56 SIDELINES MARCH 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
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A Few Minutes with
Diederique van der Knaap
By Jan Westmark-Allan
Junior rider Diederique van der Knaap star ted her
riding career when she was only five, at a farm with
a low-key, non-competitive atmosphere. Diederique
enjoyed riding for fun, especially hacking on the beach
at her family’s summer home in Sagaponack, New
York.
Diederique’s life and goals changed, however, when
she watched the Animal Planet show “Horse Power:
Road to the Maclay” in 2005. Diederique said that ’s
when she star ted to take her riding seriously and
began riding with Jeffrey Wells at Hunters Moon Farm
on Long Island.
Diederique’s riding career changed direction again
in the eighth grade when she went to a boarding
school and spent a year not riding. “Then, in the
spring of 2011, I went to Saratoga to show with Missy
Clark, af ter having not ridden for a year. Missy told
me af ter one day at the show that she thought that if
I trained hard, I could be really good. So my parents
leased a horse for the summer and that ’s when all the
shenanigans star ted,” Diederique said.
Now 16, the New York resident will be spending
her winter in Wellington, competing at the Winter
Equestrian Festival with Missy and Nor th Run. “I like
competing at WEF because the competition level is
pretty high, so I get an accurate picture of where I am
compared to the top riders throughout the winter. And
of course I love WEF because Wellington is so much
warmer than New York City!”
Sidelines:
What do you like about riding with Nor th
Run?
DvdK:
Missy inspires me to get on every day and
give it my all, whether it ’s in a lesson or a competition.
I love how much Missy and John have become my
second parents, but at the same time they are very
professional. I like that they really push all the riders
to be the best that they can be; but we can also have a
lot of fun. Nor th Run has really become like my family.
Also, the horses at Nor th Run are in an amazing
program and they really are true athletes.
Sidelines:
What divisions do you like?
DvdK:
I own Premonition and I am going to compete
him this year in the Large Junior Hunters and hopefully
in a couple of hunter derbies because those sound fun
and I have never tried one before. I will compete on
both Asparagus and Dallas in the Equitation and ride
Clive in the Junior Jumpers.
Sidelines:
What are your riding goals?
DvdK:
In 2012, I am looking forward to learning and
developing more as a rider and hopefully I will have a
break through and possibly win something. My main
riding goal, competition-wise, is to win an equitation
final. My other riding goals are to become the best
horsewoman I can be and not let all the competition make
me lose touch with what I love most about riding, which is
having fun with, and caring for, the horses.
Sidelines:
What do you consider career highlights?
DvdK:
I think my main highlights are still to come; but I
guess they would include third place in the Nor th American
Flat Championship in 2009, qualifying for all the equitation
finals each year, and 12th place at the 2011 Talent Search
finals.
Sidelines:
What is the best thing about being a horse
person?
DvdK:
The best thing about being a horse person is getting
to be with the horses so much. That is honestly the main
reason that I ride. To me, there is no other animal like a
horse. I like cats and dogs but I don’t “get ” cats and dogs
like I “get ” horses. They are really special animals.
Sidelines:
What do you do when you aren’t riding?
DvdK:
I star ted cross country and track during my year at
boarding school and got really hooked on running, so I run
almost every day. I’m also a huge nerd, so I spend a lot of
my time doing schoolwork and reading. When I’m tired I
love to sink down in a puf fy couch and watch Law and Order:
Special Victim’s Unit marathons.
Sidelines:
If you weren’t a rider, what do you think you
would be?
DvdK:
I honestly could not imagine a life without horses.
Diederique says she wants to study Biology and History when
she goes to college
Photo by Michelle Jager