Wow, what a rollercoaster it has been lately for Nicola. After a month from one hotel to another, he’s happy to be back home for a while. Anyway, last month’s performances were excellent. Nicola rode some very good rounds, not only with H&M Chilli Willi and H&M Harley v/d Bisschop but also with J’Adore van het Schaeck.
Nicola ended his though month at the Nations Cup Final with H&M Harley v/d Bisschop in Barcelona. “We kicked off the Nations Cup on Friday with some amazing rounds, and Niels just kept the flow going on Sunday. Unfortunately, Jos and Pieter collected 12 faults in the middle. All pressure was on me and Harley now, as we were the last ones to go.”, says Nicola. But once again, they rode a foot-perfect run. In the end Belgium was the only team that managed to produce two clear rounds.
Nicola is contented, “A 5th place in the GP at Spruce Meadows and a 5th place at the Belgian Championships. Actually, I couldn’t be more satisfied. Even more when I realize that J’Adore van het Schaeck has not so much experience yet at this level and she already managed to reach these results.”. Nicola left to Tryon for the World Cup with Chilli Willi straight after the Belgian Championships. “Off course, you can always do better. But overall, I’m pretty happy with our results in Tryon as it was my first World Cup. The last day was very though, but I still won’t forget our two clear rounds, jumped by an amazing Chilli Willi. The World Cup is a very difficult show, the fences are higher than ever, the pressure is high and the course is very challenging. You can’t compare the World Cup with the Nations Cup, there is a very big difference.”, says Nicola.
Now, it’s time to take a step back and relax a little. At least, for a month. H&M Harley v/d Bisschop and H&M Chilli Willi took this pretty literally, and enjoy the fresh air at the seacoast this month. “They really needed some rest, just like I do. My next big show will be Jumping Luik. After Jumping Luik, we’ll leave to Doha for the final stage of the 2018 Longines Global Championship. But first, time to rest”.
