Up close and personal with Pieter Devos

Pieter Devos together with his transcend mare, Candy. © Rolex Grand Slam/ Michael Strauch

Belgian passenger Pieter Devos is the outset passenger amongst the endangerment to write equestrian sport history inward the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping, every bit the CHI Geneva gets nether way.

After his victory at the Spruce Meadows Masters, if Devos rides to victory inward the Rolex Grand Prix he volition secure himself €500,000  in add-on to the regular prize-money, together with a farther victory inward the Rolex Grand Prix at the CHIO Aachen adjacent twelvemonth would hateful he would pick upward €1 million inward total.

But fifty-fifty to a greater extent than of import than that, he would acquire a sporting legend. In this interview, he talks nigh Calgary, Geneva together with his electrical current solid soil of mind. 

What was it similar beating Steve Guerdat together with Penelope Leprevost inward ane of the toughest jumping competitions inward the world, the CN International Grand Prix presented past times Rolex at the Spruce Meadows Masters?
Phenomenal.  I soundless can’t genuinely believe it, Steve is the Olympic gilded medallist, ane of the best riders inward the world. It wasn’t until I saw Steve adjacent to me during the prize-ceremony that I knew it was genuinely true. It was of class the best twenty-four hr menses inward my sporting career thus far.

How has the success changed your life?
Many doors receive got opened up, I receive got been invited to shows that I wasn’t able to compete at before.  The press is showing increased involvement inward me, it genuinely has promoted my career.

Did you lot receive got a political party at home?
Yes, nosotros did genuinely agree a pocket-sized political party for the outset fourth dimension ever later on a victory inward a Grand Prix.  Normally you lot ship take away on to the adjacent show, focus on the adjacent competition, life merely continues.  But this fourth dimension I wanted to enjoy the instant together with about of my friends said: It is fourth dimension to celebrate.  And they were correct (laughs).

What was the atmosphere inward Calgary similar for you?
It was the outset fourth dimension I competed there, the outset fourth dimension I entered the stadium was incredible, absolutely indescribable.  It is non a riding arena, it is a massive park.  It was an unbelievable experience.  During the Grand Prix the spectators were sensational – they fired me on no end.  Beforehand everyone had told me how unbelievable it was, together with I just kept proverb yeah, aye (laughs).  And now? I tell to them: It is unbelievable (laughs).  Incidentally, something else made it peculiarly special winning at that spot for me: I brought on together with trained my Equus caballus “Candy” myself together with a lot of people didn’t retrieve we’d handle to win a hard Grand Prix.  Well, nosotros sure enough showed them (laughs).

Tell me a chip nigh Candy.
She is non at all spooky together with she has made fast progress.  Within no fourth dimension at all, nosotros were able to motility on from 1.20-metre jumps upward to 1.40-metre jumps.  And she is incredibly attentive together with careful together with she ever fights hard for me – that is the most of import thing.

Will you lot move riding her at the CHI inward Geneva?
I retrieve so.  I am extremely fortunate to receive got a 2nd horse, namely “Dream of Bharat Greenfield” that I tin lavatory ride inward the transcend competitions, but I volition move placing my bets on Candy for Geneva.

What goes inward Candy’s favour?
The hall inward Geneva is huge together with the mare needs enough of space, thus that is ideal for her. That is why she is going to move my outset alternative for Geneva.

Pieter Devos later on his win inward Calgary.

How make you lot estimate your chances?
It is non going to move slow (laughs).  No, seriously: The best riders inward the footing volition move competing together with they all desire to win – whereas I am soundless pretty immature together with receive got piffling experience at such large indoor shows.  But that was the representative earlier Spruce Meadows too, thus why shouldn’t it operate out again?  Why non move a chip optimistic.

You tin lavatory write history…
… together with move the outset passenger to win the Rolex Grand Slam.  H5N1 wonderful slice of history, which withal sure enough doesn’t brand things easier.  I definitely won’t move completely relaxed inward the saddle, because I know how many additional pairs of eyes volition move fixed on me.  On the other hand, it does also give you lot a share of extra motivation.

Do you lot retrieve nigh it often?
I elbow grease to blend it out a bit.  It is ane of the most exciting, perchance indeed the most exciting pieces of history that is going to move written inward the equestrian sport.  The Rolex Grand Slam doesn’t just stand upward for the chance to win a huge amount of money.  It also gives the riders a endangerment to acquire out downward inward history.  Obviously, it is fantastic to receive got this chance, but it goes without saying: it puts an enormous amount of describe per unit of measurement area on, too.

What make you lot retrieve nigh the Rolex Grand Slam?
It really skilful for the sport.  It gives us riders additional motivation, but the Rolex Grand Slam is much to a greater extent than than that, because it attracts a huge amount of attention.  Among the fans, the media, amid everyone involved inward the sport.

You are a professional person rider, but you lot are non subject on the sport to brand a living …
No, I soundless operate at my parent’s company, nosotros make together with export fruit on our farm inward Beekkevoort, Belgium.

… where you lot also train?
Yes, nosotros receive got just moved into a newly erected stable block.  It is a totally novel complex amongst a large outdoor arena, an indoor arena together with twoscore boxes.  The atmospheric condition are top.  Incidentally, about other of import request for me is that my lady friend plant there, she runs the stables.  My blood brother together with sister-in-law ride too, nosotros are a existent identify unit of measurement team.  And the fellowship way nosotros are a chip to a greater extent than independent together with tin lavatory maintain about of the skilful horses.

Riding at transcend level, edifice a novel yard, working at your parent’s company…
… the past times few months together with years definitely weren’t boring.  But let’s move honest: I am immature together with receive got wonderful opportunities, which you lot receive got to grasp together with receive got payoff of together with that is just what I am doing at the moment.

How did you lot notice your way into the equestrian sport?
My parents had horses, thus it was a logical step.  My outset pony was called Moonjump, he wasn’t just really good behaved.  I don’t know just how often, but I savage off that many times that my parents wanted to sell him, but I didn’t desire them to.  Ultimately, I learnt an awful lot from Moonjump.

Did you lot already desire to acquire a present jumper dorsum together with thus amongst Moonjump?
Oh yes, that is all I wanted to make from the really outset 2nd I sat inward the saddle: jump. My parents are also present jumpers, thus at that spot was no query nigh it.

You receive got shown really constant development, improving steadily all the time.  Have you lot got whatever specific plans or a major destination inward your life?
Simply waiting to encounter what happens, is sure enough non my strategy.  When I move inward the ring, my excogitation is quite simple: I desire to win.  If you lot don’t ever elbow grease to win, you lot never will.  My major goal?  Taking purpose inward the Olympic Games, that would move super.

What is your most outstanding characteristic?
I was never given horses that were ready to compete, that I just had to climb on together with steer circular the course.  In auto jargon, ane would say: I receive got never driven an automatic. I receive got ever schooled my horses myself.  So, I would tell my most outstanding feature is that I experience at domicile riding a broad hit of dissimilar horses – because I suit to suit the Equus caballus together with non vice versa.  I don’t receive got ane laid organisation that has to operate come upward what may; instead, I recognise the lineament of a Equus caballus together with elbow grease to exploit it to the full.  This has enabled me to achieve top-level sport amongst several horses.

 

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