Belgium is the epicenter of the European equestrian world and is known for its expertise in different equestrian-related industries. One of those industries is the installation and maintenance of riding arenas. As an expert in indoor and outdoor arenas, Bart Manderveld from BM Service travels around the world to install and maintain high quality arenas at professional stables. This month, he’s travelling to Sweden to visit one of his customers.
Back to Sweden!
It’s not the first time Bart is travelling to Sweden. His company has already installed more than 40 arenas in this beautiful country. This month, he returns to the stable of Thomas and Sophie Wilhelmsson. Between June 10 and 13, they will host the Wermland Equestrian Games at their facility Equality Line Arenas. It’s one of the biggest equestrian competitions in Sweden. To make sure the competition runs as smoothly as possible, Bart will be there beforehand to perform maintenance on the various tracks. He will also stay during the competition to make sure the arenas stay perfectly maintained during the competition. The largest arena at Equality Lines is a whopping 65 by 170 meters. For the different arenas at Equality Lines, Bart chose to work with an Equipad footing.
Check out one of our other projects in Sweden: Nydala Equestrian Center.
International quality
Just as a chef has to choose the right ingredients and cooking methods to create a perfect dish, it is also important that the needs of the future owner and the environment are taken into account when building an equestrian arena. The best sand and fibers for both the visible top layer and the underlying layers that form the foundation of the track, are chosen based on these different factors,
The Equipad soil was developed by BM Service itself. It is a mix of sand and geofibers. The fibers BM Service uses always come from Belgium. For the sand, Bart works with local companies. Bart: “The fibers complete an arena, but the sand is the fundament. My suppliers sometimes say that I am difficult to work with . But that’s because I know how important good quality sand is.” In the end, every track that Bart installs in Sweden brings together the best of two countries: fiber from Belgium and locally mined sand.
By working with an Equipad base, we can perfectly match the ratio of sand and fiber to the specific requirements of a track. In this case, we were asked to build a track that would be ideal for hosting competitions in the Swedish climate. By mixing the fibers and the sand well – which, by the way, is done before it is installed – we created a reliable, stable footing at Equality Line Arenas, even in a climate like Sweden’s.
Book an appointment
Would you also like to have a professional arena built? Then don’t hesitate to contact us. If you are in Sweden, Bart is happy to make time for a visit at your location between June 8 and June 13 to discuss the possibilities.
Contact