Switzerland, with newly crowned Olympic silver medalist Steve Guerdat (riding Is-Minka), won the Henders & Hazel Nations Cup at the Brussels Stephex Masters with 9 penalty points. Belgium followed in second place with 20 penalty points. The Netherlands collected 22 penalty points and finished third, while Germany, last year’s winner of the Belgian Nations Cup, came in fourth with 24 penalty points. This was Switzerland’s first CSIO 5* victory of the season and Belgium’s best result of the season.
“It’s a privilege to ride here.”
After the first round, world champion Sweden, with top riders Henrik von Eckermann and Peder Fredricson, was leading with 4 penalty points, followed by Switzerland with 5. “I hope that one time fault doesn’t come back to haunt us,” said team leader Peter van der Waaij. Switzerland started the second round strongly with a clear round from Steve Guerdat, and when Martin Fuchs, riding Connor Jei, also finished clear as the last rider, the victory was secured. The Swiss team was thrilled with their win, and some riders were even more impressed by the event’s location and atmosphere. For Janika Sprunger, it was her first time in Brussels. “I hope to come back often. Winning isn’t the only thing that matters,” she joked. “What makes this event special is how it blends tradition with modernity, which is quite unique. It’s a privilege to ride here,” concluded Janika Sprunger.
“A new standard”
Pius Schwizer, who has competed in many events over his 62 years, also experienced the Brussels Stephex Masters for the first time: “This is amazing, something I’ve never seen before, and I’ve seen a lot. Stephan Conter has set a new standard with his event,” noted Pius Schwizer. Only the best is good enough for the Brussels Stephex Masters, and that applied to the courses too. Designed by Grégory Bodo, the course builder for the Paris Olympic Games, the rounds were technically challenging but fair, with danger lurking at every turn and jump.
A hopeful future
Olivier Philippaerts (riding H&M Miro) was the first Belgian rider in the first round and had a fault at the last jump. Niels Bruynseels, who competed in his first 5* Grand Prix at the Brussels Stephex Masters last year with Origi vd Vosberg, delivered a clear round. Pieter Devos, riding his nine-year-old mare Casual DV Z, made an unexpected mistake at the water jump. Wilm Vermeir (riding IQ van ’t Steentje), who was Belgium’s best rider at the Paris Olympics, unfortunately knocked down the first jump and also got 4 penalty points at the water jump. After the first round, Belgium was in fourth place.
In the second round, Philippaerts had two rails down. The other three Belgian riders each had one jumping fault, which was enough for them to secure second place, their best result of the season. “H&M Miro has 5* quality and jumps well at this level, but I must admit that this season we haven’t delivered enough clear rounds in the Nations Cups,” Olivier Philippaerts acknowledged. For Origi van de Vosberg, this was his second Nations Cup, finishing with only one jumping fault. With a score of 0 and 4, it’s a hopeful result for the future, said Niels Bruynseels: “I’ve been riding Origi since he was 7, and I’ve always had a good feeling with him. It takes patience and time to turn that quality into results, but it’s moving in a positive direction. On Sunday, we’ll try to confirm this in the Grand Prix,” said Niels Bruynseels. His close friend Pieter Devos had one fault in each round with Casual DV Z, a horse from his own breeding program. “I never make excuses, I only give explanations, and this was the first time Casual jumped under artificial light. She never makes a mistake at the water jump, but this time she touched the plasticine. That’s a youthful mistake. No one doubts her quality. She’s already shown her talent in the Nations Cups in Rome and Rotterdam earlier this year, where we had clear rounds. Everything Casual has done this year is new for her. Next year, we won’t make those mistakes. It’s just a matter of fine-tuning,” concluded Pieter Devos. With young horses like Casual and Origi, the future looks hopeful for Team Belgium.
A sustainable partnership
The final word at the press conference went to Paul Van Den Bosch of Henders & Hazel, a long-time partner of the Belgian Nations Cup since the start of the Stephex events. Will Henders & Hazel continue to support the Belgian Nations Cup until Belgium wins on home soil? “No, because that could happen as soon as next year, and we are aiming for a sustainable partnership with Stephan Conter and his events,” said Paul Van Den Bosch
Some insights, powered by Equiratings
- Switzerland were the favorites based on ratings before the class.
- Challenging night: The first and second rounds were among the lowest clear rates all season in a 5* Nations Cup, with only 15 clears throughout the entire evening.
- Only two riders produced clear rounds in both rounds, both U25 riders:
- Jeanne Sadran & Dexter de Kerglenn 🇫🇷 (#2 U25 FEI ranking)
- Lars Kersten & Funky Fred Marienshof 🇳🇱 (#3 U25 FEI ranking)
