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With 54 international wins in 2022, Luxembourg’s Victor Bettendorf had an exceptionally good year, which he ended with solid performances at CHI Geneva. Looking back, Bettendorf pays tribute to the team he has around him – both human and equine. 

“We have a system at home that is working really well, with my girlfriend Adeline Hecart and our owners – and I have very good horses,” Bettendorf says humbly about 2022. “We started the year good, and then it just kept going. I cannot really explain it; I think the horses are feeling fit and happy, they are in a good space mentally. For me, this year has been a logical result of our work; we never put pressure on our horses, my owners never put pressure on me and I can enjoy every show. We did not change anything, I think it is simply our system starting to pay off, with the people around us supporting us. The great results of the year are a gift to those who have believed in us and supported us on the way.”

“For me, it is a gift that I have the horses I have now, and that I am able to compete on this level,” Bettendorf continues. “I try not to put any pressure on myself, I try to listen to my horses; if they are ready to do it or not. I try to just take everything with the attitude ‘if it does not work this weekend, it will work the next’. After a great year, getting to compete in Geneva was like a bonus. I wanted to do well, but I felt no pressure – I have nothing to prove to anyone, nothing to lose, I just enjoy riding and I felt lucky to be there. The riders in Geneva were the ones I normally watch on TV, I am not used to competing against them.” 

“I would really like to continue with this string of horses,” Bettendorf says about his goals for 2023. “During next year, I would like to compete more on five-star level. However, for Luxembourg it is a little bit complicated, since we don’t have a team and I cannot ride the World Cups. Now I am ranked 39th in the world, so I hope that will help in getting into the shows.” 

31.12.2022 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.