Eighteen year-old William Whitaker was taken the Rolex FEI World Cup Qualifier in Mechelen by storm this afternoon, beating a world class field to take the victory.

William, based in Whatton, Nottinghamshire with his Uncle Michael riding Arielle, a twelve year-old grey mare, jumped one of only three double clear rounds of the competition to take the win by the narrowest of margins from Germany’s Alois Pollman-Schweckhorst. William, still reeling from his sensational triumph in the Olympia Puissance last week, takes home a brand new car as his reward for today’s victory!

CSI-W Mechelen - Rolex FEI World Cup Qualifier

1st William Whitaker GBR Arielle 0/0 41.28 secs
2nd Alois Pollman-Schweckhorst GER Lord Luis 0/0 41.74 secs
3rd Max Kuhner GER Acantus GK 0/0 45.27 secs
4th Franz-Josef Dahlmann GER Piquer Calanda 0/8 42.68 secs
5th Harry Smolders NED Exquis Oliver Q 0/8 42.97 secs
6th Pieter Devios BEL Tekila D 4 68.30 secs

Also in the Mechelen Grand Prix, Ben Maher from Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, rode to victory aboard Daniel Paul’s nine year-old bay mare, Rolette.