Maikel van der Vleuten grew up at the family-run Stal Van der Vleuten, managed by his father Eric, himself a former international rider. Maikel van der Vleuten’s career is closely linked to VDL Groep Verdi TN. Together, they won numerous CSI5* Grand Prix classes, including those in Valkenswaard, Oslo and Geesteren in 2019, an exceptional season during which the pair established themselves as one of the most consistent combinations on the international circuit. Verdi also helped Maikel secure several Nations Cup victories with the Netherlands and compete at the sport’s biggest international events. The pair notably won the team silver medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
After Verdi, Maikel formed another outstanding partnership with Beauville Z N.O.P. Their greatest success came at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where they won the individual bronze medal behind Ben Maher and Peder Fredricson. The pair then confirmed their place among the world’s elite by winning individual and team bronze medals at the 2022 World Championships in Herning, followed by a team silver medal at the 2023 European Championships in Milan. In 2024, in Paris, Maikel van der Vleuten and Beauville Z N.O.P. once again delivered an exceptional performance, winning the individual bronze medal, three years after their podium finish in Tokyo. He thus became the first rider to win two consecutive individual Olympic bronze medals with the same horse.
His consistency did not end with Beauville Z. Alongside his role as a key member of the Dutch team, Maikel continues to develop a new generation of horses, including O’Bailey VH Brouwershof N.O.P., with whom he represented the Netherlands at the 2025 European Championships in La Coruña.
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