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The very first Brussels Derby Challenge brought something completely different to the Brussels Stephex Masters on Saturday afternoon. Long, varied courses, natural obstacles and a route stretching from the Sablon Arena to the Place de l’Atomium turned the class into a real test for horse and rider, as well as a completely new experience for the crowd.
Derby classes have become a rare sight on the international calendar. They ask horses to adapt constantly, from traditional fences to natural obstacles, from one rhythm to another and, in Brussels, even from one arena to the next. That combination made the Brussels Derby Challenge one of the most eagerly anticipated novelties of this year’s Brussels Stephex Masters.
And once the first horses were underway, it quickly became clear that the concept had caught the public’s imagination.
A crowd that moved with the horses
The showgrounds were packed, with spectators gathering around the passages between the arenas and alongside the natural obstacles to get as close to the action as possible.
Perhaps the best image of the afternoon was that of the younger spectators following the horses around the course. As a combination disappeared from one part of the track, groups of young fans could be seen running towards the next, trying to find another good spot before horse and rider arrived there.
Instead of watching an entire class from one place, the public moved with the competition. Around the banks, natural fences and transitions between the arenas, spectators gathered several rows deep. It created a lively atmosphere throughout the grounds and turned the Brussels Derby Challenge into much more than just another class on the programme.
CSI2*: Robin Vermeir takes the first Brussels Derby Challenge title
The first winner of the afternoon was Belgium’s Robin Vermeir, who claimed the CSI2* 1.40m Brussels Derby Challenge presented by Houtackers Stables aboard Magic Van’T Hulgenrode Z.
It was a victory Vermeir had hardly had time to prepare for. She only found out on Monday that she was going to compete and arrived at the start without much time to think about what awaited her. “I had never really done anything like this before, so I just went for it,” she smiled afterwards. “I really enjoyed it. It was so much fun, so I’m super happy.”
One of the biggest unknowns was the bank, where Vermeir opted for the faster route despite never having ridden one before. Magic Van’T Hulgenrode Z did not need much convincing. “My dad was really nervous about it,” she laughed. “But my horse took two steps and then basically jumped straight down.”
The transition from one part of the Derby course to the next also proved tricky for several combinations, but again her horse seemed unfazed. “With some of the other horses it looked quite difficult. Mine looked around quite intensely as well, but then he just jumped.”
Behind Vermeir came one of the standout performances of the afternoon. At just 14 years old, Lieselot Kooremans finished second, a particularly impressive result over a course that asked plenty of questions of both horse and rider.
CSI3*: Martin Fuchs and Love de Vie master the 1.45m challenge
Later in the afternoon, the fences went up for the CSI3* 1.45m Brussels Derby Challenge. This time it was Switzerland’s Martin Fuchswho found the best answer, taking the win aboard Love de Vie.
Even some of the seemingly less imposing obstacles proved capable of catching horses out. “Funny enough, the bank, even though it’s not so big, made quite a few horses hesitate a little bit,” Fuchs explained. Love de Vie, however, seemed to relish the challenge. “She was really forward there and knew exactly what she needed to do. She was very confident and comfortable, so I definitely saved some time there.”
Elsewhere on course, other technical questions demanded just as much attention. “You could have faults everywhere,” Fuchs said. “The option with the plank and the line afterwards was definitely one of the places where we saw the most faults and where you really had to pay attention.”
For Love de Vie, however, the unusual setting was familiar territory. The mare has already contested four derbies this year and, according to Fuchs, the format fits her character perfectly. “She has such a good mindset. She always wants to go, she never spooks at anything and she loves these kinds of classes. She is such a fighter and so straightforward. She is careful, fast and can jump any fence, so she is perfectly suited to these classes. I’m very lucky to have her.”
For Fuchs, that is also exactly where the appeal of Derby classes lies. They ask for a type of trust between horse and rider that becomes even more important when unfamiliar obstacles appear around the course. “I love that it is something different and that the horse really needs to trust you 100 percent,” he said. “There are many fences in these classes that the horse has never seen or jumped before. To have that connection and relationship with your horse, where the horse needs to blindly trust you, makes me very happy.”
The length of the course adds another dimension. “I enjoy the different kinds of fences, the different tracks and the long courses. You really need to stay focused for two or three minutes throughout the whole course.”
