BMW Masters: Simon Delestre and Iniesta V take the lead over the giant jumps and fast competitors.

There were 10 of them: world class riders that gave their all to win Jumping Mechelen highest class. The BMW Masters is a show that always adds extra tension and atmosphere for the audience. First all combinations ride a basic course. Those who stay clear may participate in a series of maximum 4 jump-offs. Each rider gets to choose 1 jump that’s put up a hole.

The participants sure were great. Because 5 riders made it to the 4th and last jump-off, that would be won by the fastest clear combination. This year the Frenchman Simon Delestre and Iniesta V (Zambesi TN x VDL Groep No Limit) took the win. And they did it with class! You couldn’t see they’d already jumped that much rounds.

Simon: “Tired? No, absolutely not! The adrenaline just rushes through you during such a class. Iniesta is only nine but she’s such a competition animal. Tomorrow she’ll be completely fresh again.” Strategically Delestre didn’t have the best startitng number on the list. “I was almost always last to go. Therefore I couldn’t choose which jumps I wanted to be put up. But in the end, when time became important, being the last one to ride is a huge advantage. So I knew what I had to do to win.”

Simon Delestre can now call a brand new BMW his own. “Yes, I’ve been an ambassador for BMW before so I’m really happy that I can take this car home.” Before he does that, Simon still has a busy Jumping Mechelen schedule. You can watch him in the Grand Prix’s and he’ll also be competing in the Longines FEI World Cup, presented by BMW, the absolute highlight of Jumping Mechelen.