Harrie Smolders

Harrie Smolders began riding ponies when he was 8 years old in the small village of Lage-Mierde in The Netherlands. At a very young age, he won several national titles in jumping, as well as in dressage and eventing. In 2002, Harrie began working with Axel Verlooy, and has since worked to build an international sporting career, competing in several European and World Championships, Olympic Games, and World Cup Finals. He was the runaway winner of last season’s Longines Global Champions Tour, taking the series title before the final competition even began. In 2021 Smolders, earned individual silver at the Longines FEI European Championships (Sweden) and topped major classes like the FEI World Cup Qualifier of Mechelen (Belgium) and the LGCT Grand Prix of Chantilly (France). 

For more than ten years, Harrie has been ranked among the top 25 riders in the world. He remains with Paris Panthers for the 2023 season, joining a stellar lineup of world-leading riders in this exciting new season.