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Top horses move to new rider as three-time Olympian bows out, aged 61

Becky Murray Becky Murray

    • Three-time Olympic showjumper Dirk Demeersman has announced his retirement from the sport, aged 61.

    The Belgian rider’s career spans decades; he competed at the European Championships on ponies aged 10 in and rode at his first Olympics, the 1992 Barcelona Games, aged 28.

    Dirk represented his country at the 2004 Athens Olympics, finishing fourth individually with Clinton, and in 2012 he rode at the London Games aboard Befureo Van Het Panishof. In 2006 he helped the Belgian team to seventh at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Aachen, and in 2010 he was part of the bronze medal-winning WEG team at Kentucky.

    This week Dirk announced his top stallion Cote D’Or, whom he bred and owns with his wife Kelly Pieck under their business Cavallini Horses, will make his competition debut with Olivier Philippaerts at the Chantilly CSI4*. Dirk’s last international competition with him was the CSIO3* Martofte Nations Cup in May.

    “After 10 years together, Dirk has decided to hand over the reins of Cote D’Or Z to Olivier Philippaerts. Although his passion for the sport remains as strong as ever, he feels that, in the horse’s best interest, this is the right moment for Cote D’Or Z to continue his sporting career with a rider who can help him reach his full international potential,” said a Cavallini Horses spokesperson.

    “At the same time, our home-bred horses Carrasco Z and Little Fellow Z have also joined Team Philippaerts. With this decision, Dirk officially brings his sporting career to a close.”

    The spokesperson added that Kelly and Dirk “made this decision together, with the horses’ best interests always at heart”.

    “They firmly believe this is the right time for each of them to begin a new chapter and wish Team Philippaerts every success and happiness with these exceptional horses,” he said.

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    Becky Murray
    Becky Murray

    H&H senior news writer
    Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
    Becky Murray

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