For home crowd, Ludo Philippaerts put down a great performance on the back of Obama de La Liniere (Marius Claudius) in the first 5* class of Knokke Hippique 2022. Philippaerts sent the 8-year-old BWP stallion clear and as fast as lightning through both the first and second phase of this 1.40m class, and with a lead of more than 5 seconds, he claimed the victory.
Philippaerts was just the third combination to enter the Zoute Plage ring, and as fortune favors the bold, he set an unbeatable time of 29.20 seconds in the second phase. Only Rene Lopez Lizarazo with Kheros Van'T Hoogeinde (Echo Van T Spieveld) came close, as the Colombian finished second in 34.48 seconds and thus took the silver. Denis Lynch jumped to bronze with Brooklyn Heights (Nabab de Reve) in a time of 35.14 seconds.
Eduardo Pereira De Menezes placed just outside the top three with H5 Chaganus (Chacco-Blue) in fourth, followed by Kevin Staut and Scuderia 1918 Viking d'La Rousserie (Quaprice Bois Margot).