08/07/2026
We have an announcement to make…
This weekend, Cote d’Or Z (Carambole x Diamant de Semilly), bred and owned by Cavallini Horses (Kelly Pieck & Dirk Demeersman), will make his debut with Olivier Philippaerts at the CSI4* Chantilly Classic.
After ten years together, Dirk has decided to hand over the reins of Cote d’Or Z to Olivier Philippaerts. Although his passion for the sport remains as strong as ever, he feels that, in the horse’s best interest, this is the right moment for Cote d’Or Z to continue his sporting career with a rider who can help him reach his full international potential.
At the same time, our homebred horses Carrasco Z (Cornet Obolensky x Diamant de Semilly) and Little Fellow Z (Leandro VG x Diamant de Semilly) have also joined Team Philippaerts. With this decision, Dirk officially brings his sporting career to a close.
Kelly and Dirk made this decision together, with the horses’ best interests always at heart. They firmly believe this is the right time for each of them to begin a new chapter and wish Team Philippaerts every success and happiness with these exceptional horses.
We feel incredibly proud to have had these homebred horses as part of our team for so many years, and we are deeply grateful for everything we have achieved together. We will be cheering them on every step of the way as they continue their journey. 🍀
