THE Belgian Warmblood mare Tara Van Het Leliehof became a double world champion last weekend, when winning the FEI WBFSH eventing world breeding championship for seven-year-olds at Le Lion d’Angers where, last October, she claimed the six-year-old title. She is the fifth horse, and third mare, to achieve this feat.

Ridden as she was 12 months previously by Belgium’s Lara de Liedekerke-Meier, Tara Van Het Leliehof completed on her winning dressage score (28.6 penalties). Also finishing on his flat work mark under Britain’s Hector Payne was the second-placed Anglo European Studbook-registered gelding Bueno (29), while France’s Alexis Goury placed third on the Selle Francais stallion Jeroboam Wal, whose total of 29.4 included 0.8 of a cross-country time penalty.

Sofie Vereenooghe’s double champion by Pegase van’t Ruytershof was bred by Stal het Leliehof out of the Major de la Cour mare Bonita Van Het Leliehof. The dam’s previous produce include the Nonstop siblings Fidalgo Van Het Leliehof (CSI5*) and Kasper Van Het Leliehof (CSI4*).

Tara Van Het Leliehof was first produced by Italy’s Cecillia Magni, with Liedekerke-Meier taking over the ride in June 2025. On their first international start, they won the CCI1*-Intro at Avenches, which they followed with a 10th place finish in the CCI2* in Arville. They prefaced their world championship win at Le Lion d’Angers with victory in the CCI2*-S for six-year-olds in Strzegom.

This season, Liedekerke-Meier and the bay mare recorded CCI2*-S wins at Luhmühlen and Orp le Grand after which they stepped up a level, finishing second (Kronenberg), sixth (Arville, their home base) and second (Minderhout) before winning last weekend’s world championship in western France. The rider, who is currently lying 16th in the FEI rankings, finished second in this class last year on FRH Helios.

Pressure

Commenting on her win on Sunday, Liedekerke-Meier said: “The pressure was intense. In this kind of situation, it’s difficult being me. I’m so afraid of not doing the mare justice, of letting down my team and her owners. But Tara has so much quality across all three phases.. she is certainly one of the best horses I have ever ridden, and I have an enormous amount of respect for her.”

The highest-placed Irish rider was Ian Cassells, whose 0.4 of a show jumping time fault didn’t affect his final finishing position of ninth (33.3) on Patrick Murphy’s Irish Sport Horse mare Rutland Flamenco (Casallco - Red Flamenco, by Je t’Aime Flamenco). Cassells and the Eugene McEntee-bred bay had claimed the six-year-old silver medal last October behind Liedekerke-Meier and Tara van het Leliehof.

Partnered by British riders, three ISH geldings finished inside the top 10. These were the Jim Tempany-bred Earl Dorado (by Diarado), who was sixth (32.5) under Max Warburton; the Sarah Long-bred Tysons Upto Trix (by Tyson), who was a place further back on the same score in the hands of Lizzie Baugh; and the Maura Kelly-bred Qualitys Snap (by Lagans OBOS Quality), who finished 10th under Emma Carmichael.

Two of the 52 starters were withdrawn in the holding box at the second horse inspection, one was withdrawn beforehand, while five were eliminated over the Pierre Michelet-designed cross-country course.