On Wednesday evening, the Azelhof was entirely dedicated to Lili, the young girl suffering from the rare disease SPG50. The Azelhof and the non-profit organization Hope for Lili organized a special charity evening, where top athletes from the equestrian world came together for a good cause.
The Masters competition was the highlight of the charity event held in support of Lili. “We are deeply moved. Lili is leaving for Dallas the day after tomorrow for her treatment, and it’s heartwarming to see how everyone is supporting her,” said Tom, Lili’s visibly emotional father at the start of the event.
The Masters consisted of one initial round, three jump-offs, and one final decisive round against the clock.
Daniel Deusser ultimately claimed the win. With Quiberon-P (by Quinn van de Heffinck), he delivered a faultless round in 34.62 seconds. Just fractions of a second behind was the only female rider in the competition, Petronella Andersson with Ollister du Lys (by Hunters' Scendro), finishing second in 35.01 seconds. Jos Verlooy thrilled the home crowd by taking third place with Etundel de Marocy (by Diamant de Semilly) in 34.26 seconds. Although faster than the winner, he unfortunately incurred a fault.
Daniel Deusser on his victory: “We did our best tonight to help Lili. On behalf of Stefan Conter as well, we naturally want to donate the prize money to Lili. And of course, we hope everything will turn out well for her and her family.”
Gilles Thomas gave a clinic just before the start of the Masters, under the supervision of Jan Symons. He’s happy to contribute in his own way: “It’s a heartbreaking story that we all want to support. It’s so beautiful to see such a big crowd tonight,” said Gilles.
