Latest news with #DutchMasters
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Premier League Darts schedule, results, prize money
Luke Littler is back to defend his Premier League Darts title, now with a PDC World Championship win under his belt. The eight-player tournament started on Thursday, 6 February, with weekly fixtures building towards the final in London on Thursday, 29 May. You can follow live text commentary from each match night on the BBC Sport website. It is an annual tournament contested by eight players, run by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). The top four in the world rankings qualify automatically and four others are selected as 'wildcard' entries. The tournament has been going since 2005 and has a £1m prize pot. Every Thursday, the eight players go head-to-head in a straight knockout tournament. So, each player will be entered at the quarter-final stage, before moving to the semi-finals and then a final. These matches are all played over the best of 11 legs (or games of darts). Players take home points from each of these rounds. The winner of the night gets five points, the runner-up three points, and each semi-finalist wins two points. All eight players are re-entered into the tournament for the next round on the following Thursday. The players will meet each other once at the quarter-final stage from weeks one to seven, and then again in weeks nine to 15. The matches in weeks eight and 16 will be played based on position in the league at that point. The four players at the top of the table by the end of night 16 qualify for the final play-offs, which take place on Thursday, 29 May. The semi-finals of the play-offs are played over 19 legs, while the winner is crowned in a final match played across the best of 21 legs. Night one - Thursday, 6 February, Belfast - Winner: Luke Humphries Night two - Thursday, 13 February, Glasgow - Winner: Luke Littler Night three - Thursday, 20 February, Dublin - Winner: Gerwyn Price Night four - Thursday, 27 February, Exeter - Winner: Luke Humphries Night five - Thursday, 6 March, Brighton - Winner: Luke Littler Night six - Thursday, 13 March, Nottingham - Winner: Gerwyn Price Night seven - Thursday, 20 March, Cardiff - Winner: Luke Littler Night eight - Thursday, 27 March, Newcastle - Winner: Luke Littler Night nine - Thursday, 3 April, Berlin - Winner: Stephen Bunting Night 10 - Thursday, 10 April, Manchester - Winner: Nathan Aspinall Night 11 - Thursday, 17 April, Rotterdam - Winner: Chris Dobey Night 12 - Thursday, 24 April, Liverpool - Winner: Gerwyn Price Night 13 - Thursday, 1 May, Birmingham - Winner: Luke Littler Night 14 - Thursday, 8 May, Leeds Night 15 - Thursday, 15 May, Aberdeen Night 16 - Thursday, 22 May, Sheffield Play-offs - Thursday, 29 May, London Luke Littler makes his return to the Premier League as the defending champion, having defeated Luke Humphries to win his first major PDC title in 2024. Humphries joins the line-up alongside PDC World Championship runner-up Michael van Gerwen, and Rob Cross, who won the Dutch Masters last month. All four players qualified through the PDC Order of Merit, the world ranking system for professional darts players. The remaining four players - Stephen Bunting, Chris Dobey, Nathan Aspinall and Gerwyn Price - were handed 'wildcard' entries. The PDC told BBC Sport its board of directors "discusses a range of factors" when deciding who gets a wildcard place, including "form, achievements, whether a player is considered 'ready' for the Premier League, their experience and profile". Michael van Gerwen is the most successful Premier League player of all time with seven titles. Former world champions Peter Wright and Michael Smith are not included in the line-up despite featuring in the 2024 league. Dave Chisnall, world number six when the line-up was announced, is the highest-ranked player in the PDC Order of Merit not to feature. World Grand Prix champion Mike de Decker also misses out and is the first player to do so despite winning a major tournament. There is a £1m prize pot for the competition. The winner of each night takes home £10,000. The rest of the pot is split based on the final positions in the league table. Winner: £275,000 Runner-up: £125,000 Semi-finalists: £85,000 Fifth: £75,000 Sixth: £70,000 Seventh: £65,000 Eighth: £60,000 What height is a dartboard? And what weight darts do professionals use? What is the 'Trump dance'? And where have we seen it in sport? How does the Six Nations points system work?
