After an exciting battle on 15 March during the Dutch Masters Indoor Brabant Horse Show 2019, the Dutch Masters Innovation Award was awarded to Camarillo Oko. The jury praised the added value that this innovation is able to bring to the sporting experience. This innovation is capable of making information about various aspects of a jump visible, making equestrian sport easier to follow for everyone.
Bringing parties together
The Hippische Innovatie Award (Equestrian Innovation Award) is part of the Dutch Masters Innovation Seminar, a joint initiative by HAS University of Applied Sciences, the Ondernemerslift+ entrepreneurs programme and The Dutch Masters. These leading organisations have joined forces to bring equestrian entrepreneurs, students, experts, businesses and competitive horse riders together and to accelerate the development and acceptance of new products and services.
Exciting round of pitches
During the Dutch Masters Innovation Seminar, the three most promising starting equestrian innovations battled each other for the Dutch Masters Innovation Award. During an exciting round of pitches, Rikkert Koppes managed to win over the judges with his innovation. In addition to the award, the innovation also won €5,000 in prize money and a golden ticket to the Ondernemerslift+ acceleration programme. This gives Camarillo Oko a kickstart for a successful future.
The world of innovation
As well as the presentation of the award, the audience was also immersed in the world of innovation during the seminar. Huub Dormans, director of Ondernemerslift+, highlighted the pitfalls faced by every innovation. Rian Timmers then spoke on behalf of HAS University of Applied Sciences about the importance of innovation in the equestrian sector. As the finale of an interesting afternoon, leading speaker and futurist Richard van Hooijdonk gave a wonderful talk about the impact of new technology on how we live, work and do business. All this added up to make the first edition of the Dutch Masters Innovation Seminar a thoroughly inspiring afternoon at which the power of innovation within the equestrian sector was clearly present.