Carolien Lavooij will be new president of CHIO Rotterdam
During the upcoming 75th CHIO Rotterdam, CHIO board member Carolien Lavooij will take over the chairman's gavel from Theo de Rooij, who has been chairman of CHIO Rotterdam since the European Championships in show jumping, dressage, and para dressage in 2019.
Carolien Lavooij has been involved with CHIO Rotterdam from a very young age, initially as a volunteer and later as a coordinator in the ceremony team. Since 2019, she has been a board member with a focus on sports within the CHIO Rotterdam board. In her daily life, Carolien leads the Family Office within the Lavooij family businesses.
Theo de Rooij stated, "I took over the chairmanship in 2019 and had a remarkable time. In my first year, we had to cancel the CHIO due to Corona, which had never happened in the history of CHIO before. In the subsequent period, we had to reinvent the event partly due to Corona measures (in 2021 and 2022). From last year, we could continue to build on this beautiful event. Carolien has shown incredible dedication to the event during the period that I have been on the board with her. Last year, she secured the Longines League of Nations™️ with the sports team, and she is also making a significant contribution to this anniversary edition. She is fully prepared for her role as chairman."
Carolien Lavooij has been involved in equestrian competitions since her childhood, stating, "Rotterdam is my city, CHIO is a fantastic event, I'm familiar with the business community of Rotterdam, I love organizing, and equestrian sports are my passion. I find it very valuable to be able to combine that passion, knowledge, and experience in my board role. I also find it very exciting to follow in my father's footsteps, although he always says he ended up at CHIO because of me." Frans Lavooij was chairman of CHIO Rotterdam from 2003 to 2011.