March 16, 2025 
Three out five ain’t half bad.
Five is how many Grand Prix classes Jos Verlooy (BEL) has jumped with FTS Killossery Konfusion at Desert International Horse Park this winter. Three is how many they’ve won.
The pair topped both CSI4* Grands Prix on offer in Thermal, CA, winning Week 3 and Week 10 of the Desert Circuit, and were second in the 5* Grand Prix on Week 4. They also won the CSI3* Grand Prix on Week 9.
“It’s been an unbelievable season,” said Verlooy. “All the credit to my horse. He’s been in incredible form, and I think this was a cherry on the cake with this jump-off.”
It’s been a sweet streak to be sure. Verlooy and the 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding have won four Grands Prix since 2021. Their bread and butter heights are 1.45m to 1.50m, accounting for 103 of their career 164 FEI starts. They have a 64% clear round rate at both heights and have only jumped 13 rounds at 1.55m and just six at 1.60m+ (Jumpr stats).
Ask Verlooy, and he’ll tell you he had a winning strategy in California.
“I selected him for the right classes—just the good money classes. I really just kept him fresh for those classes, and he really knows when the day is to perform,” said the Belgian Olympian. “He knows his job. He knows that he has to be clear and fast. He just knows also [this class] is special. It was full house, and the horse is smart so he knows!”
Eight riders advanced to Peter Grant’s jump off in in the CSI4* KASK & Vogel Grand Prix on Saturday. Verlooy and “Konfusion” shaved over a second off the 45.35 second time to beat set by USA’s Keri Potter and Kalimera van de Nethe Z, stopping the clock at 44.03.
“I was so willing to win this grand prix,” said Verlooy. “From the beginning of the circuit, it was going great. This whole week, [this class is] already itching me. I won the grand prix last week, and it was itching me to win again this week! I didn’t want to let [FTS Killossery Konfusion] down. I was lucky to go in the end, and I saw a few before me; they were very, very fast. So, I was just going to go all or nothing, and thank God it worked out and it was everything!”
Potter and Kalimera van de Nethe Z, held on to second place. Third place went to Ireland’s Conor Swail and My Lady Lavista.
Week 10 marks the culmination of the 2025 Desert Winter Circuit.
