In Memoriam: Jan-Willem Körner
We received the sad news that Jan-Willem Körner passed away on October 14, 2026, at the age of 86. In Jan-Willem, we lose not only a former board member and honorary member, but the embodiment of CHIO Rotterdam. It is with good reason that he was known throughout the equestrian world with all due respect as ‘Mr. CHIO’.
Ever since visiting the showground with his father as a teenager, Jan-Willem fell in love with the unique atmosphere of equestrian sports in the Kralingse Bos. When Jan-Willem started his studies in Rotterdam in 1961 and joined the student riding club Marcroix, he became involved in the event as a volunteer. From his long-standing board positions at the Rotterdamsche Manège—where he later also served as chairman—he stood directly at the cradle of CHIO's independence. When the Stichting CHIO Rotterdam was established in 1969 to further professionalize the show, Jan-Willem joined the foundation board. He remained a board member until 2006, serving the event all those years with boundless energy, vision, and deep knowledge. Even after his term, he remained closely involved, including as a board member of the Hippische Alliantie Rotterdam (2011–2021).
Jan-Willem was an international heavyweight in equestrian sport. He served as president of the ground jury during the Sydney Olympic Games as well as at various European and World Championships. He also enjoyed judging very different events for the FEI, such as in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kaliningrad. For many years, he was a member of the FEI Jumping Committee. Together with two fellow judges, he rewrote the FEI Jumping Rules and conducted judging seminars around the world. In 2005, he was deservedly named Equestrian Personality of the Year (Paardensportman van het Jaar).
Jan-Willem’s heart also beat faster for driving sports and the nostalgia of traditional driving. Already during his student days, he loved sitting on the box seat driving 'wedding carriages' in traditional white carriages. He brought his eye for detail and etiquette to the competitions: for years, he passionately judged the harness horse and hackney classes and loved attending traditional driving rallies. For Jan-Willem, driving sports and preserving this living history formed an essential and beautiful part of our rich equestrian culture.
Despite all his international involvement, CHIO Rotterdam remained his great love. He always strived to preserve the unique tradition, hospitality, and grandeur of Rotterdam, without ever losing sight of the future. We will deeply miss his sharp insight into the sport, his sense of humor, and his wonderful stories of times gone by.
CHIO Rotterdam owes an immense debt of gratitude to Jan-Willem Körner for everything he meant to our event and to international equestrian sport.
We wish his wife Henriette, his daughter Fleur and her husband Jeroen, his grandson Hugo, and all other loved ones much strength and comfort in processing this great loss.
Board, management, and staff of CHIO Rotterdam
