23 June, 2026 – Equestic is proud to announce its sponsorship of the 2026 Kippenvel Competitie, a unique Dutch competition that celebrates the connection, harmony, and partnership between horse and rider.
The 2026 Kippenvel Competitie follows a unique competition format inspired by the popular television show The Voice. During the selection day on 1 July, more than 80 horse-and-rider combinations will perform in front of six renowned coaches. By the end of the day, each coach will select two combinations to join their team, creating a field of 12 finalists who will continue their development under the guidance of their coach throughout the summer. The journey culminates on 13 September during Horse Event, where the finalists will compete for the coveted Kippenvel title.
As part of the partnership, Equestic will equip four participating selected riders with the EQ Saddle-Clip and provide them and their two respective coaches with access to EQ Coach-Copilot, enabling a collaborative approach to training that combines horsemanship, coaching expertise, and objective performance insights.
By supporting selected riders and coaches with Equestic technology, the partnership aims to demonstrate how objective data and AI-powered coaching tools can complement experience and feel, helping riders and coaches make more informed training decisions while keeping horse welfare at the forefront.
The participating riders will use the EQ Saddle-Clip to monitor key training metrics and gain deeper insight into their horse’s movement and workload. Their coaches will leverage EQ Coach-Copilot to capture, organize, and reinforce coaching insights throughout the competition journey, creating greater continuity between lessons and supporting rider development over time.
“We are delighted to welcome Equestic as a partner of the Kippenvel Competitie,” said Roos Dyson, founder and organizer of the Kippenvel Competitie. “Our competition is built on the belief that true horsemanship is about understanding and partnership between horse and rider. Equestic shares that vision by providing tools that help riders and coaches better understand what is happening during training, ultimately supporting both performance and horse welfare.”
“The Kippenvel Competitie is a perfect fit for Equestic because it celebrates exactly what we believe great training should be about: harmony between horse, rider and coach,” said Leon Rutten, Founder and CEO of Equestic. “The partnership reflects our ongoing commitment to helping riders, coaches, and horse owners combine objective insights with traditional horsemanship to improve training outcomes and support long-term horse welfare.”
About Equestic
Founded in the Netherlands by Leon Rutten, Equestic is the consumer brand of Smart Horse Technologies B.V. It was built on his family’s equestrian coaching heritage and strengthened by over 30 years of software and hardware product leadership.
Blending deep knowledge in equestrian sport with cutting-edge expertise in artificial intelligence (AI), product engineering, and marketing, Equestic is focused on innovations that genuinely support coaches, riders, and their horses.
