Jumping Mechelen 2025

Jumping Mechelen once again closed the calendar year as one of the most significant fixtures of the indoor season. Staged at the Nekkerhal, the 2025 edition brought together elite combinations across jumping, dressage and driving, reinforcing Mechelen’s position as a key stop on the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Western European League, alongside legs of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ and FEI Driving World Cup™. The event’s multi-discipline structure places it among a small group of indoor shows capable of delivering World Cup sport at the highest level across several arenas in the same week.

The compact indoor setting required accuracy, adaptability and tactical clarity across all disciplines, rewarding combinations able to perform with precision under sustained pressure.

Jumping: Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Mechelen

Gilles Thomas (BEL) and 9-year-old Qalista DN, the fastest in a five-combo jump off where remarkably, there were no clear finishes. Image: ©FEI/Dirk Caremans

The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Mechelen, presented by BMW, represented a decisive mid-season qualifier within the Western European League, with riders competing under increasing pressure as the qualification picture began to take shape. The compact indoor arena demanded efficient lines, careful management of stride length and decisive riding through the combinations, rewarding partnerships able to maintain rhythm without sacrificing accuracy.

Gilles Thomas claimed victory after delivering a technically precise performance that balanced forward riding with control through the more demanding lines of the course. His round reflected a growing consistency at World Cup level and added valuable points to his qualification campaign as the series moved toward its next phase. Marcus Westergren (SWE) and Airco de L Esprit Z placed second, after being pathfinders in the jump-off.

The supporting classes across the week reinforced the depth of competition present in Mechelen. Julien Epaillard and Donatello d’Auge continued their strong indoor run by winning the CSI5*-W KBC Bank Verzekering class, once again demonstrating their effectiveness in speed-driven formats where precision and efficiency are decisive. In the CSI5 W BMW Masters, Steve Guerdat and Lancelotta produced a measured, disciplined performance that prioritised accuracy over risk, highlighting the importance of tactical decision-making in the tight indoor setting.

Belgian riders were prominent throughout the programme. Niels Bruynseels and Chacco’s Lando OL secured victory in the Leon Melchior Open Sires of the World presented by Zangersheide, while Nicola Philippaerts claimed the Belgian Indoor Championship title. Together, these results reflected both the international standard of the competition and the strength of the host nation within the indoor circuit.

Dressage: FEI Dressage World Cup™ Mechelen

Larissa Pauluis (BEL) and Flambeau. Image: ©FEI/Dirk Caremans

The dressage competition at Jumping Mechelen 2025 delivered a strong technical showing at one of the final World Cup qualifiers of the calendar year, with riders contesting both the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Freestyle in the Christmas Arena. The classes offered crucial opportunities for combinations to accrue qualifying points and assert their form as the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Western European League progressed.

On home soil, Larissa Pauluis and Flambeau stood out as the leading combination throughout the weekend. In the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Grand Prix presented by De Baian, Pauluis produced a composed, technically proficient test that set the benchmark across the field, showcasing a balanced rhythm, precise geometry and expressive movements that maximised her score. She carried this form directly into the Grand Prix Freestyle, where she achieved a personal best of 82.975% a figure that underscored the strength of her partnership with Flambeau and confirmed her victory across the World Cup stage in Mechelen. Justin Verboomen and Djembe de Hus OLD finished a clear second in both the Grand Prix and Freestyle tests, delivering consistently polished work that complemented his strong competitive profile throughout the indoor season. Rounding out the podium in the Freestyle, Joao Pedro Moreira and Drosa Fürst Kennedy OLD produced a solid performance that combined forward tempo with athletic expression to register 79.280% for third place.

Pauluis’ double success in Mechelen carried additional weight within the World Cup rankings. Her results pushed her ranking upward, positioning her as a serious contender in the FEI Dressage World Cup™ standings as the circuit moved toward upcoming qualifiers such as Basel. Meanwhile, strong performances from Verboomen and Moreira reiterated their competitiveness at this level. The high quality of tests throughout the classes in Mechelen reflected the depth of dressage talent present and offered a clear indication of form heading into the next phase of the season.

Dries Degrieck (BEL) and his team was victorious in Mechelen. Image: ©FEI/Dirk Caremans

Sophia Aurelia George (MON) and her 14-year-old gelding Berlioz d’Hennan. Image: ©FEI/Dirk Caremans

Driving: FEI Driving World Cup™ Mechelen

Mechelen also staged the 7th leg of the FEI Driving World Cup™; the penultimate leg of the World Cup series before the 8th and final leg in Bordeux in February. The tight indoor layout of the Nekkerhal placed a premium on accuracy through the obstacles and rapid transitions, requiring drivers to combine precision with decisive forward driving under sustained pressure.

The Mechelen leg formed part of a closely spaced sequence of major indoor competitions, following the FEI Driving World Cup™ events in Geneva and the London International Horse Show. Several of the world’s leading drivers featured across all three venues, including Dries Degrieck, who carried form through the circuit and secured victory in Mechelen. The progression from Geneva to London and on to Mechelen highlighted the importance of adaptability, as drivers adjusted quickly to differing arena sizes, obstacle layouts and tactical demands.

Performances in Mechelen played a significant role in shaping the early World Cup standings, offering a clear measure of consistency and competitive sharpness as the driving circuit moved into the new year.

Youth and Ponies: FEI Jumping Ponies Trophy Final

Jumping Mechelen also featured the FEI Jumping Ponies Trophy Final, a championship designed to spotlight rising talent on ponies in a structured, high-pressure indoor environment. The final required young riders to navigate courses that tested accuracy, pace and positional balance over fences, with tight time allowed and demanding lines that mirrored senior classes.

In the 2025 Trophy Final, Sophia Aurelia George emerged as the champion after delivering consistent, fault-free rounds across multiple phases. Her performance highlighted a strong partnership with her pony and an ability to manage the technical requirements of a championship setting. George’s win in the Ponies Final exemplifies the effectiveness of structured youth development pathways within international sport, providing young combinations with early exposure to major arenas and the demands of elite competition.

As the indoor calendar closed out 2025, Mechelen offered a timely snapshot of where the sport stands heading into the new year. The concentration of top-level competition across jumping, dressage and driving placed sustained pressure on combinations at a moment when consistency matters the most. Performances here reflected which partnerships are consolidating form and which still have margins to address as the Jumping and Dressage World Cup circuits move to St. Jakobshalle for the Longines CHI Classics Basel, the next major stop on the calendar.