Today, in its annual tradition, Paardensport Vlaanderen awarded the “Talent of the Year” award. This prestigious title is reserved for the most remarkable prospect within the A-team. It’s worth noting that a rider can only receive this award once. This year, eventing rider Jarno Verwimp has the honor of succeeding Thibault Philippaerts as the Talent of the Year.
Jarno Verwimp
Belgian eventing is certainly on the rise! After an incredibly successful season, with multiple wins and places of honour in the Nations Cup series, the eventing team got selected for the Olympics in Paris and became the overall winners of the 2023 Nations Cups series. One of the constant performers in the eventing discipline is Jarno Verwimp. No stranger, as Jarno has been in the Talents plan since 2017. The Belgian eventing riders rode several miles across Europe last year on their way to the Nations Cup competitions, and with success. Jarno was in the team several times and contributed to many wonderful performances. In 2022, he made the switch to senior level and delivered an amazing performance at the World Championships in Pratoni (ITA). This year he started his season successfully in Montelibretti (ITA) with a gold team medal and individual 2nd place in the CCI4-S. In May, Jarno was in the team in Chatsworth (GB) where they took another first place, and he became 10th individually in the CCI4-S. He was also successful at the Nations Cup in Millstreet (team silver) and Arville (team gold). Besides these team performances, Jarno placed several times at the national and international level. In August, he was selected to represent Belgium at theEuropean Championships in Le Pin au Haras (FR). The team took 7th place, confirming the ticket to Paris. The expert panel was unanimous: Jarno is deservedly Talent of the Year 2023. He will receive a training package worth 7500 euros and a beautiful trophy crafted by AM Art.
Talententeam
The Talententeam, supported by Cavalor for many years, undertook a transformation. From now on, Puissance will also be supporting the Talents Plan. The content of the Talent Plan also received an update. As of 2024 the teams are being composed based on new criteria. The support each team recieves also underwent a transformation. Details will be revealed during the Kick-Off Event on 22 January 2024.
Curious to know more? Keep an eye on the (social) media channels of Paardensport Vlaanderen. With 104 riders in the Talentenplan, the future already looks promising. These young riders are further supported by Paardensport Vlaanderen in their personal development through training, mental coaching, physical support and so on.
