Biography

Dutch rider Merel Blom (32) last competed at Badminton in 2015 – her third completion of the event with Rumour has It, her entry this year also. The pair has been a member of the Dutch team for the last five major championships. Last year the pair was the highest placed member of the Dutch team in the WEG at Tryon and in 2016 the highest placed member at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. In 2014 they won team bronze at the 2014 WEG.

Merel who is based in Alten in Gelderland on the Dutch/German border, started riding aged five and aged 19 rode in her first Young Rider Championship (Lady Lorridaile). In 2011 she competed in her first senior European Championship (44th Umberto). In 2012 with Rumour Has It she was 13th in their first four-star event at Pau, winning the HSBC training Bursary.

A law and finance student at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, she is trained by Jeroen Hulsman and Rob Ehrens.

Rumour has It owned by Mr John and Mrs Conny Blom and Mr Leendert Jan Hofland, is a 16-year-old German-bred gelding. He is by the Danish SHBGB graded Thoroughbred Esteban (also the sire of former Badminton horse Elektron) out of Onara by the Holstein stallion Candillo also the sire of four-star horse Flying Finish. He was procured through the Top Event Horse auction in Luhmuhlen in 2009.  Rumour Has It is described as ‘super smart and the best horse ever’.