Spring Sports at Hetzel – the Spring Masters already begins on Wednesday

It all starts as early as Wednesday: the Hetzel Spring Masters, taking place from April 22 to 26, will once again attract equestrian athletes from across North Rhine-Westphalia and beyond to the Hetzel facility in Goch. The “recipe” for this national show includes ingredients that are always well received: qualifiers for the Al Shira’aa Bundeschampionate for young horses, youngster classes, traditional show jumping competitions for both professionals and amateurs, and a Grand Prix at two-star level. The result: well-filled starting fields.

This is evident right from the beginning, with 45 entries in the first young horse class, followed by a classic M* jumping competition attracting 80 combinations, and culminating in the Grand Prix with 31 registered horse-and-rider pairs. All participants can rely not only on the quality of the Hetzel facilities and excellent organization, but also on international-level course design. Peter Schumacher from Kruft, who will be responsible for the courses at the 2027 Jumping World Cup Final in Gothenburg, is in Goch together with his wife Julia Schumacher, designing the courses for the Hetzel Spring Masters. This applies equally to the highly frequented amateur classes starting at A level as well as to the big tour. Only once will measuring tape and course plans not be required—when the spotlight turns to the youngest generation in the lead rein class for the very youngest riders on Sunday.

Training base in Goch

Riders from Sweden, Bolivia, Italy, Austria, Japan, the USA and Finland will be competing, with the majority coming from Germany. In addition, young riders from South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe are taking part. Two guests from South Africa arrived in Goch with their horses several months ago: 42-year-old Ronnie Healy and 28-year-old Tamara Rueda. Both are members of the South African team and are preparing in Goch for the major event of the year in show jumping, the World Championships in Aachen. Holger Hetzel is coaching and supporting them at international competitions, as preparation necessarily includes competition exposure and the gradual development of peak performance for both horse and rider. The World Championships—and above all the journey towards them for Healy and his teammates—are a major topic in South African media, including HQ, the country’s leading equestrian magazine.

The first class starts at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, and as always, spectators are very welcome. Around the arenas, there is plenty to explore, a wide range of catering options, and dedicated play areas for children.