Nicola Philippaerts wins the Belgian Indoor Championship, presented by Paardensport Vlaanderen & Avant

The Belgian Indoor Championship, presented by Paardensport Vlaanderen & Avant, delivered excitement right up to the very last round. From a strong field of 40 riders, 15 combinations eventually qualified for the jump-off in the 1.45m class.

In the jump-off, Jeroen Appelen, winner of the 2024 edition, immediately set a very sharp time. For a moment, it looked as though the decision had already been made, until Leonie Peeters managed to go just 0.02 seconds faster. Several more impressive clear rounds followed, but it was Nicola Philippaerts who ultimately sealed the deal. Riding Rolex Ter Leydonck (Bamako de Muze x Nabab de Rêve, BWP), he produced a particularly fast jump-off to take the win and with it the Belgian indoor title.

As the final combination to enter the arena, fellow Red Musketeer Gilles Thomas kept the pressure on. With Qiara De Kalvarie (Sea Coast Don’t Touch Tiji Her x Zandor, BWP), he also delivered a quick clear round, but in the end fell just short of catching Philippaerts. Leonie Peeters’ strong performance earned her an excellent third place with Tinkoucha Hero Z (Tinka’s Boy x Diamant de Semilly, Zang).

After the class, Nicola was happy to take a moment to reflect on his victory.

Congratulations on this new title. What does winning here in Mechelen mean to you?
“Thank you. Of course, it feels incredibly special to compete here and to win a class as well. Jumping Mechelen is truly a highlight of the year for us. The atmosphere and the home crowd make it extra special. If you can win here, your week is off to a great start.”

There were many strong riders in the jump-off. Where did you make the difference today?
“Rolex Ter Leydonck naturally has a huge stride. That allowed me to ride the seven strides to the blue oxer quite smoothly. I was actually a bit surprised by how fast he was. Today, he really showed what he is capable of.akt?

Rolex is only eight years old. How do you see his future?
“He is very responsive and learns incredibly quickly. I think today he showed that he is a horse for the future. I definitely see him as a very interesting prospect moving into next year.”

Speaking of next year, 2026 is right around the corner. Any New Year’s resolutions?
(laughs) “Resolutions… First of all, finishing Jumping Mechelen on a good note. I have a few nice horses here and there is a lot of strong competition, so it could still be a great weekend. After that, I’ll take a week off and then we’ll gradually start working towards the new season.”

Text and photos press release Jumping Mechelen

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