Chatting with Eline Borrey De Coninck

Belgian international dressage rider Eline Borrey De Coninck has enjoyed considerable success during her dressage career so far including representing her country at the European championships for Juniors in Kronberg in 2010, being part of the bronze medal winning team at the European Championships for Young Riders in Compiègne in 2013, becoming the Vice Belgian Champion in the young riders in both 2012 and 2013, winning Bronze at the Belgian Championships in 2014 and becoming overall Belgian champion at Small Tour in 2023. In addition to competing, Eline runs her own business, training horses to sell and coaching riders. She currently has two competition horses, Haressel and Dollars. Additionally, Eline has several youngsters from clients that she trains, competes and sells.

   

How did your dressage journey begin and progress to where you are now?

  Horses came into my life via my stepdad, who I consider as my dad. He did shows with Arabian purebred horses. When he came into our life, he always wanted us to help with the chores with the horses. So of course, as a little girl I asked the question if I could ride on his horse. When I was seven years old, he put me on the back of his Arabian purebred gelding, and I was immediately totally obsessed. I could go to take riding lessons in the riding school, which I did from my eight to ten years of age.   I actually was very scared to go on the horse but still I wanted to go again every time. In the riding school I started to ride better after a while and so I asked my parents if I could do some competitions and particularly in dressage because I loved (and still love) the precision that is required in that discipline. They agreed and we started to take private lessons with my first real dressage coach at that time. So, when I was ten years old, I started to ride in private lessons with my own pony (a half Arabian, half warmblood).

My trainer had super young horses and I was always looking at her trainings at home for hours. She went to the World Championships for Young Horses in Verden in 2003 and she asked me if I wanted to join to help the groom. When I was there in Germany, as a ten-year-old girl I learnt some German words to understand a little something, and I saw all those top riders riding and training their horses for the youngster classes, small tour and Grand Prix. For example, the world famous dressage mare Poetin became world champion in the 6 years old and Anky Van Grunsven became the vice-world champion with Painted Black. From that moment I said to myself: I want to become a Grand Prix dressage rider.

What do you love about riding and why dressage?

  In horse riding you have to be able to control your own emotions, take responsibility, question yourself, stay calm and focus to continue, which are all features that are crucial to work with horses but also, in life in general. That plus of course the connection and very intense partnership that you have with a powerful living creature is something unique in our sport. In dressage in particularly you have that enormous precision, fine aids and very profound communication between you and the horse. The feeling of a horse understanding what you are trying to teach him, through our aids because there is no other communication form possible, still brings me to goosebumps.

 

Who have been the most influential people on your journey?

  My mom, who is my unconditional support, with and we talk for hours about all sort of things and how I feel. My brother and his husband who are always there in the beautiful and difficult moments to show their support. We share many laughs to lighten things up when life is difficult. My (step)dad who was the one that brought the horse passion into my life and who raised me with lots of discipline, he took his inspiration from the army where he was para-commando for some years.

What does a typical day look like for you?

  I wake up around 6am to take a breakfast, do some other work and around 9am I arrive at the stables (my horses are in livery stable where I have a collaboration with the owner of the stable). From 9am to around 3pm ride the horses that I have to train and from 3pm-9pm I give lessons. On the days that I have to train I don’t give lessons, but I go to train in the afternoon.

It takes a team to do dressage, who is in your support team?

  My trainer Wim Verwimp, My mom, brother, brother in law, and boyfriend who doesn’t come from the horse world but still gives enormous support and helps where he can and of course all the people who keep the horses fit and healthy like the physio, staff at the stables, farrier, vets.

 

Who do you train with?

  I go to train every week to Wim Verwimp, always with my two horses and he is there at every competition as eyes on the ground and reassuring voice in my head (dressage riders and confidence).   I have been training with him for three years and he is the common thread throughout my riding. I also do some training days left and right with other trainers to have a fresh point of view and new inspiration.

Do you have any rituals before competing?

  Going in my introvert bubble before preparing the horse and before entering the ring a little touch of the hand from my mom.  

   

What are your future aspirations?

  Start in Grand Prix and try to aim for an Olympic Games. I don’t know when yet, but I will get there!

Who would be your dream horse to ride?

  Dante Weltino was always a horse that I wanted to feel, as well as Damon Hill at the time. In this generation there is Glamourdale and all horses that Isabell Werth rides just to feel how difficult they are and what an amazing rider she is to be able to manage all those different horses.

 

Your Top Tip

  Stay calm when things go wrong, ask yourself the question how you can explain the horse what you are trying to teach him. There are many ways to Rome, and you have to figure out what the horse’s way is,  not the other way around.  And stay positive at all times, there is always something positive or a growth that you have from setbacks or difficult periods.

 

What is the best piece of advice that you have ever been given?

 In horse riding: everything starts with the seat; if you can’t communicate through your seat, you have nothing. Working on your seat is a continuous work through your riding career. And the last words of my dad to me before his passing: Go for it and never give up

Want More?

If you enjoyed meeting Eline  you might like to view more dressage rider “chatting with” interviews here.  You can keep up with Eline’s progress and visit her instagram page here