H&M Harley v/d Bisschop, one of Nicola’s top horses is leaving the Philippaerts family. He found home in Ireland. Just a few weeks ago, Nicola and H&M Harley v/d Bisschop rode two spotless rounds in the Nations Cup Final in Barcelona, resulting in a first place for Belgium. A month ago, this super duo placed 5th in the GP of Spruce Meadows.
H&M Harley v/d Bisschop arrived in our family as a 7 year old gelding. Nicola immediately knew it: this horse was made for him, there was a vibe between them. They started to train together and their hard work payed off… In 2016 they did not only rode their first 5* jumping in Tryon, they also won the competition. These two really started to get on fire… In June they won their first Longines Global Champions Tour in Cascais. After this victory, Nicola and Harley were unstoppable. Another victory in the Longines Global Champions Tour in Hamburg, a second place in Madrid, not to mention their 5th place in Spruce Meadows and victory in the Nations Cup Final followed soon.
It was Cian O'Connor who brought Bertam and Nicola in contact. “I still remember Harley’s first day as if it was yesterday.”, says Nicola. “ The past 4,5 years I really got to train with him and I got the best out of him. He was and still is really one of the best. I’ld like to thank Ben Beevers for giving me the chance to ride and shape Harley. We have some precious memories together. I wouldn’t be where I am now without this special horse. Therefore, it’s very hard to say goodbye to this him. Unfortunately, that’s part of the job. The day you start to work with a horse, you know that this moment will arrive one day. We are athletes, but there is also a business behind. I’ll always remember the good things and the lessons we learned together. Especially our last year together was tremendous. Our results speak for themselves… I’m glad to know that he’s getting a warm welcome at his new stables. I wish them the very best for the future.”.
