Belgium's Koen Vereecke and Oilily de Muze (Vigo d’Arsouilles x Ramiro Z) took a home win in Saturday night's CSI5*-W 1.50m presented by KBC Bank & Insurance – a competition counting for the Longines Rankings Group D – at the 2024-edition of Jumping Mechelen in front of a sold-out crowd in the Nekkerhal. 

Eleven horse-and-rider combinations from the 44 at start cleared the first-round track and joined the jump-off, where Vereecke – as one of the eight Belgians that qualified to battle it out for the win – clocked the winning time of 35.62 seconds.

Awarded as Talent of the Year 2024 in Belgium, and as one of the five Belgian U25 riders competing in the five-star classes this weekend, the 21-year-old Mathieu Bourdeaud’Hui (BEL) on Oscar the Homage (Quint vh Maarlo Z x Arko III) had to settle for second after lifting the roof in the Nekkerhal when crossing the finish line in 36.44. "It felt incredible to be cheered on so loudly by this audience," Bourdeaud’Hui said in a press release from Jumping Mechelen. "Oscar gave a little buck after the Zangersheide style jump, and that’s where I lost the round to Koen."

"I’ve competed against Mathieu many times and have often lost to him," Vereecke said in a press release from Jumping Mechelen. "But today, I was the fastest. Oilily is simply an amazing horse. She always gives her best at every competition. This year, she might have missed the top five only once, and she wins very often. Once again, she’s performing at her best. She was third at the Belgian Championship, and now she wins again."

Willem Greve (NED) and Highway TN N.O.P. (Eldorado vd Zeshoek x Chellano) took the third place in 37.14, followed by Thibeau Spits (BEL) on King van Essene (Calido I x Chacco-Blue) in fourth in 39.78 and Frederic Vernaet (BEL) aboard Okina van de Bien (Toulon x Blue Boy V. Berkenbroeck) in fifth with a fence down in 35.27.