“It was her first time at this level,” Bruynseels commented after his victory. “She was still a bit impressed by everything, but I’m super happy with this result! We came to Liège mainly to gain experience, not necessarily to win…”

The mare was bred and is still owned by Ludwig Criel, who purchased her as a three-year-old. The Portuguese rider Bernardo Mathias produced her up to 1.45m level before Niels took over the ride, a partnership that clearly works!

“Being an owner is a passion,” Criel said afterwards. “You have good days and bad days, but when you see your horse progress like this, all the difficult moments are forgotten! I always look at things long term. Producing horses takes patience and time. For example, we never jump a horse before the end of its fourth year!”

This winter, Bruynseels plans to continue competing in 1.45m and 1.50m classes with the mare. “I hope Devidanga SW Z will become a true Grand Prix horse,” he concluded, “but for now, the focus is on gaining experience at a higher level. That’s our main goal this winter!”