November 5, 2024 
In an age where the competitive window of show jumping horses seems to be lengthening, it’s rare to see less-experienced, 9-year-old horses rounding out a 5* podium—let alone topping it.
Not so in the Longines Grand Prix of Lyon, France, on November 3, when Luxembourg’s Victor Bettendorf and the 9-year-old Selle Français mare Foxy de la Roque proved, not for the first time, that they’re talented beyond their years.
The speedy pair were one of eight on the 47-horse startlist to return for Course Designer Grégory Bodo’s shortened course, stopping the clock at 36.06 seconds ahead of Harrie Smolders (NED) and Monaco N.O.P. on 37.46 seconds, and Simon Delestre (FRA) and Dexter Fontenis Z on 37.58 seconds.
“Foxy de la Roque is truly amazing and showed that again tonight. Only last year, in Deauville, she took part in her first event counting towards the world rankings, and since then she has gone from strength to strength,” said Bettendorf, who has produced Foxy since her 7-year-old season.
“Every time a few centimeters were added, she gave the impression that she was used to jumping that height every weekend. This evening, [Bodo] gave us a good jump-off, in which we could easily take strides off, which is very easy with Foxy, since she has a lot of amplitude in her stride. She is so obedient and gives so much and has so much talent that I’m never worried.”
Bettendorf, 34, is one of only five, FEI-ranked riders hailing from the tiny European country of Luxembourg, with its population of just over 672,000. Sitting at #50 in the world, he is by far the highest-ranked countryman on the list. But with a mare like Foxy de la Roque (Armitages Boy x Kannan) under his saddle, he’s more than well-positioned to climb higher.
So well positioned, in fact, that Foxy de la Roque is one of only five, 9-year-old horses to win a 1.60m+ grand prix this year.
But the mare hasn’t just won a grand prix, she’s won three—jumping clear and into the top 10 in four of her five starts at the height, according to Jumpr stats.
These include CSI5*s in Lyon and the LGCT Grand Prix of Rome—which secured Bettendorf a place in the LGCT Super Grand Prix in Riyadh (November 20-23)—and the CSI4* Grand Prix in La Coruña Spain in July.
For context, only two other horses competing currently who have won three, 1.60m grands prix this year: One is the reigning Olympic Champion Checker 47 (under Christian Kukuk of Germany); the second is the current, highest-earning show jumper of 2024, Leone Jei (under Martin Fuchs of Switzerland). Those horses are age 14 and 12, respectively.
“I wouldn’t say that the courses are easy, but when you have a mare like her, who is really confident, it’s almost as if I go into the arena just to have fun,” Bettendorf said. “I know that if I ride well, I’ll finish with a clear round.
“To sum everything up, I really enjoyed myself tonight,” added Bettendorf, to which we’ll add—speaking for passionate spectators of the sport everywhere—we’re going to enjoy watching them.
