Gilles Thomas (25) was chosen as Belgium's 'Talent of the Year' in 2016. Not surprisingly because during his youth, he won six medals in European championships, including three gold and three silver medals.
The transition from a youth rider to Senior went smoothly, and that's an understatement. Last year, Gilles won the 5* Grand Prix at CSIO Hickstead, as well as the final of the Nations Cup in Barcelona. This unofficially puts him on the longlist for Paris. One year before the Olympic Games, he has several strong contenders in his stable, including Ermitage Kalone, who caught attention in July during the CSI 4* in Moerzeke.
"Ermitage Kalone will turn 10 next year, and he might be my best shot at going to Paris. Earlier this year, he participated in the Sunshine Tour and then became a full-time breeding stallion. We decided that, with an eye on the Olympic year, he will stop breeding earlier this season. We competed in July in Valkenswaard and Moerzeke. Two competitions, three rounds each, and six faultless rounds. We're on schedule. Or rather, we're even ahead of our schedule. The temptation now is to move up a level, but would we be skipping some steps? Because things went so well in Moerzeke, I briefly considered jumping the Grand Prix. Just briefly (smiles). I discussed it with the national coach, and he also suggested taking it easy with Ermitage."
"The most important thing now is not to rush. We have some exciting upcoming competitions that are very educational, and I want to consistently respect our building phase. We are now aiming for the experience, not the result or the Grand Prix. Only the National Championship is marked on the calendar, because that's also an educational milestone. At least Ermitage has already competed in a championship. You never know what that might be good for…"
Source: Paardensport Vlaanderen - Kris van Loo