New York Times
12-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Scott Brash, a Champion Show Jumper, Reflects on His Grand Slam
How do you challenge athletes who have already reached the pinnacle of their sport? That is the question asked and answered by the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, a series of four competitions modeled on the grand slam events in tennis and golf. For riders to achieve the grand slam title, they must win three of these grand prix events in a row — a feat that has been achieved only once, by the Scottish show jumper Scott Brash, who won the C.H.I. Geneva, the C.H.I.O. Aachen in Germany and the C.S.I.O. Spruce Meadows Masters in Calgary, Alberta, in 2014 and 2015. The grand slam grew in 2018 to include the Dutch Masters, whose grand prix will take place on Sunday. 'The best riders in the world come with their best horses,' Marcel Hunze, the director of the Dutch Masters, said in an interview last month, 'so the level is really high.' Seven of the top 10 ranked riders are signed up to compete in the grand prix, event organizers said. That means the course set for them must be an incredible challenge. If the horse and rider are communicating well, it should look easy, Louis Konickx, the course designer for the competition, said in an interview last month, 'but it is definitely not.' Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
12-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
From Horses to Riders, Judges Explain the Art of Show Jumping
As show jumping horses stride through the arena, there is undeniable majesty, beauty and skillfulness. But when the medals are awarded, it can be hard to tell what exactly is being judged. This should help. Jumpers At the Dutch Masters, or the Olympics, when the horses vault over towering obstacles and perform hairpin turns at a gallop, there is just one simple objective: speed. Riders memorize a complex pattern of jumps, called a course, and then go for broke over them, slaloming between and around and over, to shave seconds. It's a horse race over big sticks. But whiz too fast around that bend, or misjudge that angle, and the riders and their horses risk tipping a pole with an errant hoof — and earn a four-point deduction for every knocked-down rail. And in some heats, going over set time allowed can add a fault per second over. While speed is the goal, it can also become an obstacle: a 1,200-pound horse going too fast can swing wide and drift around a turn, adding seconds to the judge's stopwatch. 'Oftentimes, in the very best performances you will see it actually looks like the rider is not doing much of anything,' said Anthony D'Ambrosio, a course designer. 'The round is so smooth.' Hunters In this discipline, which is most prevalent in the United States, horses go slow, canter languidly over jumps set at regular intervals and are judged not for velocity, but on a horse and rider's grace. Judges demand that the horse carry an even tempo and have a balletic stride like they are strutting down a catwalk. But a nice demeanor matters too. 'How pleasant is the horse?' said Rob Van Jacobs, a hunter judge from Seattle. 'Does the horse look happy to do their job?' One of the frustrations many riders have with the discipline is that so much relies on the innate qualities of their horse. These are often things that can't truly be taught. The rider's ability can help, Van Jacobs said. If a rider chooses, say, a bad takeoff point for a jump, so that the horse stutter-steps over it (called chipping), for example, even the most glamorous horse can lose. 'You still have to come to the party, so to speak, as the rider,' he said. One of the most complex aspects of the hunter division is the diametrically opposed demands that the horse blast over jumps, but do it slowly. Some have resorted to dubious means: exhausting their horses or administering sedatives, which are illegal in competition. Random drug testing by the sport's governing bodies has caught even those at the top. Van Jacobs said he was mindful to not award suspicious performances, like an animal that performed without vibrancy. 'We have people in place that have responsibility and a job to do to manage these things,' Van Jacobs said, 'And then I have a job to do too: to judge what I see in front of me.' Equitation Based on the principles of the ideal cavalry officer, the discipline judges the rider's conformation to this standard: straight shoulders, a flat back and a steady hand. But the goal is more than aesthetic, according to Geoff Case, a judge. 'The simple answer is that form follows function,' he said. Sitting up tall, for example, means the rider's body weight won't interfere with the horse's ability to leap into the air. 'The aesthetically pleasing part of riding means that the rider is in harmony with the horse,' he said. When judging, Case visualizes a vertical line running from riders' shoulders, to their hips, to their knees, to their ankles. They should stay steady even in motion. 'As a judge, these angles immediately draw your eye,' he said. When a rider steps before a judge with this impeccable position, 'It means you sit up and pay attention.' To Case, the determining factor of an equitation winner comes down to sheer skill. 'I think we have turned the sport a little bit more into a question of the rider's ability rather than a question of the horse's sheer ability,' he said. 'However, it will always be a combination of the two.'
