More than 30 years later, Wim Verwimp leads Belgian Dressage Championships once again

 In 1994, Wim Verwimp claimed the Belgian Dressage Championship title with Clyde. More than thirty years later, the Belgian rider once again finds himself at the top of the leaderboard. When Verwimp rode his last international Grand Prix in 2014, a return to the highest level did not seem particularly likely. Yet ten years later, the Belgian dressage rider is back in the spotlight.

Together with Jedai de Massa, he won yesterday’s Grand Prix at the Belgian Dressage Championships in Lier and now leads the overall standings. “I rode a very pleasant test and I’m happy we were able to continue the form we showed last week,” said Verwimp, who is also one of the organisers of the Belgian Championships. With a score of 72.435%, he finished ahead of the competition in the opening class of the championship. The result continues an impressive run of form. Last week, Verwimp was part of the Belgian team that secured victory in the FEI Dressage Nations Cup on home soil for the second consecutive year. One day later, he also claimed victory in the Grand Prix Special.

“Jedai suited me better”
Much of that success comes with a horse that has already enjoyed a remarkable career. The fifteen-year-old Jedai de Massa (by Don Juan de Hus) was crowned French Reserve Champion as a six-year-old under Nicolas Giraud. French rider Arnaud Serre had produced the gelding from the age of three. Jedai was later purchased by Korean rider Eon Jin Chin, who between 2017 and 2022 also acquired several other horses in France, including Zocraat, Lancelot, Fancy, Bolena and Vicomte de Reyves. After being ridden by several riders, Jedai eventually found his way to Danish dressage star Catherine Dufour. Later, Wim’s daughter Jorinde Verwimp took over the reins before her father stepped into the saddle himself. “Jedai suited me better than Jorinde,” explains Verwimp. “That’s why I decided to take over the ride.”

Belgian title within reach
With considerable success, as it turns out. Although his last international Grand Prix appearance dated back to 2014, Verwimp has once again established himself among Belgium’s leading Grand Prix riders. And perhaps there is even more to come. His last Belgian championship title dates back to 1994, when he claimed gold with Clyde (by Ramiro Z). With the Grand Prix Special scheduled for Saturday and the Freestyle to Music on Sunday, Verwimp still has two tests to complete in his bid to add a second Belgian title to his record more than three decades after his first.

Top five
In the Grand Prix, Wim Verwimp faced his strongest challenge from Jeroen Devroe. Riding Lestor, Devroe finished second on 69.630%, while also taking third place with Jackpot on 69.087%. Fourth place went to Suraya Hendrikx and Dear Friend 2 with a score of 68.413%, while Wouter D’Hoore completed the top five aboard Jessica on 68.391%. The Belgian Senior Championship continues today at 17.00 with the Grand Prix Special.

Results