On Thursday afternoon the National Olympic Committee announced the riders that will be representing the Belgium at the 2021 Olympics. Gregory Wathelet, Jérôme Guéry, Niels Bruynseels and Yves Vanderhasselt have been chosen as the team riders. All four are currently competing at Knokke Hippique and are very excited to officially begin their road to Tokyo.
Gregory Wathelet, who was part of the winning team at the 2019 European Championships in Rotterdam with the approved stallion Nevados S, is looking forward to the Olympics with confidence. “We are able to prepare for the Olympics at fantastic shows like Knokke Hippique. Our task is to have the horses in the best possible shape. In Tokyo it will come down to the details. And there is always the factor of that little bit of luck involved of course. But with this team I am confident we will be able to make a difference.”
For Niels Bruynseels it is the first time he has been selected to represent Belgium at the Olympics.
“It is an honor to be chosen. We have a very strong selection of top horses and riders, so I am very proud to be part of the team. The Olympics have been in the back of my mind for a long time but now the journey really begins. With Delux I’ve always know I had a fantastic horse with lots of potential. So, I am eager to play my part in the team. We will strive for the highest achievable result and aim to perform at our absolute best.”
The horses that the gentlemen will now officially be preparing for the Olympics are:
– Delux van T&L (Toulon x Landetto) competing with Niels Bruynseels
– Quel Homme de Hus (Quidam de Revel x Candillo) competing with Jérôme Guéry
– Nevados S (Calvados Z x Romualdo) competing with Gregory Wathelet
Yves VanderHasselt is the reserve rider who will be travelling with the team. He is also present at Knokke Hippique with his soon to be Olympic horse Jeunesse (Eldorado van de Zeshoek x Quasimodo vd Molendreef).