Mathieu Bourdeaud’Hui heads into the final of the Belgian Championships as the leader

Mathieu Bourdeaud’Hui has manoeuvred himself into an excellent starting position ahead of the final round of the Belgian Show Jumping Championships held at the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Lanaken. The 23-year-old rider and his 12-year-old stallion Oscar de Homage (by Quint vh Maarlo Z) will start in Saturday’s final from the top of the leaderboard. Bourdeaud’Hui set the tone straight away yesterday with a victory in the speed class. Today, he kept his cool and remained clear once again,  firmly maintaining his lead. But the outcome is by no means decided. The championship is only halfway through and no fewer than thirteen pairs are within one jumping fault of the leader. Saturday will see the ultimate showdown, when the sixteen best riders compete in the final over two rounds.

And the competition that Bourdeaud’Hui feels breathing down his neck is strong! Gilles Thomas, Belgian champion in 2023 and 2024, is in clase second with Riesling van ’t Roosakker (by Comme Il Faut), just 0.45 penalty points behind. World Championship runner-up Thibeau Spits currently occupies third place with the nine-year-old Rozelien Dwerse Hagen (by Nixon van ’t Meulenhof), a mare from his own stud. He currently has 1.15 penalty points.

The difference in the world rankings is striking. Thomas is currently ranked 16th in the world and Spits 19th, whilst Bourdeaud’Hui is in 587th place. Yet, for the time being, it is the 23-year-old Bourdeaud’Hui who is keeping all the big names behind him.