6 & 7 september 2026
6 & 7 september 2026
Humour is the incentive behind the design by Dean Lahaije. “I want to have float on the streets which is amusing and puts a smile on people’s faces. That’s why the title is rather tongue in cheek.”
A real member of the club, taken along by his mother, grew up in the tent and later in the workshop. Dean developed from builder to designer. This is the third design which he has worked on by himself. This time it is from a completely different angle from his previous designs. After `Nanook’ and `Orangery’, his primary focus now is comedy.
The original idea of a room furnished with super expensive, fragile items in the hands of two enormous cowboy movers, can to a great extent still be found in the current design. Movers, behaving like bulls in a china shop, establish the mood of the float. This is all expressed in sketches where people are doing odd jobs and everything goes wrong. Just like the TV series about bunglers Pat & Mat or Picobello BV.
The public will see a black and white float which is divided into two parts. On each side there is a rear wall and interior with furniture of a distinctive nature. Angular lines provide a cartoonish appearance. It is a sort of comic strip which starts from the middle with a clumsy event which triggers a chain reaction of slapstick mishaps. Clearly everything in this is moving. In this slapstick action, a removal is taking place in which not only Cowboy & Co are helping, but also a removal team of approximately ten people. These performers have once again been trained by Edwin Mathijssen, a director with whom Poteind has previously had good experiences.
The soundtrack or the music, which should enhance the performance, still has to be determined. Dean can rely upon a team of Poteind builders with expertise in a multitude of areas, which is why doing the design on his own is no problem. Cowboy & Co would seem to guarantee a comical moment in Corso 2026.
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Dean Lahaije (24) has previously designed the following for Poteind: `Timetable’ (with three other designers, 2021, 19th prize), ‘Nanook’ (2023, 1st prize) and ‘Orangery’ (2024, 3rd prize).
Original Dutch Text: Mary Damen
Translation: Mary Tyne
Photo: Eefje Damen
Hamlet Poteind
www.poteind.nl
This article is brought to you by Corsief. An independent magazine about corsos in general and the Zundert flower parade in particular. The magazine is produced entirely by volunteers, who are all more or less active in the Zundert flower parade world. Corsief is entirely full-colour and appears four times a year.