On Saturday, Nicola Philippaerts and H&M Luna van 't Ruytershof Z (Levisto Z x For Pleasure) won the 2022 Belgian Jumping Championship in Lanaken. Thibeau Spits and King of Essene (Calido I x Chacco-Blue) took the silver medal, while Jordy Van Massenhove and Gaga E d'Augustijn (Bustique x Elmshorn) completed the podium with bronze.
It's the second time in his career that Nicola Philippaerts claims the title. “Winning a championship is, and remains, something special," he said in a press release from Philippaerts We Live Horses. "First of all, because you only can win such a competition once a year. If you succeed, you are Belgian Champion. If it doesn't work, you have to wait a year for the next chance, which is a long time. That I am now Champion of Belgium for the second time is very special."
“I can still see her coming to us last year," Nicola said about his horse H&M Luna van 't Ruytershof Z. "She was a rather small horse that jumped 1.30m – and one year later, she is a Belgian Champion. In the past year she has gone through an enormous development with this as the provisional icing on the cake. Last week she jumped well at Sentower and she was strong this week as well. But I never dared hope that I would become champion with her. She has a great mentality; she always wants to give the best of herself. She also has a lot of blood. If she can continue the development of the past year, she is a good horse for the future."