"This is a good start to the weekend, now we can go on with the World Cup and Grand Prix," smiled Simon Delestre after winning the Land Rover Masters in Mechelen, Belgium, on Wednesday night.

The CSI5*-W event in Nekkerhal has gathered some of the best horses and riders in the world during the days between Christmas and New Year, and the action got underway with the Masters – where five of the top ranked riders from Austria, Sweden, Germany, Netherlands and France battled against five native Belgians.

Raising the fences for each round, it was Simon Delestre (FRA) on the 11-year-old gelding Gain Line (Stolzenberg x Raphael), Jérôme Guery (BEL) on the 11-year-old stallion Garfield de Tiji des Templiers (Quasimodo Z x Goldspring de Lauzelle) and Olivier Philippaerts (BEL) on the 8-year-old stallion Extra (Berlin x Heartbreaker) that cleared four rounds and went against the clock in the fifth and final round. Staying clear in the final round as well, it was Delestre that clocked the winning time of 28,73 seconds – securing the win to drive home in a brand new Land Rover.

"This class was perfect for my horse," Delestre told World of Showjumping after the competition. "I have only been riding him since this summer, and I really like him. He is super careful and scopey, but sometimes he lacks self-confidence and that is why tonight was a great experience for him."

Guery took the runner-up position after clocking a time of 30,00 seconds, while Philippaerts had to settle for third spot after having a fence down in a time of 35,00 seconds in the final round. Harrie Smolders (NED) on Capital Colnardo (Colman x Coronado), Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) on Belcanto Z (Berlin x Mr. Blue), Christian Ahlmann (GER) on Cornwell (Cornado I x Grossadmiral) and Pieter Devos (BEL) on Gin D (Clinton I x Skippy II) tied for fourth place after each having a fence down in round four.

Earlier during the day, the Léon Melchior Memorial class – the Open Sires of the World Zangersheide – went to Daniel Deusser (GER) on the 9-year-old stallion Tobago Z (Tangelo v. Zuuthoeve x Mr. Blue). The pair clocked the winning time of 34,85 seconds in the jump-off over the 1.45m fences. Rachel Steffen (BEL) on the 12-year-old stallion Uncanto di Villagana (Canturo x Acord II) took the runner-up position with a time of 38,45, while Damien Haelterman (BEL) on the 10-year-old stallion Hooligan de Laubry (Clinton I x Skippy II) placed third after clocking a time of 39,34 in the jump-off.

Jack Whitaker (GBR) on the 8-year-old stallion Valmy de la Lande (Mylord Carthago x Starter) took the fourth place with a time of 41,17, while Gregory Wathelet (BEL) on the 9-year-old stallion MJT Nevados S (Calvados Z x Romualdo) had to settle for the fifth spot after having a fence down in the jump-off in a time of 33,06 seconds.