WILLEM GREVE: ''IN THE LEAGUE, YOU WANT TO SHINE''
THE EXPERIENCED DUTCH ATHLETE LOOKS FORWARD TO ROTTERDAM...
WILLEM GREVE IS AIMING TO TURN PRESSURE INTO PRIZES WHEN HE AND HIS DUTCH TEAMMATES CHASE GLORY AT THIS WEEK’S HOME LONGINES LEAGUE OF NATIONS™ LEG IN ROTTERDAM.
Greve has been part of the winning Dutch team at Rotterdam on three separate occasions. This year, the ambition to shine again in front of a home crowd remains as strong as ever. The Rotterdam leg will mark the 42-year-old’s first appearance in this season’s prestigious Longines League of Nations™ series.
Greve has been selected for Rotterdam with Grandorado TN N.O.P. and Pretty Woman van ’t Paradijs, alongside compatriots Kim Emmen, Harrie Smolders and Maikel van der Vleuten.
“It’s unique to have this new Longines League of Nations™ concept here in the Netherlands,” he said. “It’s a very important competition for us, and it’s even more special if you get to be on the team. In a team competition, you want to shine.
“At an event like this, you really want to perform well as a Dutch rider.”
Having won the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final with the Dutch team in 2021, Greve is eager for more success in the competition’s new format.
“This new League format is quite exciting,” he noted. “There’s more pressure now that there’s no drop score in the second round. It definitely adds to the tension for us riders.”
The Dutch struggled in the 2025 series’ opening legs and currently lie eighth in the standings – with only eight teams qualifying for the final in Barcelona (ESP).
For some, that situation may seem to add extra pressure. The expectations of a supportive crowd can also impact some riders. However, the level-headed Greve does not feel extra nerves: “You have to make sure it gives you a boost because you’re riding for your country. The team experience is really something special.”
A STRING OF STARS:
Currently, Greve has three top-level horses: Grandorado, Highway TN N.O.P., and Pretty Woman van ’t Paradijs. It is a luxury, he says, made possible by the support of the people around him. He has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with Team Nijhof, who own Grandorado (14) and Highway (13), both breeding stallions. “Team Nijhof has entrusted me with Grandorado and Highway,” Greve said. “Team Nijhof has such a heart for the sport that they don’t want to sell these horses.”
Greve recently finished seventh in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2025 in Basel (SUI) with Highway and Grandorado. Following Basel, the horses were given a short break, during which they returned home for stud duties.
Pretty Woman van ’t Paradijs (10), a mare Greve bought as a six-year-old in Belgium, was later co-owned with the late Gerard Korbeld. “He wanted to secure her for me for the sport,” Greve said. “Sadly, Gerard passed away last year, but I’m very grateful that his wife Gerda and the children have continued the partnership. They’re enjoying it now, too.”
Greve is well aware of the unique position he is in.
“All three horses are at a great age for sport,” he added. “The stallions have already won so much, and Pretty Woman is still young and in her prime. I hope they’ll all continue for years to come, and that the stallions can also contribute to breeding. Everything is coming together now. This is the kind of luxury position I’ve worked towards for years.”
DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES, ONE SHARED GOAL:
Despite being a trio of stars, each of Greve’s horses has a distinct personality. “Grandorado is a horse with tremendous scope and carefulness. He can be a bit shy, almost introverted, but when he opens up, he’s capable of anything,” Greve said.
Highway, on the other hand, is all heart: “He’s fearless. He’s got the heart of a lion and endless energy and work ethic. We’ve really grown into top-level sport together.”
Pretty Woman is what Greve describes as a true lady. “With her, I’m still in a slightly different stage than with the stallions,” he explained. “We’re still fine-tuning how best to tackle the big courses. But she’s powerful, feisty, and full of energy.”
A JOURNEY TOGETHER
What makes Greve’s story particularly special is that he has brought all three horses up the levels himself. It is a source of pride and fulfilment.
“That gives me more satisfaction than getting a ready-made horse,” he said. “That’s just not my thing. No offence to those who do it that way – because that brings its own challenges – but I really enjoy the training process. Going through all the phases and steps with a horse. That’s how you truly become one with a horse, and that takes time.”
Watch all the Longines League of Nations™ action from Rotterdam on Friday the 20th June from 16:30 local time (CEST) on FEI TV and on local satellite channels.
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