The Independent
19-02-2025
- The Independent
The best family-friendly hotels in Amsterdam for a fun city break with the kids
Amsterdam may not be the first city to come to mind when parents think of a family holiday, but the Venice of the North has more than what visitors ordinarily expect. Beyond its boat rides on the canals, the city is packed with top-notch museums, acres of sprawling green spaces and man-made beaches too. Children will particularly love the NEMO Science Museum which is a thrilling, interactive platform with many engaging games and methodical experiments. Older teens and young adults will enjoy the bubblegum-pink hued WONDR Experience, where they'll be greeted by a sea of disco balls, a roller-skating rink and a space that proudly brands itself an 'Instagram Museum Paradise'. While some hotels don't have a dedicated kids' club, they have unique packages for families and of course, there are self-catering boat hotels that children (and adults) will love and cherish. It's not surprising that children in The Netherlands have consistently ranked the highest as the happiest in the world. Here are our round ups of family-friendly hotels in Amsterdam. The best family-friendly hotels in Amsterdam At a glance 1. Sailor Suite Coaster Mado Beyond its canals, one of Amsterdam's outstanding features is also its beachfront, particularly in the trendy Eastern Docklands area. On KNSM Island, which is brimming with nautical history, primarily steamboat manufacturing, you'll have your own gorgeous houseboat with Sailor Suite Coaster Mado. Equipped with a kitchen, bathroom and two bedrooms, the 'house' has been soundproofed and has a private entrance. Adventurous children will love the swing on the deck, while the grown-ups will enjoy the sunset on the terrace over the water. You've got several green spaces nearby, such as Flevopark, Oosterpark and Funenpark, else a short tram ride takes you to the city centre within ten minutes. Follow the scenic walkway along the waterfront and you'll reach the excellent National Maritime Museum, too. 2. Dutch Masters hotel Along Amsterdam's most distinguished canals lies this collection of ultra-chic, self-catering apartments. Dutch Masters has tastefully decorated each of the nine, luxurious apartments after celebrated artists from the country such as Van Gogh, Mondrian and Rembrandt. There are also works from modern, contemporary artists found across some of the rooms too. Some offer views of the stunning Keizersgracht Canal, whilst some overlook the tranquil courtyard which is tucked away. The staff are right across the canal, should you need anything plus there are cleaners and caretakers on site. Though there is a minimum seven-night stay, it is ideal for larger families (the palatial penthouse apartment boasts three bedrooms) looking to spend a well-deserved, week-long city break. 3. Conscious Museum Square hotel Many families are teaching children to be more mindful of the environment when they travel and consciously try to improve their green credentials. You're off to a great start if these are your goals when you stay at Conscious Hotels. Sitting right at the core of Amsterdam's Museum Quarter, Conscious has consistently won awards for using renewable energy and several other eco-friendly initiatives. Rooms are elegantly decorated and you'll spot several retro, recycled bits and bobs – from the light fittings to the furniture. Families can book either a triple room or two double rooms and extra cots are available on request. Their breakfast menus are fully organic and mostly plant-based too. 4. The Dylan hotel The Dylan is known as an idyllic retreat for couples and solo travellers, but the lavish hotel is also creative with its family-friendly offerings, which it calls The Dylan's Family Bonding Packages. Along with an overnight stay in an opulent room or suite, you and your family will be treated to a generous family breakfast which promises plenty of pancakes, including the traditional Dutch ones like poffertjes and pannenkoeken, a movie night with candy, popcorn and hot chocolate, plus complimentary extra beds and discounts on adjoining rooms. 5. Hotel Estheréa A room in the Estheréa feels like you've transported yourself and the family on a whimsical journey, thanks to its kaleidoscopic, vivid décor, furnished with a menagerie of wildlife patterns. Though pets are not permitted, there are two resident cats that freely roam around the lobby and are popular with guests. There are little perks for the children (and adults alike) such as free hot chocolate served at specific hours in the lobby, a library and the staff will gladly provide colouring books too. Their family rooms are sufficient for three but there are options to book two interconnecting luxury rooms as well. Address: Singel 303-309, 1012 WJ Amsterdam, Netherlands 6. Amsterdam Prince Island by Yays hotel Between the western expanse of Bickersgracht Canal and the harbour near Houthavens, this boutique hotel is a Yays property with self-catering apartments offering floor-to-ceiling views of the water. Their spacious two-bedroom residences are ideal for families as you're not far away from any of the attractions. You're also a quick ferry ride away from A'Dam Lookout, an observation deck providing panoramic views of Amsterdam. If the teenagers and adults dare, they can have a go at swaying from Europe's highest swing here. If you want to have a wander in the neighbourhood, Haarlemmerstraat is a terrific stretch, with organic food markets, boutique shops and independent cafes. 