Those who were present in Lanaken surely felt it - the tension was palpable! An exciting battle for the title of Belgian Champion ultimately went in favor of Gilles Thomas! In the saddle of the high-performing stallion, Ermitage Kalone, the 25-year-old rider was the unbeatable winner of this Championship.
With the nine-year-old Ermitage Kalone (Catoki), Gilles Thomas had already delivered an impressive performance at the Belgian Championship. In this final, the duo added a flawless first round to their record. With a total score of 2.55, they currently top the leaderboard. Virginie Thonon follows closely in second place after also delivering a faultless round with Edgard de Prefontaine (sired by Contact vd Heffinck). Niels Bruynseels and Nauwsika van de Pereboom (sired by Thunder vd Zuuthoeve) also maintained a clean score.
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In the end, it came down to Virginie Thonon and Gilles Thomas. Thonon was the penultimate to start with Edgard de Prefontaine (Contact vd Heffinck). The audience fell silent, watching on the edge of their seats as the combination completed their round. Unfortunately for the duo, the rail of the penultimate obstacle fell. Their total score of 7.06 secured them the provisional first place. Only Gilles Thomas remained with a chance to snatch the victory.
Thomas had a total score of 2.55, meaning he could afford one more jumping fault with Ermitage Kalone. If a time fault was added, their chances would be over. A focused Gilles and a cautious Ermitage delivered a flawless round. The championship was sealed, and Thomas is the new Belgian Champion!
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TOP THREE
- Gilles Thomas - Ermitage Kalone (Catoki)
- Virginie Thonon - Edgard de Prefontaine (Contact vd Heffinck)
- Christophe Vanderhasselt - Arthuro de Sarlar Z (Breemeersen Adorado)