Adelinde Cornelissen

Adelinde Cornelissen is a Dutch athlete known for her achievements in Dressage, including Olympic medals and multiple World Cup victories. After securing three national Dutch junior titles early in her career with horses Ayesha and Mr. Pride, Adelinde Cornelissen transitioned to a distinguished senior career in Dressage. Her renowned partnership with the notable horse Parzival began to flourish in 2004, winning her first national title in the Z2-class.

This successful pairing quickly ascended, claiming national championships in the Reserve Championships for ZZ-light in 2004 and ZZ-heavy classes in 2005. By 2007, Cornelissen and Parzival achieved the Dutch national championship in the heavy-class, also earning silver medals at International Grand Prix meetings in Falsterbo and Herentals. That same year, she contributed to a gold medal for the Netherlands in the Nations competition at the Grand Prix in Rotterdam. The period between 2008 and 2014 marked an exceptionally successful phase for Cornelissen.

In 2008, she became the national champion at the Dutch Championships and served as a reserve for the Beijing Summer Olympics. She gained significant international acclaim at the 2009 European Dressage Championship, where she and Parzival secured team gold and individual gold medals in the Grand Prix Special, alongside an individual silver in the Grand Prix Freestyle. This success was followed by a silver medal at the 2010 FEI World Cup Final and a team gold at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games. She went on to claim gold medals at the FEI World Cup Finals in Leipzig in 2011 and again in 2012.

Her long-standing partnership with Parzival, spanning 21 years, concluded with his passing in February 2023, marking the end of an iconic chapter in Dressage.