Nicola Philippaerts win FEI World Cup Jumping 2014

Nicola Philippaerts of Belgium and his horse Donatelle-N compete to win the FEI World Cup jumping competition at Gothenburg Horse Show.

Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts produced a career-defining win at the last qualifying round of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping 2013/2014 Western European League in Gothenburg, Sweden on Sunday.

Lying well outside the top-18 qualification zone as the class began, his result sent him rocketing all the way up the leaderboard from 31st to 14th place and into a place at the Final in Lyon, France in seven week’s time.

“I’ve almost no words for this, it’s unbelievable!” said the 20-year-old rider who was filled with excitement after an extraordinary performance that saw him pip three-time FEI World Cup Jumping champion Marcus Ehning from Germany by two-hundredths of a second, while The Netherlands’ Maikel van der Vleuten slotted into third.

 Marcus Ehning of Germany and his horse Plot Blue competes to place 2nd at the FEI World Cup jumping competition at Gothenburg Horse Show.

 Maikel van der Vleuten of The Netherlands and his horse Sapphire compete to place 3rd at the FEI World Cup jumping competition at Gothenburg Horse Show.