Ring stitching, a traditional sport popular in the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark, reaches its peak in Walcheren.

Riding bareback on Zeeland horses, the participants try to collect rings with a lance while the horse gallops. The challenge? The rings are getting smaller and smaller, from mandarin size to the size of a one euro coin! During the ring stitching, the participants wear their most beautiful traditional costumes.

Jimmy Nelson has captured a unique moment in time with this image. The combination of traditional sport, the beautiful Zeeland horses and the enchanting surroundings of Walcheren is a celebration of a piece of Dutch culture and tradition.

This evening was extra special because it had actually rained all day. This photo was taken at that unique moment just before sunset, when the sun suddenly shines through the cloud cover. Those few minutes are really only possible in the Netherlands.

– Jimmy Nelson

This print is part of the collection The Dutch Odyssey is a tribute to regional costumes and traditional costumes, selected from the book Between the Sea and the Sky, in which tradition and modernity come together against the backdrop of sea and sky.