Text © World of Showjumping

The 9th and last leg of the year in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Western European League 2024/2025 took place in Mechelen, Belgium, on Monday and it was Germany’s Hans-Dieter Dreher and the 15-year-old Vestmalle des Cotis that could end their 2024 celebrating a World Cup-win.

The first clear in the initial round came from the host nation’s own Jos Verlooy and the 9-year-old mare Parise van den Dael (Zazu x For Passion d’Ive Z), who as number three to go lifted the roof in the fully packed Nekkerhal. Gilles Thomas (BEL) on Ermitage Kalone (Catoki x Kannan) and Gregory Wathelet (BEL) aboard Bond Jamesbond de Hay (Diamant de Semilly x Kannan) followed suit, adding fuel to the fire for the vocal Belgian crowd.

Switzerland’s 25-year-old Edouard Schmitz and Quno (Quo Vados I x Cashandcarry) delivered the fourth clear of the afternoon, and Olivier Philippaerts (BEL) on Precious Dwerse Hagen (Cornet Obolensky x Casall), Willem Greve (NED) on Highway TN N.O.P (Eldorado vd Zeshoek x Chellano), as well as Erika Lickhammer-Van Helmond (SWE) aboard I. Comme Tessa VHL (Comme Il Faut x Casall) followed suit. With Sandra Auffarth (GER) on Quirici H (FRH Quaid x Escudo) and Hans-Dieter Dreher (GER) aboard Vestmalle des Cotis (Baloubet du Rouet x Landor S) clearing the first-round track as well, Pieter Devos (BEL) and Casual DV Z (Cornet Obolensky x Cicero Z) rounded the number of pairs in the jump-off up to ten – the latter as the fifth Belgian duo in contest for the Mechelen-title.

In the jump-off, it was Gilles Thomas and the phenomenal Ermitage Kalone as the second pair out that threw down the gauntlet – setting the time to beat to 36.22 seconds. While those to come tried their best to catch the talented Belgian rider, it wasn’t until the penultimate horse-and-rider combination – the 52-year-old Hans-Dieter Dreher on Vestmalle des Cotis, who in December won the Longines Grand Prix in La Coruña – that the lead would change hands. Powering through the course, Dreher stopped the clock on 36.14 seconds – pushing Thomas down to second. As last to go, Devos and Casual DV Z slotted into third when the clock stopped on 36.26 seconds, while Wathelet and Bond Jamesbond de Hay finished fourth with a time of 36.76 and Schmitz on Quno fifth in 38.20.

"He is very, very good horse," Dreher told World of Showjumping about Vestmalle des Cotis after their first World Cup-victory. "He has won so much. He is really sensitive, and I always have to calm him down. Today he was on my side, and everything worked great. My plan for the jump-off was to ride one stride less from two to three, then I had a good turn to the double and the first distance to the oxer. I knew I had to go for the last one, but five strides before I thought I had to slow him down – and I was not sure if I would be fast enough. Ending the year like this is top, my 2024 was full of ups and downs – this win is really important for me." 

With nine of fourteen legs in the Western European League 2024/2025-season now completed, the 2025-season resumes in Basel with five more venues left in the 2025, before the final in Basel in April 2025.

After the Mechelen-leg, Robert Whitaker (GBR) remains in the lead in the Western European League with 60 points – also the amount of points Kevin Staut (FRA) has collected, sitting second. Gregory Wathelet (BEL) follows in third with 56 points, while Hans-Dieter Dreher (GER) climbs up to fourth with his 51 points, followed by Pieter Devos (BEL) in fifth with 47.

The top sixteen horse-and-rider combinations at each of the fourteen qualifiers earn points, with the best eighteen from the overall standings in the WEL qualifying for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final held in Basel, Switzerland, in April 2025.