484 riders with 758 horses at the start of the World Championships in Lanaken
The world's most talented five-, six- and seven-year-old show jumpers are currently meeting in Lanaken, Belgium, to crown their world champions. In addition to the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses, the FEI Sires of the World, the Belgian Show Jumping Championship, the Studbook Zangersheide Stallion Selection and three highly regarded Quality Auctions are also being held.
A total of 484 riders with 758 horses will be competing. As last year, 44 Belgian seniors will compete for the title of Belgian Show Jumping Champion, which was won for the third time in a row by Jos Verlooy in 2021. After the two qualifiers, Jeroen Appelen is in the lead with Lunatique de Kwakenbeek. The final of this championship will take place on Saturday afternoon.
Thursday was dominated by the first qualifiers for the World Championships for five-, six- and seven-year-old horses.
192 seven-year-olds had to master a 1.40 m course in the Ratina Z- Arena in a two-phase jumping competition. The winner was Crystal Claire (Cristallo x Oklund) under Thibault Philippaerts. The scion of the famous Belgian Philippaerts family, Thibault is one of four successful sons of Ludo Philippaerts. He is only riding Crystal Claire in Zangersheide this week.
Thibault: "That doesn't mean I have much free time. We live less than 20 minutes from Zangersheide and there are many horses waiting for me at home every day. I just drop by to ride Crystal Claire, and then I go home to train the horses." He was all the more delighted with his success.
A 1.35 m two-phase jumping competition was on the programme for 279 six-year-old horses in the Ramiro Z Arena. The Greek rider Angelos Touloupis on Kannandillo (Kannan x Candillo) was the winner in the field of 90 clear rounds.
253 five-year-olds had to complete a 1.25 m course after time in the Almé Z- Arena. The beauty of this competition for the youngest show participants: All clear rides were placed first. Only in the next qualification does the time play a role. So the riders of 99 winners could be happy about a clear ride and first place in the evening.