7. Pulitzer Amsterdam Apart from its ideal location at Prinsengracht, near the trendy Jordaan neighbourhood, the family suites at the Pulitzer offer beautiful canal views, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a sizeable living room, giving you and your children all the space you'll need. This refurbished hotel is a series of old Dutch narrow houses bringing with it the advantage of several interconnected rooms, which are great if you're travelling as a part of a large family. What's even better is that there's a dedicated children's play area in their stunning gardens and a nanny service on offer, too. 8. Yays Amsterdam Salthouse Canal hotel Yays is one of the better value properties to rent in Amsterdam's quiet western neighbourhoods. Its contemporary, self-catering apartments have been revitalised from a former industrial space into expansive, stylish living rooms and bedrooms. Set in Westerpark, you're only twenty minutes away from the city's attractions on foot, but also have the advantage of being within walking distance from an enormous lush space at Westerpark and the harbour. You've got Amsterdam's Tulip Museum and Anne Frank House nearby and this apartment is also a great base for exploring the Dutch countryside (particularly during the tulip season) as you can easily reach Centraal station on foot. 9. The Craftsmen hotel You won't be short of stories to tell the kids during bedtime at The Craftsmen as this exceptional hotel in Singel neighbourhood has been adorned with vintage paraphernalia from Dutch craftsmen over the last few centuries. Book their grand, split-level Boat Builder room, overlooking the canal, where there's a large treasure chest by the bed and whose bathroom has a restored, canoe frame hanging from the ceiling. Another impressive room with clever use of wrought iron, boasting an ornate spiral staircase is their Blacksmith theme which comfortably sleeps four. 10. Houseboat-Amsterdam Want to feel like you're in the middle of it all but also with an edge of staying on the water? Then Houseboat-Amsterdam ticks all the boxes. You've got a fantastic self-catering houseboat with heating and en-suite bathrooms in the heart of the Canal District and you're within walking distance from Anne Frank House, NEMO Science Museum, Dam Square and Centraal Station. Not feeling up for big walks but still want to enjoy the city outdoors? No problem, just chill on the deck or the adjoining benches of the boat and watch the world go by. Address: Prins Hendrik Kade 544, Amsterdam City Centre, 1011 TE Amsterdam, Netherlands 11. Hotel De L'Europe If there was one big treat you'd want to give your multigenerational family, it would be a plush weekend at De L'Europe. Not only is it the ultimate swanky hotel in the Canal District that sits like a queen on the banks of the Amstel River amidst humble townhouses, but also offers something for each member of the family. There are dedicated children's menus in their glitzy restaurants and you have a choice of booking interconnected rooms. The staff also happily provide a fully comprehensive guide on local secrets and the little things you can enjoy with your family in the neighbourhood, away from the crowds.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'He's not a baby anymore' - Van Gerwen on late Littler
Michael Van Gerwen has criticised world champion Luke Littler for his poor time keeping after the 18-year-old arrived 45 minutes late for a media day in Belfast. Littler, who became the youngest world champion when he defeated the Dutchman last month, is one of seven players competing in the Premier League which starts in Northern Ireland on Thursday. The teenager from Warrington said he had overslept after taking a morning nap, which didn't impress his colleagues. "They need to stop treating him like a baby. He's not a baby anymore, he's 18 years old now," van Gerwen told reporters. "It happens. He has to learn. You have to learn the hard way. It's a professional sport so you have to be responsible for your actions. Simple as that." "If he turns up late for an interview, I don't mind. But seven other people are waiting for him. That's not very nice, is it?" After their meeting in the world championship final, the pair met again in the quarter-finals of the Dutch Masters two weeks ago with Littler again coming out on top. They are set to renew their rivalry again at the oche in Belfast on Thursday as they will face each other in their opening quarter-final of this season's Premier League. You can follow live text commentary on the BBC Sport website from 19:00 GMT on Thursday
