Press release from Zangersheide, edited by World of Showjumping

As the only horse-and-rider combination to clear both the first round and the jump-off, Max van de Poll (NED) and the talented KWPN-mare Ortane (Balou du Rouet x Quinar Z, bred by D. Van De Linden and C. Van Der Heijden) became World Champions in impressive fashion after a thrilling final for the six-year-old horses at the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses 2025 in Lanaken, Belgium.

Earlier this week, 40 horse-and-rider combinations had managed to qualify for this ultimate final battle. Course designer Bernard Mathy and his team had built a technically demanding course for this final, with the fences at a height of 1.40m. In the end, only seven pairs remained clear, leaving them to prepare for the all-decisive jump-off.

As the second starter in the jump-off, Max van de Poll and Ortane immediately set the bar extremely high. With a lightning-fast time of 42.26 seconds and, above all, a flawless clear round, van de Poll managed to put the pressure firmly on.

"It was the first time I qualified for the final," van de Poll said afterwards. "I don't want to say I did not have a plan going into the jump-off, but I am lucky I can rely on the carefulness and speed of Ortane. The course was quite challenging, and the competition was big, but she has so much quality that I wasn't worried about that. I am happy to have done so well in such an incredible setting.”

Following her gold medal in last year’s five-year-old championship, this year's silver medal went to Niamh McEvoy (IRL) and her Irish gelding BP Othello (Ganesh Hero Z x Tygo, bred by Ennisnag Stud). The bronze fell into Belgian hands thanks to Thibeau Spits and the BWP-mare Touch of Joy Dwerse Hagen (Nixon van 't Meulenhof x Casall), who was born and raised at the home of the Spits-Ceulemans family.

Stef Bossaert (BEL) with the Zangersheide-mare Claudia Optima Z (Cicero x Balou du Rouet, bred by Optimus Agro NV), finished fourth while Benedikte Serigstad Endresen (NOR) and the KWPN-mare Oreo Brownie H (Diarado x London, bred by H. Hartlief) completed the top of the leader board in fifth place.