Koen Vereecke Belgian champion once again after twenty years

Vereecke and Devos were the only two pairs not to make a single jumping fault throughout the entire championship. The difference between them was already established on the opening day. In the speed class, Vereecke and Merryweather finished sixth, just ahead of Devos and Rainbow in seventh place. That narrow margin ultimately proved decisive in the battle for the Belgian title. For Mathieu Bourdeaud’Hui, the championship looked for a long time as though it might turn into a fairy tale. Riding Oscar de Homage, he won both the first and second qualification rounds and went into the final as the leader. There, he knocked down his first and only rail of the championship, causing him to drop down to third place.

“Overall it went really well. I was in the lead after two days, although I realised it would be difficult to hold on to that position,” said Bourdeaud’Hui. “I went into the Belgian Championships with no expectations and, all things considered, I’m very happy to have finished on the podium after all.”

Pieter Devos also had every reason to be pleased with his championship. He has been riding his nine-year-old Rainbow van ’t Zorgvliet for less than a year, but the gelding put in a convincing performance in Lanaken with a clear round in the BK. “I’ve had him for less than a year and he’s already exceeding all expectations,” said Devos. “This is a horse capable of performing at the very highest level. Given Rainbow’s quality, I was aiming for a podium place anyway. I felt confident enough to say that beforehand because he is such an exceptional talent. Of course, I would have preferred to win gold, but I’m quite happy with silver.”

For the eventual champion, even his participation with Merryweather from the Leeuwerikenhof was still far from certain just a few weeks ago. Vereecke had several options, but ultimately chose the mare belonging to his good friend Freddy Demuynck, who also bred her and owns her.

“Until a few weeks ago, I didn’t know which horse I would ride in the Belgian Championships,” says Vereecke. “I had a few options. My best friend Freddy Demuynck, breeder and owner of Merryweather, suggested I ride his horse. In the summer, I didn’t feel the mare was in the best form, but by early September she’d regained her form and I wanted to give it a go. A Belgian Championship is always unpredictable, and winning gold here is a complete surprise.” Twenty years after his first Belgian title, Vereecke was thus able to climb back onto the top step of the podium.

Gudrun Patteet finished just off the podium. Riding Sea Coast Chica V.V. Z (Comme Il Faut), she had one jumping fault in the final and finished the Belgian Championship in fourth place.