November 22, 2024 
The top-ranked show jumping export from Luxembourg, Victor Bettendorf, is having a storybook year.
If you’d asked him where he’d be 10 months ago, though, topping the podium in the LGCT Super Cup probably wouldn’t have been it.
“In the beginning of the year, I lost my best horse that was qualified for the Olympics. I didn’t really have a horse ready to jump the bigger classes,” Bettendorf told GCTV of Mr. Tac, the mount he won his first *5 on in February of 2023.
Ten months later, the horse’s owners moved Mr. Tac to Harrie Smolders’s (NED) stable. That left Bettendorf out of the Olympics and without a top horse—but with one, very talented 9-year-old.
“We had the plan for [Foxy de la Roque] that she would be building up this year to be ready [for the top level] next year. I went to [LGCT] Rome and I just said, ‘Okay, let’s give it a go. She jumped nice in La Coruna [Spain], so I will try Rome.’ And then, everything just happened so fast.”
“Fast” is an understatement.
But if horses tell their riders what they’re capable of, then the Selle Français mare with next-level talent has clearly made her position known. She and Bettendorf won the LGCT Grand Prix of Rome in September, earning their golden ticket to the GC Riyadh Playoffs in November.
Now, they are the 2024 €1.25 million LGCT Super Grand Prix Champions.
“I always repeat myself with that mare, but it’s much easier than with other horses. She’s so willing to do well,” Bettendorf, 34, said. “I’m always joking that I just need to remember the course, and then, normally, there’s not so many things that can happen.”
One thing that reliably happens, though? Foxy de la Roque wins.
In fact, if you count the two 1.65m+ rounds of the LGCT Super Grand Prix, the mare—who also topped the class in Round 1—has jumped just six *5, 1.60m+ classes in her life, and won five of them. According to her Jumpr Stats, that’s an 83% clear rate and top three finish percentage.
“I tried to relax her and keep her as calm as possible [this week] because she’s very, very sensitive and can get a bit stressed,” explained Bettendorf, noting that it’s been a show of firsts for the mare. Foxy not only jumped her first 1.65m track in Riyadh, but also jumped for the first time under the lights.
Naturally, the mare took it all in her smooth, ground-covering stride.
Plus, Bettendorf had luck on his side, drawing the ideal pole position on the startlist for Round 1, giving him the advantage of watching as many riders before him as he chose. After jumping one of three clears alongside Belgium’s Gilles Thomas with Ermitage Kalone, and Austria’s Max Kühner with Elektric Blue P, Bettendorf had the advantage of a fast horse and the final shot at glory in Round 2.
There, Kühner had a rail down, creating a match-race between Thomas, Bettendorf, and two of the most talented young horses in the sport.
Despite a valiant effort from the young Belgian rider—including a fair amount of risk for the normally conservative pair—the day was all Bettendorf and Foxy’s.
“I think [second] was the highest place possible for me and my horse today,” Thomas said. “I think Victor Bettendorf’s clear was [unbeatable].
“I wanted to take some risk and put some pressure on the rest still to come. Luckily, Marcus Ehning was there, and he really pushed me to go for it. And it’s not every year that you can ride a Super Grand Prix, so I really wanted [to try].”
Stopping the clock at 66.98 seconds Bettendorf and Foxy were more than three seconds faster than Thomas and Ermitage on 70.28. Ireland’s Michael Duffy, riding Quirex, finished third on his two time faults from Round 1.
“[Foxy] felt amazing. The feeling she [gave], she jumped even better in the second round. I don’t know, the whole week was just working to plan,” said Bettendorf, who might, in retrospect, say the same thing about his surreal 2024 season.
When asked what he was thinking about a possible win between rounds, the rider from Luxembourg was confidently pragmatic. “I just said to myself, if not today, when should it happen?”
Question asked and answered.
