About

Gerard Leijten

Gerard Leijten started his driving career at the age of 16.

First single driving and later, after studying Technical Engineering at the HTS in Tilburg, he switched to a pair.

With various efforts he won a number of national titles in the class 1-2-3. In 1997 and 1998 Gerard became champion at the then NBVAP. In 1999 Gerard made the switch to class 4, after which many successes followed.

Gerard successfully participated in four World Championships, in which Gerard won a bronze (Topolcianky 2013) and a silver medal (Riesenbeck 2001) with the team, and of course with the highlight being the gold team medal in 2011 (Conty), where he individually finished in fifth place.

In 2014 and 2015, Gerard participated in four-in-hand competitions, also with great results. Here too he has the necessary experience.

Through his years of experience, Gerard has grown into a professional international driver and trainer.

Since 2004 Gerard has been involved in training of driving horses and giving instruction. As trainer and coach of a large number of drivers at home and abroad, he makes a major contribution to the successes of his students. He not only solves problems in horses and trains them to raise them to a higher level, that is only half of his profession. The other half consists of teaching and guiding drivers in their sport, as well as giving clinics and demonstrations. Many drivers ask him to coach them. Someone who wants to tackle his sport seriously can not do it alone. You need someone who tells you whether you are doing well or not. Gerard has been driving since he was fourteen and now has so much experience as a trainer and as a coach that he has something to tell you!

Valerie Deweer

Valerie Deweer has also been bitten by the horse bug as Gerard. She has been riding since she was six years old and started driving very early with a pony and a Frisian.

Valerie currently has a Frisian horse and a warmblood horse that she rides all under the saddle and also drives with them.

She also has a small herd of thirteen American miniature horses, including a number of geldings and broodmares. All of these are also driven in single, double or four-in-hand.

Even professionally, Valerie used to work with horses as a member of the cavalry. Valerie has been riding regional dressage under saddle for many years, mostly with her Friesian horses. In 2016 she participated for the first time in a combined driving competition with one of her Frisian mares in single. Gerard was her groom and her coach and they won the victory together. A nice start.

Valerie also does traditional driving. In 2016 she came out for a first time in a tradition competition. She drove on the ITDM at the Manor Farm with two of her Frisians in a tandem and achieved a nice third place. In the meantime, there are already a number of national and international tradition competitions on her record, with some nice results and victories.

She is responsible for giving dressage classes, she already brought many students the love for riding. She also helps Gerard with the training of the driving horses. The toileting of horses is a passion of her, which is why she regularly gives toiletry courses.

Valerie and her miniature horses also have their own website where you are always welcome to take a look: www.mdrminiaturehorses.com

Sint-Elooishof Helkijn (Belgium)

Our barn, Sint-Elooishof, is located in the Belgian Helkijn. There is a smooth connection with the E17 in Kortrijk.

We have a beautiful historic building there, which we have adapted to all our wishes to make it practical and pleasant for the hobbyist and competitor.

We have a number of stables for our own horses and now also a new section for training and owner horses. We have a small manege of 20 by 30 meters, so that even in bad weather can be trained.

Currently the facilities for the driver are under construction. We also have a beautiful dressage field of 60 to 100 meters and we also provide some obstacles and cones.

Parking for trucks is present.