Gilles Thomas claims World Cup win
The Nekkerhal erupted in celebration as Gilles Thomas (BEL) secured a spectacular victory in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Qualifier at Mechelen, capping off an extraordinary year for the 27-year-old Belgian star. In a dramatic finish that had the packed arena holding its collective breath, Thomas and his nine-year-old mare Qalista DN clinched victory despite taking a rail in the jump-off – a testament to the mare’s incredible speed and Thomas’s fearless riding.
A nerve-wracking wait
Thomas’s jump-off round appeared nearly flawless as he and Qalista DN flew around the shortened course. After pulling off a sensational turn following the oxer at fence 10, cutting back inside fence one to reach the new vertical at fence 16, the pair seemed unstoppable. But as they approached the inside line to the double combination at fences 4a and 4b, Thomas pushed to make the distance to the oxer at 4a. Coming in slightly farther off than ideal, Qalista couldn’t quite make the stretch to clear the back bar. The pole fell, and audible gasps rippled through the invested home crowd.
With four faults on the board but a lightning-fast time of 41.30 seconds, Thomas held the lead, though he admitted later he had little hope of keeping it. Three world-class partnerships still waited in the wings, two of whom had already claimed World Cup victories earlier this season.
World-class rivals fall short
Sweden’s Marcus Westergren, making his World Cup Qualifier debut, had stunned the knowledgeable Mechelen crowd in round one with a brilliant clear aboard the electric 11-year-old stallion Airco de L Esprit Z. Returning first in the jump-off, Westergren delivered another eye-catching performance, lowering only the second element of the double to finish on four faults in 42.34 seconds – just over one second behind Thomas’s time. The Swede’s career-best second place would prove well-earned.
German rider Patrick Stühlmeyer and Baloutaire PS followed with their own four-fault effort in 44.05 seconds, securing third place. But all eyes turned to the final two riders: current World Cup standings leader Willem Greve (NED) and former world number one Daniel Deusser (GER), who between them had won three legs of the 2025/2026 Western European League.
Greve faced a tactical dilemma, knowing a clear round might not guarantee victory given the recent form of Deusser behind him. He opted for caution over high-risk speed, but when the front rail of fence 4a fell, his slower four-fault round dropped him to fourth place.
The Nekkerhal fell silent as Deusser, victorious in Verona just last month aboard the 11-year-old stallion Otello de Guldenboom, entered the ring. Only a clear round stood between him and victory. The German rode carefully, but when fence 4a claimed yet another victim, the crowd watched the clock anxiously. Deusser’s time of 44.44 seconds placed him fourth, and suddenly the Belgian crowd realised their young hero had done it – Thomas had won his first World Cup on home soil, exactly twelve months after finishing second in this same class with Ermitage Kalone.
A first World Cup for a rising star
For Qalista DN, this victory marked an astonishing debut. The nine-year-old mare was competing in her first-ever World Cup Qualifier, yet she handled the pressure of the packed Nekkerhal and the challenging 1.60-metre course with remarkable composure.
Thomas couldn’t hide his relief and elation. “After such a year, it’s amazing to finish it off like this!” he said. “Until I knew I had won, I was actually still very disappointed because I know my horse is so quick, and maybe I took a bit too much risk there to the double.”
Explaining his reaction to realising he’d secured victory, Thomas admitted: “I wasn’t really watching because I had no doubt already, 99 percent of the time, that Daniel will just finish it off, so I was still very disappointed thinking that last year I was second and this year maybe again. But I turned around and suddenly there were 20 people around me shouting Congratulations!”
Praising his wonderful mare, Thomas concluded: “She’s unbelievable. It’s the first World Cup that she’s jumped and she wins it. Wherever we go this year it’s always the first time for her, all new for her but she takes it all always so easily. She’s won already a lot, and I think she will still win a lot!”
A challenging course
Course designer Bart Vonck (BEL) had set a demanding test for the 40 pre-qualified combinations. His 13-fence track featured a tight time allowed, three verticals set at 1.61 metrers, and a complex combination that tested even the world’s best: a 1.58-metre vertical followed by one stride to a 1.60-metre wide oxer, then one stride to a 1.60-metre vertical on exit. Every single one of Vonck’s 16 jumping efforts was lowered at least once during the class – a testament to the technical difficulty.
At the halfway point of round one, only Westergren and Thomas had posted clear rounds. The packed Nekkerhal had to wait for the final ten combinations before anyone else could join them. Stühlmeyer delivered the third clear, followed by Greve and Deusser, setting up the five-horse jump-off.
An unbelievable year
The victory provides a perfect finale to Thomas’s remarkable 2025 season. As the poster rider for Jumping Mechelen 2025, he entered the week having claimed European Team Gold and Individual Bronze with Belgium’s Red Musketeers at the championships in A Coruña, Spain. His World Cup triumph on home soil adds another prestigious title to an already extraordinary year.
Westergren, meanwhile, was thrilled with his breakthrough performance. “It’s unbelievable, I didn’t expect this at all!” the Swedish rider beamed. “I know the horse is fantastic and that he’d do anything for me – he’s just so nice!” He also praised the Mechelen experience: “It’s incredible; it was unbelievable to be inside there today. The crowd and everybody were amazing. To have people like that around you who really support and are happy for you is so nice!”
World Cup standings
After seven of thirteen legs in the 2025/2026 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Western European League, Willem Greve maintains his lead with 52 points, ahead of Max Kühner (AUT) on 45 points and Daniel Deusser in third with 38 points. Richard Vogel (GER) sits fourth with 36 points, just ahead of Julien Epaillard (FRA) in fifth.
The Western European League now turns its attention to Basel, Switzerland, which hosts leg eight on January 11 to open proceedings for 2026, followed by Leipzig, Germany, on January 18 and Amsterdam on January 25.
Final Results – Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Mechelen
- Gilles Thomas (BEL) & Qalista DN – 4 faults, 41.30 seconds
- Marcus Westergren (SWE) & Airco de L Esprit Z – 4 faults, 42.34 seconds
- Patrick Stühlmeyer (GER) & Baloutaire PS – 4 faults, 44.05 seconds
- Willem Greve (NED) – 4 faults
- Daniel Deusser (GER) & Otello de Guldenboom – 4 faults, 44.44 seconds
Prize money: €250,000 Height: 1.60m 40 starters, 5 in jump-off