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“At the beginning of the year, my main goal was getting selected for the Belgian Olympic team. I made the selection, and it was nice to experience my first Olympics,” Belgium’s Gilles Thomas tells World of Showjumping about one of the highlights of his 2024. “I was twice in the final; first with the team, and then we qualified for the individual final as well. We didn't come home with a medal, but Paris was a good experience. Ermitage also placed second in the LGCT Super Grand Prix in Riyadh and third in the Rolex Grand Prix of Geneva, so it was a good year.”

“I also became, for the second time in a row, Belgian Champion,” the 26-year-old continues. “Last year, I won with Ermitage and this year with Luna, which was nice. Everyone talks a lot about Ermitage, but Luna also had a very good year. In addition to winning the Belgian Championship, she won the LGCT Grand Prix of Shanghai. She is thirteen, but actually this season has felt like the first where she has really been ready for the higher levels – and she definitely deserves credit for what she has done.”

“Everyone that already went told me that going to the Olympic Games is something else,” Gilles tells about his first Olympic appearance. “And actually, I kept wondering why; it will be the same horses, same riders, big jumps. However, in the weeks leading up to Paris, and once I was there, I started to understand what they meant. There was a lot of media attention, and so much public interest. What surprised me the most was the amount of people that follow the Olympics; I got messages from people that I normally never get messages from, from neighbours who didn't know that I was riding until they saw me in Paris.”

“Being in the Olympic village with the other Olympic athletes, and especially being in the same house with the Belgian athletes, was incredible,” Gilles continues. “Because you are wearing the same outfits, you have a connection, you start to talk to each other – it was a nice vibe over there.”

For the past two years, Ermitage Kalone has been a name on everyone’s lips. In 2024 the talented stallion definitely proved he is worth all the hype. However, dealing with the attention has not been simple for Gilles. “The 2023 Belgian Championship was the first big thing that Ermitage won, and afterwards we got a lot of offers on him,” Gilles explains. “It wasn't easy, but, in the end, we made a decision to not sell him, and to keep him for the Olympics. With horses, that always comes with a bit of risk because you pass on a lot of money, while your horse can get injured the next day. After this year, and all the success we have enjoyed following Paris, I feel very happy that I have been able to give the owners back and prove that it was a good decision.”

“I already rode a few very, very good horses, but I know that Ermitage is something else,” Gilles tells. “I believed that this year he would step up to the biggest level. I also believed that he would do it well and that maybe we would have a shot at the Olympics. However, I did not really expect that he would do it all with such ease.”

“We already had such a fantastic year, so I think there is not much left to prove, and therefore not so much pressure,” Gilles tells about ending his year competing on home soil at Jumping Mechelen before focusing on what 2025 has in store. “It is nice to jump in front of my home crowd, and show Ermitage to the Belgian breeders. Normally they see him on TV, and this week they can see him in real life.”

“After a few years riding on this level, against the best, I have gained a bit more experience, and I maybe feel more confident; now I know how to handle difficult or stressful situations,” Gilles reflects on what he has learned himself. “In the end, riding is not a very physical sport, but an extremely technical sport, and I think experience helps you become a better rider.”

As to 2025, it might be time for Gilles’ second senior championships: The Europeans in La Coruña. “The Olympic Games were my first championships, so the Europeans coming up next summer is a goal for me and Ermitage,” he says. “I think Belgium has a few young, exciting horses coming up next year. Some of them are only nine, turning ten, while mine is turning eleven. I think we kind of have a new team building up in Belgium, and for the next few years we will have really strong combinations – which makes me very motivated.”

29.12.2024 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.