Press release from Jumping Indoor Maastricht, edited by World of Showjumping

Only three horse-and-rider combinations managed to complete the technical first-round track without faults and qualify for the jump-off in Saturday evening's highlight at Jumping Indoor Maastricht 2025, the CSI4* 1.50m Van Mossel Automotive Prix, where Sweden's Henrik von Eckermann and his experienced mare Calizi (Cellestial x Stakkatol) came out on top.

“The course was delicately built, with a tight time allowed. You were constantly under pressure to keep up the pace, and the tricky combination at the end made it even more challenging,” von Eckermann explained afterwards. “Luckily, Calizi is very experienced and naturally quick, which is great because you don’t have to worry about the time. She’s efficient and eager — exactly how I like my horses to be.”

As the last rider to go in the jump-off, the Swede also had a strategic advantage, though the time to beat set by Hessel Hoekstra (NED) and VDL Mindset ES (Aganix du Seigneur x Kannan) was sharp. With a calculated and lightning-fast round, von Eckermann managed to make the difference. “Hessel’s round was really tight, but I know Calizi is just that bit faster," he explained. "If I kept the turns short and rode forward to the last fence, I could take the win — and it worked out! I’m super happy with that.”

It was a strong debut for von Eckermann at Jumping Indoor Maastricht. “It’s fantastic here — everything is excellently organized. Tomorrow I’ll compete in the Grand Prix with Qasirah van de Reistenhoek, who’s a bit greener, but we’ll give it our best. Hopefully, we can achieve another great result!”

Hessel Hoekstra had an outstanding day. Earlier, he had already won the CSI4* 1.45m class and seemed on course for another victory with a sharp jump-off round on the approved stallion VDL Mindset ES. The eight-year-old stallion jumped both rounds with great ease, earning Hoekstra an impressive second place. Niels Bruynseels (BEL), riding the eleven-year-old Oaky Flandria (Cabrio van de Heffinck x Cumano), also made it to the jump-off but dropped one rail in the sand arena of the MECC, leaving him in third place. Johnny Pals (NED) on Chacco's Girl (Chacco-Blue x Cento) and Harrie Smolders (NED) aboard Estrello Eh Z (Emerald x Graf Top) narrowly missed the jump-off due to a single time fault but still secured fourth and fifth respectively.