90 SIDELINES DECEMBER 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
department to do both and have kids that do both.
What do you enjoy about competing in hunter derbies?
I think that it allows for a little bit of creativity in the hunter ring.
You can show off a different type of ability that you have that you
can use in the hunter derbies, whereas going around a ring and
jumping eight jumps perfectly is a little different.
You’ve been at Augusta Pines Farm for the past few years.
What do enjoy most about it?
We’re very fortunate here. It’s a beautiful top-notch facility. It’s
not something you can build on your own. It’s a great location with
fun people to be with and it’s a great barn with lots of support.
How would you describe yourself as a trainer?
I teach through sarcasm (laughs). Honestly, I don’t know if
I have a style per se. I think each horse and kid are a little bit
different. The one thing we always try to do is be all about plenty
of horse knowledge, along with getting to horse show and having
the privilege to show at a high level.
What would you say is your greatest accomplishment?
To be able to stay consistant and relevant. Yes, fifth at
Hunter Derby Finals was great. When you compete against the
best that’s great. Winning the Pin Oak Grand Prix in your own
backyard, which is a show you’ve watched since you were a
kid saying “I want to ride that grand prix,” has a nostalgic value.
But staying consistent and relevant is one of the hardest things
to do as a horse professional and if you can do that, that’s an
accomplishment.
Martien riding CR Beethoven at Derby Finals. He placed fifth
overall.
Photo by Tricia Brooker Photography
By Dani Moritz
Martien van der Hoeven’s career began as backyard rider on
a pony he refers to as a bicycle. This is because until the age
of seven, when he began riding in Pony Club for his birthday,
Martien’s pony’s primary use was simply transportation. But what
started as a backyard hobby, and means to get to his friends’
houses, has transformed into a passion and career.
Today, Martien is a highly successful hunter and jumper rider
and trainer. Based out of Augusta Pines Farm in Spring, Texas,
he has a formidable reputation – with impressive performances at
The Horse Show By The Bay Series and a remarkable victory on
his new horse Zeldenrust Z in the $2,500 CMJ Sporthorse 1.40m
Speed Stake, a fifth place performance at Hunter Derby Finals,
among other wins.
Sidelines
magazine caught up with this top
rider and asked him a few questions.
What’s the greatest part about being a trainer?
I think we’re really fortunate to get to do what we love to do.
There’s nothing else I could do. I’m not handy with tools. I’m not
good with computers. So the luxury that I get to do what I love and
I’m passionate about for a living allows me to not have to learn
how to do those other things. We get to do what we love and that’s
pretty cool.
What brought you to Texas?
There’s not a lot of show jumping going on in Kansas where I’m
from. When I graduated from high school, I got a job with a trainer
in Texas so I ended up moving down here when I was 17. One
thing led to another and I worked with different professionals and I
started my own business and I decided to stay here.
Why do you actively compete in hunters and jumpers?
I think there’s an advantage for both. To be good at both is good
in equal ways for your riding and it’s also hard in different aspects.
I’m fortunate enough with the hunters that when we were at
indoors last year we got nice ribbons. This year, we concentrated
on derbies and took fifth at Derby Finals. We’ve got jumpers that I
do in the grand prix ring that are competitive. So I’m lucky in that
Texas Trainer A Long Way From Backyard Ponies
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Martien enjoying time with his daughter, Tilly.
Photo by Doris Kiesewetter-Archer
