Rayabel and Superstitious Taonga Lead the Pack at the Subli Competition in Tolbert

September 1, 2026

The third qualifying competition of the Subli Competition for Young Dressage Horses produced strong scores on Saturday in Tolbert. In both the four- and five-year-old divisions, the winner scored over 80 points. Vai Bruntink won with the five-year-old Rayabel S (by Taminiau) with a score of 81.4. In the four-year-old division, the victory went to Lara van Nek with Superstitious Taonga (by My Vitality), who scored 80.2 points. Jos Hogendoorn also performed well in the five-year-old class. He rode Raleigh (by Escolar) to second place with a score of 79 and took third place with MSJ Soundtrack (by Springbank II VH) with a score of 77.4. 

Rayabel S Shines Among the Five-Year-Olds

“Vai rode a very consistent test with Rayabel. We were very pleased with that,” says Patrick Berends, who judged the five-year-olds alongside Janine van Twist. “Rayabel is a horse with a lot of suppleness and good transitions. What stood out was his excellent walk, for which we gave him a nine. The trot was also beautiful and functional, though it could have been a bit higher off the ground, and in the canter, Rayabel could have used just a little more bounce. But overall, a compelling performance—a lovely horse with good natural posture. Truly a horse with potential.”

Two horses from Hogendoorn

Regarding Raleigh, who finished second, Berends says: “This horse has a fantastic trot with a lot of suppleness. He’s already very composed and changes gears well.” That gait was rewarded with a nine. “Raleigh has a very workable canter but could use just a little more bounce in it. The walk could use more rhythm, and Raleigh needs to engage his body more in that gait; we gave it a six, and that does bring the score down.” MSJ Soundtrack, also presented by Hoogendoorn, finished third by a narrow margin. “Soundtrack is also a very nice horse with a lot of suppleness. Very light-footed with good natural posture. With a bit more polish in the test, there’s definitely more potential.”

Superstitious Taonga and Skylger are pretty much on par with each other

In the four-year-old class, Superstitious Taonga, ridden by Lara van Nek, won with a score of 80.2, and two horses came very close to 80. Skylger (by Taminiau), ridden by Gayle Bosch, scored 79.6, while Showtime S (by Merlot VDL), ridden by Kim Noordijk, scored 79.4. This class was judged by Dirk de Haas and Patricia Wolters.

“We were very impressed with Superstitious Taonga. Her trot, in particular, was full of expression, for which she received a nine. We were also enthusiastic about the canter, but Superstitious Taonga could have opened her shoulders a bit more there. This horse has a great deal of quality when changing gaits and was presented very nicely by Lara,” says Dirk de Haas, who is also enthusiastic about Skylger, ridden by Gayle Bosch. “This horse was presented very nicely and moved beautifully on his own legs. We gave the trot a 9.5—it was superbly loose throughout the body. Skylger was beautifully straight on two reins with great ability to change gaits; he was hardly inferior to Lara’s horse.”

Three eights for Showtime S

Showtime S, presented by Kim Noordijk, received an 8 in all three gaits. “A superb and very supple horse that was beautifully even in all three gaits. He was presented very straight and on two reins and is already very nimble in the closing. He is a large horse and currently lacks a bit of power, but he is certainly a horse with a great deal of quality.”

Tip from the jury

The judges saw several good horses but would like to offer a piece of advice: “It was a large group, and we certainly saw some great horses. But with a number of riders, we noticed that the riding was a bit sloppy. For example, we’d like to see the yield be ten meters. We’re not too strict about eight or nine meters; with the four-year-olds, it’s all about natural ability and quality. But if it’s five meters, you’re really throwing away points. That’s a tip for the riders to focus on more.”

A competition with international appeal

This third qualifying competition of the Subli Competition was held as part of the multi-day show in Tolbert. “It was beautifully organized and everything looked fantastic. Truly a show with international flair.”

Subli League Results, Tolbert, August 29, 2026

Four-year-olds

1. Lara van Nek, Superstitious Taonga (by My Vitality) 80.2
2. Gayle Bosch, Skylger (by Taminiau) 79.6
3. Kim Noordijk, Showtime S (by Merlot VDL) 79.4

Five-year-olds

1. Vai Bruntink, Rayabel S (by Taminiau) 81.4
2. Jos Hogendoorn, Raleigh (by Escolar) 79
3. Jos Hogendoorn, MSJ Soundtrack (by Springbank II VH) 77.4

The next qualifying competition of the Subli Competition for Young Dressage Horses will take place on Saturday, September 5, in Heeswijk. For the complete schedule and the current standings of the Subli Competition, visit the Subli Competition page.

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