Belgium produced a polished team performance to win the first Semi-Final of the 2026 Longines EEF Series at Peelbergen in the Netherlands, securing qualification for September’s Final in Avenches (SUI) alongside Sweden, Spain, France and Great Britain.
Finishing on just six penalties after two demanding rounds over Bart Vonck’s 1.50m track, Belgium finished comfortably ahead of Sweden on 13 faults and Spain on 19, with France fourth on 21 and Great Britain claiming the final qualifying spot on 30 penalties. Norway suffered the disappointment of missing qualification by a single penalty, while host nation the Netherlands and guest nation Mexico, although competing, were ineligible to qualify from this Semi-Final.
Now in its sixth season, the Longines EEF Series has become one of Europe’s most important development pathways, designed to prepare emerging combinations for senior championship competition including European Championships, World Championships and Olympic Games. The format allows riders to gain invaluable experience in a team environment while developing promising horses at international level, making it a cornerstone of the European Jumping calendar.
Peelbergen hosted a Longines EEF Series Semi-Final for the first time, having previously staged Region West qualifiers since first joining the Series in 2021. The Dutch venue continues to strengthen its reputation on the international calendar, having hosted the European Youth Championships in 2024 and preparing to welcome the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth Final later this year.
Twelve nations lined up at the Dutch venue, with five teams from Region West and five from Region North chasing five coveted qualification places for the Final. Belgium, France, Spain, Great Britain and Portugal represented Region West, while Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Poland qualified from Region North.
Belgium’s victory was built on consistency across both rounds, with three riders producing faultless second rounds as the pressure mounted. Vonck’s technical course proved influential throughout the day, with its substantial oxers and demanding treble combination causing problems across the field, while Peelbergen’s square arena required horses to stay balanced through numerous tight turns.
The standout Belgian performance came from Gudrun Patteet and the 10-year-old Belgian-bred gelding Sea Coast Qarvaljo d’Or, who produced one of only two double clear performances of the competition. This lovely chestnut is owned by Ruben De Grave and Sea Coast Horses. The only other combination to achieve the feat was Norway’s Mira Oliva Hoeidal and Mayfair.
“I am really happy but it is not only me who makes the result,” said Patteet. “I am really happy with my horse and happy that I could do that for the team.”
Competing in only his second Nations Cup, the Mosito van het Hellehof gelding gained another valuable step in his education. “I was quite relaxed but the horse really wants to go clear, but it is really nice for him that he can get experiences like this. So for that, these Nations Cups are really important.”
The decisive moment came when Belgium’s anchor athlete, reigning European individual bronze medallist Gilles Thomas, delivered a superb second-round clear aboard the nine-year-old Belgian-bred stallion Riesling van’t Roosakker owned by T Roosakker Stables. After four faults in the opening round, the world number five returned to produce the performance that confirmed Belgium’s victory.
Thomas, who has developed several young horses through the EEF Series, highlighted the value of the competition’s two-round format.
“It was a very good thing to have not only for the horses but also for the riders. For the combination to get experience. It is ideal when you have not a good feeling in the first round, you can try to do better in the second round. At other shows you have to wait a few weeks to get a new chance but at these you can get more experience in the second round. That is why I love to do these shows.”
Riding last brought its own pressure, but one Thomas relishes. “It is nice to ride for Belgium – normally when we go for Nations Cups we have the chance to win, so I like to ride in these Nations Cups and then if the result is there it is even nicer.”
The Series’ commitment to developing future talent is reflected in the requirement for every nation to field an Under-25 athlete. Belgium’s 24-year-old Roy van Beek justified his selection with an excellent second-round clear aboard the nine-year-old Charleston-H owned by Johannes Heinrichs. After collecting two time penalties in round one, he adjusted his approach to produce exactly the round his team needed.
“For me it is very nice to get this chance in the three-star. I started last year also and it gave me the chance to step up to the five-star Nations Cups, so I think it is very important to go up in this way. I was a bit disappointed with the penalties in the first round – I took a stride too many, so I changed my plan in the second round and it worked out in a good way.”
Although Koen Vereecke endured a difficult day with Quinoa de la Liniere- owned and bred by Jeroen Lissens, recording scores of eight and 12 faults, the experienced Belgian was quick to acknowledge the strength of the team around him. “Lucky, I had really good teammates,” he laughed.
Assessing Bart Vonck’s track, Vereecke said: “I think it was a good course – not extremely big but with wide oxers. The arena is not always easy to ride because it is square, you have to turn a lot, so it is difficult for horses to stay balanced and concentrated. We saw that today: there were lots of faults, but a bit everywhere. Not that there were killers in, but it was tough for both horses and riders. It was a good course, and I believe the time was not too short. In the end it is a part of it – time becomes more and more part of the shows.”
Belgium Chef d’Equipe Filip Lacus praised the depth available to Belgian jumping while acknowledging the challenge of team selection.
“We have lots of riders willing to ride Nations Cups. We always try to make competitive teams to make sure to qualify – that is why we were here, for the Final. There were lots of riders but, in the end, everybody needs to get involved to make sure they do well.”
Asked whether Belgium could become the first nation from Regions West or North to win the Longines EEF Series Final in Avenches, Lacus was optimistic. “For sure we’ll try! And for the riders, we will figure that out in the coming weeks.”
With the first five qualification places now decided, attention turns to the second Semi-Final in Samorin, Slovakia, on 10 July, where teams from the South and Central regions will battle for the remaining places in September’s Final in Avenches. Peelbergen once again demonstrated exactly what the Longines EEF Series was created to achieve: developing riders, horses and partnerships capable of succeeding on the biggest international stages while delivering fiercely competitive Nations Cup sport.
