Jacob Rijks, Jaap’s father, was a Dutch national champion in combined driving, but Jaap himself preferred to ride the horses. In 1948, he co-organized the first edition of the Concours Hippique CHIO in Rotterdam, which is still held annually. Rijks himself competed, and helped the Dutch win the team event. Later that year, Rijks also competed in the London Olympics, but failed to finish the competition. Rijks then made became an administrator, serving in the organization of CHIO, the Dutch federation (KNHS) and the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), where he was the treasurer from 1982 to 1989. At the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, Rijks was also active as a judge. In 1982, he received the Dutch award “Equestrian of the Year”. Outside of sports, Rijks served on the board of supervisors of a large contractor.
Netherlands