Philippaerts family delivers spectacle at Mechelen The Philippaerts family looks back with satisfaction on their performance at Jumping Mechelen. Earlier this week, Nicola Philippaerts won the CSI5* BMW Masters with Derby de Riverland, while Thibault Philippaerts triumphed with Obama de la Liniere in the CSI5* Léon Melchior. On the final day, Thibault narrowly missed out on a second victory in Mechelen, while in the same class, Olivier Philippaerts finished fourth. Nicola Philippaerts concluded the world cup event in sixth place. For the Philippaerts family, the last week of the year is always action-packed. Week 52 is a highlight in Team Philippaerts We Live Horses' calendar, with Jumping Mechelen being an unmissable annual event. This year, the Philippaerts were the spark that intensified the excitement in Mechelen. Nicola Philippaerts won the BMW Masters on Wednesday. In the Grand Prix Sport Vlaanderen, he went clear in the first round but dropped a rail in the jump-off, securing tenth place. On the final day, Nicola rode Moya vd Bisschop, staying clear in the first round. A single rail down in a six-horse jump-off resulted in a sixth-place finish. “I'm pleased with my performance at Jumping Mechelen. My win in the Masters, and the sixth place in the world cup are highlights I've worked hard for," Nicola said. "While you always aim for more, staying realistic is key. Moya has made great progress this year and performed excellently in the world cup. My big goal for 2024 is the Olympics with Katanga van het Dingeshof.” But also brother Thibault Philippaerts put on an exceptional show. He won his first five-star class in Mechelen with Obama de la Linière. On Thursday, he went clear with Obama in the KBC Bank en Verzekering class, and on Friday, he achieved another clear round with Jumper D’Oase in the GP Sport Vlaanderen. On Saturday morning, Thibault narrowly missed winning the Stephex Stables, or the Last Chance, after a clear round and jump-off. “I've had a dream week in Mechelen,” Thibault shares. “Apart from the World Cup, I remained clear in all other classes. My first five-star win and the crowd's euphoric reaction will stay with me for a long time. This week, my horses and I have taken an important step in our careers. My goal for 2024? To do even better in Mechelen.” Olivier Philippaerts had a tougher week, concluding with a fourth-place finish in the Stephex Stables class. Olivier Philippaerts had a strong start at Jumping Mechelen but experienced a somewhat challenging week, finishing in fourth place during the Last Chance. “Indeed, the competition was a bit more inconsistent for me and overall, I'm not too satisfied with the
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