A legendary moment is just around the corner for our family. All five of us will compete at Knokke Hippique. Not only Nicola, Olivier, Thibault and Anthony, but also Ludo enters the ring. Even better: for the first time ever they gear up for a battle against each other in the 7-years-old class.
Last weekend, Olivier rode the Longines Global Champions Tour of Stockholm, where he finished 6th. In the current standings, the London Knights take up the fourth place. Unfortunately, Olivier got an injury at his knee here and needs to take it slow for now. However, he still hopes to ride at Knokke Hippique. On Thursday, we’ll know if he can make it or not.
Nicola was present at the Nations Cup in Sopot (Poland). Together with Katanga v/h Dingeshof he rode double clear and helped Belgium towards that second place.
“When you take a look at the results from the past six months, you’ll see that she jumps clear or gets just four faults. Last Sunday, she proved herself again as a reputable team member. You really need a special horse to ride a Nations Cup, and she definitely is. We got some bad luck in Saint-Tropez, but she finished second in the qualifications already. She's in good shape, I hope she'll continue like this."
Our next mission awaits us in Knokke, where Knokke Hippique takes place. For the first time, all four sons and father Ludo will compete at the same show. "We battle up against each other in the 7-years-old competition, and I will try to win. I've trained a lot and I'm ready.", says Ludo eagerly. And our pater familias means every word he says. "I'm really looking forward to it, as it will be my first show in Belgium since I started riding again. Of course, I'll help my sons when they ride the Grand Prix, but my focus will be more on myself. Anyway, it promises to be fun."
Nicola smiles when listening to his father, "We'll see who's the fastest. When one of us takes the lead, I'm sure we'll try to beat that one. Ain't nothing wrong with some healthy competition. I'm especially looking forward to riding all together. It will be a memorable and exciting family moment."
