At the 2008 FEI-General Assembly in Buenos Aires, the Netherlands was selected as the host country for the 2011 European Dressage Championship.

[1] It was the second time in European Dressage Championship history - after 1999 in Arnhem - that the Netherlands was chosen to hold this sports event.

The European Dressage Championship was opened in late afternoon on Wednesday, August 17.

Parallel to the European Championships, a Youth Horse Show for riders up to 25 years of age and national dressage competitions was held.

[2] The event was held in Kralingen, a district of Rotterdam, on the CHIO area between the Kralingseweg and the park Kralingse Bos.

On the second day Laura Bechtolsheimer and particularly Carl Hester, who led with his horse Uthopia in individual ranking after the Grand Prix de Dressage, can extend their lead in the team result.

[8][9] The collection and data communication of the result is performed, as already at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games, by Dutch company Sport Computer Graphics (SCG).

This task is performed by Canadian dressage rider Ashley Holzer with her horse Popart.