One sunny afternoon we travelled to the south of the Netherlands. The beautifully manicured grounds of Stal Hendrix can be found in rural Baarlo. We spoke to father and son Hendrix in the elegant reception room overlooking the indoor arena. Bart Manderveld, manager of BM Service, the company that was responsible for the construction of their latest outdoor arena, also joined us.
Emile, you are, of course, a living legend in the equestrian sports all over the world. But for those abroad who may not know you, could you introduce yourself, please?
So, I’m Emile Hendrix, I was born in 1955. I’ve been active in equestrian sports internationally for 30 years. I have been running Stal Hendrix with my brother, Paul, for 35 years. When I drew a line under my career in 2002, I was able to focus more on this. That goes back to my father’s time. He started on a regional basis there and we have expanded it further internationally.
What are the top moments from your 30-year career?
Emile: We won the gold with the Dutch team in 1991. I have won the Nations Cup in Aachen twice. I’ve ridden in 9 European Championships and have been Dutch champion twice. I was able to have this career thanks to my family. We have been able to use my career as public relations to establish contacts throughout the world and we are still reaping the benefits of this today.
You make a lot of your sales abroad. Where do the horses go?
Emile: about 75% of our exports go to Canada and the United States. Sweden and Finland are also important markets for us. But we even have customers in South America, Saudi Arabia and Siberia.
What are the features of good arena soil?
Emile: Optimal soil should provide good stability. Moisture also needs to be evenly distributed over the entire track. An ebb and flow system is ideal for achieving this: there are no sprinklers which overlap in some places and make the ground too wet there. But, mainly, good soil should not be too stiff, it needs to appear as natural as possible. Too often you come across a soil which has become too stiff because of the stability materials. And then horses actually get too spoilt by this. Because of riding on a hard surface, they don’tbuild much resistance, so you are more likely to have to deal with injuries. We train about 30 horses here every day. Injuries immediately cost us a fortune and you cannot afford that at a professional level.
And follow-up within the company is guaranteed: Timothy, where do you fit into the picture?
Timothy: I’m a rider at Stal Hendrix. I gained my first experience for various other stables, but I have been working at home for six years now. My responsibilities are very diverse: in addition to riding itself, I receive customers who come to try out the horses, I train the horses and I go on site to view horses and try them out to ensure the growth of the stables.
When you’re training and presenting horses to potential customers, how important is the arena soil?
Timothy: A good arena is essential for presenting the horses. The picture has to be right: top horses must be presented on a good track.
What are the features of good arena soil?
Emile: Optimal soil should provide good stability. Moisture also needs to be evenly distributed over the entire track. An ebb and flow system is ideal for achieving this: there are no sprinklers which overlap in some places and make the ground too wet there. But, mainly, good soil should not be too stiff; it needs to appear as natural as possible. Too often you come across a soil which has become too stiff because of the stability materials. And then horses actually get too spoilt by this. Because of riding on a hard surface, they don’t build up much resistance, so you are more likely to have to deal with injuries. We train about 30 horses here every day. Injuries immediately cost us a fortune and you cannot afford that at a professional level.
Bart, how do you, as a provider of arena soils with BM Service, offer a solution to this problem?
Bart: Not everyone needs the same type of soil. We currently offer 4 types of soil: Equipad, Equiflow (Ebb and flow soil), Equi-dry (wax) and our Equi-grass soil. In consultation with the customer, we decide which type of soil is most suitable for their needs. Our tidal soils are always fibre-free to avoid stiffness. But within this cate- gory, you still have a lot of leeway to make the ground softer or just a bit harder. So we try to listen to the cus- tomer as closely as possible and res- pond to their needs. Our biggest asset is then adapting the arena to suit the customer’s needs. In terms of the horse’s health, I can only agree with Emile: the necessary stability must be there, but the soil needs to give sufficient on landing. That certainly requires more soil maintenance, but it is a consideration that has to be made.
There are still people who are seduced by the lower price of a standard product. They then learn afterwards that, in practice, the track does not completely match their needs and so a “cheap”purchase quickly becomes an “expensive” one.
How did you come into contact with each other?
Emile: At the time, I was really impressed by John Steeghs’ indoor track and he then recommended BM Service to me because they are specialists in selecting the right sand. Bart was certainly one of the more expensive quotes, but we had the best feeling with him. I have to say that I never thought of the price again. I get pleasure from it every day. The after- sales service too. In that respect, BM Service is completely in tune with the philosophy that we use in our own business: in addition to offering a good product, offer customer guidance, listen to the customer and, if necessary, take action quickly.
Bart: It often comes down to building a long and lasting relationship with your customer.
Emile: Exactly right. When someone asks me for advice today, I recommend BM Service
Stal Hendrix : https://www.stalhendrix.nl/
