Horses have been part of Katja Haep’s life from long before she could imagine that one day she would defend the colours of Belgium in major international competitions. A rider, mother and closely linked to her family's breeding operation, she now faces a new event at the CSIO4*-NC in Avenches alongside Romy FZ, the mare with whom she has travelled a journey that began when she was barely four years old and which has taken them up to 1.55-metre courses.
“At home I don't remember a single day without horses,” Haep explains to Chacco Marketing. His parents were always linked to the equestrian world and have a breeding operation with a history spanning more than 40 years. His first steps on horseback came at his local club, while the family's broodmares became his first companions. At around the age of 12 he began competing.
Only three years later came one of those experiences that end up defining a career. At the age of 15, she competed in the 1994 European Junior Championship in Athens. During her time as a Junior and Young Rider, she also had the opportunity to take part in several European Championships alongside Tatjana, a mare she remembers with special fondness.
After finishing his studies, he began a different phase. Haep had to train young horses that were subsequently sold when they reached a greater age and experience. A dynamic that for a time made it difficult to keep mounts with which to progress to higher levels. However, in recent years he has been able to keep some of those horses and start competing in higher-level events.
That growth also opened the door to one of the aspects of the competition she enjoys most: representing Belgium in Nations Cups. Her first opportunity as a senior rider came alongside Chupalina in Ebreichsdorf, in 2022, and subsequently in Drammen, in 2023.
Later on, it was Romy FZ who took over. With her, he took part in the Martofte Nations Cup in 2024 and, during this 2026 season, has been part of the Belgian teams in Mannheim and Deauville.
“I love competing for the team,” acknowledges Haep. A feeling that takes on even more meaning when you wear the colours of your country. “I am always proud to represent Belgium. When you compete as a team, you don't just ride for yourself; you ride and fight for the whole team.”.
Romy FZ currently holds a fundamental place in both her stable and her sporting career. The 11-year-old mare, a daughter of Baltic VDL, came into Katja's life when she was barely four years old. She bought her together with her husband and since then the two of them have grown together in their sporting endeavours.
They began by competing in small classes intended for young horses and, step by step, reached courses of up to 1.55 metres. A long process that has allowed them to build a mutual understanding that is especially important as the difficulties increase.
“Right now she is my number one horse. We know each other very well and that is important on these big courses. She always fights and gives one hundred percent, she notes about Romy FZ.
The competition, however, represents only a part of a life entirely devoted to horses. A typical day for Katja begins with taking her children to school. Afterwards, she heads to the stables, turns the horses out and also looks after the family breeding until the children return home. An equestrian passion that furthermore continues into the next generation, as her children successfully compete in horseback riding, as well as playing football.
Now, the next setting will be Avenches, where Haep will head with Romy FZ and a young horse. The objectives will be different for each of them. With the younger one, he hopes to make the most of the experience to continue with his training and learning, whilst with Romy all the focus will be on the team competition.
Weekend planning will be particularly dictated by the fact of currently having just a single, more experienced mount. Because of this, Katja is clear on where the priority will lie.
“With Romy, my concentration is one hundred per cent on the team. Unfortunately, I only have one older horse, so we will prepare everything over the weekend to be at our best on Sunday for the Nations Cup.
Avenches will thus be a new opportunity for a female rider who finds one of her greatest motivations precisely in team competitions. The possibility of representing Belgium once again is both a responsibility and a source of pride for her, especially after the experiences gained during recent seasons.
With 2026 now entering its final stretch, there is still another target marked in red on the calendar: the Belgian Championship, which will be held in late September in Lanaken. Afterwards, there is the possibility of travelling to Gassin for two weeks in October to put the finishing touch to the season.
Until then, Avenches is the focus of all attention. There, Katja Haep and Romy FZ will once again bring to the arena a relationship built over seven years, from those early classes for young horses to 1.55-metre tracks and Nations Cups. It is a story in which breeding, family and international competition go hand in hand, with a mare who, as her rider sums it up, is always ready to “fight and give a hundred percent”.
