Devos Stables

The Story

Top Ranked Belgian Show Jumper Pieter Devos is a man like no other. From humble beginnings in Belgium, Pieter has beaten the odds, following his dream of becoming one of the world’s greatest athletes, always with the understanding that hard work and dedication are core elements to make dreams come true. Now one of the most respected horseman in the world, Pieter manages his own career as a top level athlete, as well as being one of the biggest exporters of apples and pears in Belgium - a farm which he grew from a small family business into one of the top distributers in Europe. Always going above and beyond, Pieter’s work ethic is second to none as he continues to look for adventure - all the while never losing sight of the most important element in his life; his young family.

Pieter married Caroline Poels in 2015 - a world class show jumper in her own right - and the couple have a daughter, Lisa, born in 2017, and a son, Vic, who was born in 2019. With his brother Wouter also competiting and helping to produce upcoming talent at their stables in Bekkevoort, and with his mother and father still living on site and helping to support both businesses, the Devos team are a close-knit family with a drive to succeed.

First put on a pony aged 5, Pieter's love of horses was passed down through his parents, and together with his brother Wouter, the pair would ride and compete all across Belgium. With many years of youth international competition under his belt, Pieter was crowned Belgian Champion in both the Ponies and Young Rider categories. Pieter began jumping at the senior level in 2007, and his impressive form in 2008 resulted in his selection to compete at major events such as Hickstead and Dublin, with Pieter making his debut on a world class stage. At the end of that year, he was voted Talent of the Year by the Flemish Horse Riding League. Although selected to ride at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY (USA), Pieter's mount for the games, Equipharma Utopia vd Donkhoeve, injured herself in the stables, ending the pair's championship trip early - a disappointing blow for Pieter at his Championship debut.

With an eye for talent, Pieter had one good Grand Prix horse after another coming into his stable including Tekila D, Candy, Dylano and Dream of India Greenfield to name just a few. Candy would be the horse to shoot him into world recognition by winning the $1 million CN International of Spruce Meadows, a 5* competition that makes up one stop in the world famous Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping. In 2014, Pieter competed at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy (FRA) with Dream of India Greenfield and the FEI Nations Cup Final in Barcelona (ESP) with Dylano. Dylano and Devos were also selected for the Belgian team at the European Championships in Aachen (GER).

In 2017, after he became Belgian Champion, Pieter was once again selected for both the Nations Cup Final team and the European Championships team, both riding Espoir. The team brought home the bronze medal at the Nations Cup Finals and was fourth at the European Championships. He was also fifth individually at the European Championships and won the Grand Prix of Barcelona during the Nations Cup Final with Claire Z. In 2018, Pieter jumped at his first FEI World Cup Jumping Finals in Paris (FRA) with Espoir, where the pair finished 9th overall. He and the Belgian team also won the FEI Nations Cup Finals, the first championship that he jumped with Claire Z, a horse who would prove to be something special in the years to follow.

2019 would be a strong year for Pieter, winning the World Cup in Bordeaux with Espoir, as well as the Grand Prix of Doha, the World Cup of Stuttgard with Apart (his second consecutive win) and a win at the Longines Global Champions Tour of Miami Beach aboard Claire Z.

With the forthcoming Olympics in mind, Pieter is riding the wave of success with his show jumping career which has gone from strength to strength. In 2019 alone, Pieter took silver in the Longines Global Champions Tour - one of the most prestigious show jumping Championships in the world, as well as being consistently ranked in the world’s top 10 show jumpers. Over the years Pieter has achieved many major Grand Prix wins, and has represented his country multiple times in Nations Cups, and European and World Championships, achieving gold in 2019. Most recent highlights include:

Current World Number 6 and top ranked Belgian rider in the sport
Awarded 2019 Athlete of the Year in Belgium, and awarded Rider of the Year by Longines Global Champions Tour
Gold Medalist at the 2019 European Championships
Consistently in the Top 30 Ranked Riders in the world for over 10 years