Belgium’s Ludo Philippaerts Retires Officially from International Sport….

Ludo finished third in the 2012 CN International Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows next to his son, Olivier, who became the youngest winner of the prestigious Million dollar Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows

Ludo Philippaerts convened a press conference in Belgium this week to announce that he is officially hanging up his boots and retiring from international competition. Nearly ten months after his last competition in Mons, he has made the announcement. At the age of 51 years old, Philippaerts has been a long-standing and well-respected international representative for Belgium.  Ludo holds the record for six Belgian Championships.

The long-standing Belgian rider earned a Team Gold medal at the 1991 European Championships, and an Individual Silver medal at the 2001 European Championships. Attending several Olympic Games, World Championships and World Cup Finals for Belgium, Ludo finished ever so close to the podium twice; once aboard Otterongo at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia and once with Parco at the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Ludo Philippaerts is and remains, of course, especially linked with the famous sire of his top horses Parco and Otterongo, the legendary BWP-Stallion Darco. The pair famously won the World Cup in London. His stallion Darco is now one of the fundamental pillars in Belgian sporthorse breeding.

“For 46 years I have practiced my sport with ups and downs, setbacks and successes. The sport has given me everything, but I have had to fight hard for it and that’s why I’m so proud my career,” said Philippaerts at the press conference this week. “Now it’s time to pass on the torch and finally quit my career as an athlete. Nicola and Olivier have already shown fantastic things, but they still have a long way to go.”

Source: Galop.be/Sporza.be