charm, but if I had to choose, I’d pick the marathon—it gives the biggest thrill. At home, though, I mainly train dressage because it’s the foundation, and I enjoy it a lot. When your ponies work well in dressage, everything improves. At my first World Championship, I had two ponies that weren’t ready; one got very tense from the atmosphere, and then dressage isn’t fun.”

“Cones is the most precise—you can’t miss a centimeter. A margin of 20 cm is very little with four ponies. Recently, an experienced pony still knocked a ball off, but you can teach them to avoid that. Once they understand the game, it becomes easier. And it’s also about what suits each pony; I have one that’s great in dressage and marathon but too heavy for cones.”

Marijke Hammink at the World Championship at Le Pin au Haras 2025 - Photo: Wilco van Driessen

How do you see the future of driving sport?

“Positive. Everything is under scrutiny these days, but a lot is being done for welfare. Competition ponies are extremely well cared for, and there are strict veterinary checks at every event. Bits and nosebands are also inspected. I rarely encounter problematic situations, but I do think drivers should hold each other accountable to keep the sport beautiful. Sometimes I do have opinions about very heavy people on the carriage—not because the ponies can’t pull the weight, but because we are practicing a sport.”

“Horses and ponies are expected to be in athletic condition, and the same should apply to drivers and grooms. Regarding regulations, I hope sensible, knowledgeable people remain in charge—people who understand that horses enjoy working. At competitions, you often see their enthusiasm and eagerness—that’s when you know things are right.”

Are there things you would like to see changed?

“Costs are high and have increased significantly in recent years. Organizing competitions is also expensive. You compete for honor, because in most cases you don’t even earn back your entry fee. Everything has become more expensive. If you compare the cost of training a pony ten years ago to now, there’s a big difference. It’s a problem if these costs create a barrier for people to participate. Competing internationally is even more expensive. It’s no coincidence that many drivers are also farriers—it saves a lot. I shoe my ponies myself too. And you can’t count the time you invest—it would never add up. We don’t take expensive holidays; instead, I’d rather spend that money on competitions.”

“And one technical note: cones currently counts quite heavily, but it shouldn’t become even more important. Designing a flowing yet challenging course is a real art—one that separates the best from the rest.”

How do you make your dreams come true?

“By working very hard. If I decide I still need to harness a pony—even at 10:30 pm—it will happen. I don’t sit down until the work is done. But I also have an amazing team behind me. My mother helps with everything related to the ponies, both at home and at competitions. My father, who used to be against horses, now does all the heavy work with the loader, takes care of hay supplies, and maintains the fencing. We also have several interns, and I can always rely on friends.”

“My mother, Aartje, is my groom in all three phases. In dressage, Margreet Noordhuis joins us—they work well together, two small grey-haired ladies! In cones, Jorn Elburg joins, and in the marathon, Henk Veurink. And then there are the ‘castle gentlemen’—they call themselves that because they always stay in a castle near the venue during World Championships. They come to every championship, always drop by for coffee, and have already booked a castle hotel for 2027. They sit together in the stands, dressed in orange—very special!”

After so many victories, how do you stay the best in the world?

“It’s often said that staying champion is harder than becoming one—and that’s true. You have to keep training, stay critical of yourself, and keep renewing your team. Don’t wait until a pony drops out due to age. I’m currently training two promising young ponies.”

“The training hours and experience of an older team are hard for young ponies to match. I’m always on the lookout—both in person and online—for good brown Welsh ponies. Besides three gold medals, I’ve also won two silvers at World Championships. That doesn’t happen by itself—my whole life revolves around it. You don’t become a world champion by luck, but by getting the best out of yourself and your ponies every single day,” says Marijke Hammink—a true horsewoman at heart, reaching the top through hard work and pure passion, without a large team or major sponsors.

Mandatory body protector

A positive change is that a body protector is now mandatory in the marathon, both indoors and outdoors, instead of just a back protector. “I understand why people need to wear one, along with a proper helmet—it’s important protection for your back, ribs, and head. I’ve had the same one for 25 years, and it still meets all requirements. I fasten the Velcro and don’t even notice it. Of course, it does have to fit properly.”