{"id":50403,"date":"2026-07-08T13:52:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T11:52:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/?p=50403"},"modified":"2026-07-10T13:27:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T11:27:27","slug":"dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/en\/reportages\/2026\/07\/08\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\/","title":{"rendered":"Dirk Demeersman Dismounts: The Final Lesson of a Builder"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some goodbyes come with fanfare. Others happen more quietly, because they have to. A few days before his 62nd birthday, Dirk Demeersman has chosen to leave on tiptoe. No more boots. No more saddle. No more lorries to load before dawn. The former Belgian Olympian is officially passing the reins. And he is doing it with three horses born at his place, raised at his place, shaped by him\u2026 now entrusted to Olivier Philippaerts to write the next chapter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some handovers feel like declarations of love<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the past two weeks, a new trio has been drawing attention at the Philippaerts stables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One grey, one bay. One almost white.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their names already tell a story: Carrasco Z<\/strong>, a ten-year-old stallion by Cornet Obolensky out of a Diamant de Semilly mare; C\u00f4te d\u2019Or Z<\/strong>, another ten-year-old stallion, by Carambole out of a Diamant de Semilly mare; Little Fellow Z<\/strong>, a seven-year-old gelding by Leandro VG out of a Diamant de Semilly mare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They share one obvious thing in common: all three are out of Diamond\u2019s Billy<\/strong>, a BWP mare bred by Koen de Waele.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They share another, far more intimate one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They were all born at Dirk Demeersman\u2019s place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And above all, they are the final three horses into which the rider from Sint-Truiden had invested what remained of his sporting dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\u201cThey were all born here. They all have the same mother. And I said: with these ones, maybe I want to try to go a bit higher again. I built them\u2026 but honestly, I\u2019ve had enough.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The sentence almost lands with a smile. But it says far more than fatigue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The hardest part is not stopping. It is knowing when to stop.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a sport where many hold on until one horse too many, or one show too many, Dirk Demeersman has chosen a different exit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One guided by honesty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\u201cI always said: the moment I feel I am starting to get in the way of my horses\u2019 careers, I will stop.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Today, he believes that moment has arrived. The two older horses are ten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They have already jumped up to 1.50m and 1.55m. For him, they are ready. Just\u2026 no longer for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\u201cI think they are ready now to go further. And I do not want to slow down their careers.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The assessment is clear-headed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without bitterness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because the very highest level demands a rhythm that three horses can no longer provide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because the kilometres, the health papers, the tachographs and the travelling have become a discipline of their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because the body, too, eventually starts talking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
Age is there. My body is worn out. It has been a few weeks since I last rode a horse\u2026 and I have to say, I already feel a bit better. A bit younger.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So he chose Olivier Philippaerts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The transfer is not a sale. It is trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Already last year, Olivier Philippaerts had asked about their future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The answer came this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\u201cI like Olivier, he rides well. He also does not have a huge pack of good horses at the moment. So we decided to give them to him.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Read: to entrust them to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ce n’est pas un hasard si les chevaux ont pris la direction des \u00e9curies Philippaerts. Les deux hommes se connaissent depuis longtemps. Ils ont partag\u00e9 les \u00e9quipes nationales, comme cavaliers, puis l’un des deux est devenu chef d’\u00e9quipe. Les deux hommes s’estiment, la confiance \u00e9tait d\u00e9j\u00e0 l\u00e0. Les chevaux n’ont fait que suivre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Demeersman reste propri\u00e9taire. Pour le moment en tout cas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The case of C\u00f4te d\u2019Or Z<\/strong> is very clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\u201cC\u00f4te d\u2019Or is not for sale. The other two, we will see. If something interesting comes along, they will be for sale. But it is not as though we are now putting them in the shop window.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
After a few weeks at Philippaerts\u2019 yard, the first feedback is encouraging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\u201cOlivier is positive, he likes them. We will see.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
he rest now belongs to the arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Du c\u00f4t\u00e9 d\u2019Olivier Philippaerts on appr\u00e9cie la confiance et le geste. Le cavalier teste C\u00f4te d\u2019Or ce week-end \u00e0 Chantilly. Les autres il verra ensuite s’il continue avec lui m\u00eame ou si c\u2019est un autre membre de la famille qui les prendra dans son piquet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A long career of 2,526 international starts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To say that Dirk Demeersman is hanging up his boots would almost be to forget everything he leaves behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dirk a grandi dans une famille d’hommes de cheval avant de se r\u00e9v\u00e9ler en cat\u00e9gorie poneys. Edelbert lui ouvre les portes du tr\u00e8s haut niveau et l’emm\u00e8ne jusqu’aux Jeux olympiques de Barcelone en 1992.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then came Clinton<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The horse of a lifetime. The one who would change the Belgian\u2019s trajectory for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n(\u00a9 Team Nijhof\/JM)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the Holsteiner stallion, Demeersman wrote the finest chapter of his career: fourth at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, second in the mythical Grand Prix of Aachen in 2005, winner of the World Cup leg in Mechelen in 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then came Bufero van het Panishof, team bronze at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington in 2010, a third Olympic appearance in London in 2012, and several European Championships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Et, apr\u00e8s sa carri\u00e8re sportive (la premi\u00e8re), un passage remarqu\u00e9 comme chef d’\u00e9quipe de la Belgique. Sous sa direction, ceux qui sont encore loin d’\u00eatre les red musketters du jumping remportent notamment la Finale des Coupes des Nations FEI 2015 \u00e0 Barcelone ainsi que le classement g\u00e9n\u00e9ral de la Division 1 europ\u00e9enne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Au total, le cavalier belge aura cumul\u00e9 2.526 d\u00e9parts internationaux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thousands of rounds. Thousands of kilometres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And a few memories that will last longer than the rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When asked which ones come back first, the answer comes instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\u201cAthens. Second in the Grand Prix of Aachen. Winning the World Cup in Mechelen. And winning the Grand Prix of Rome too\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
As if everything else could almost fit inside that simple list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rider stops. The horse remains.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do not expect Dirk Demeersman to disappear completely from the showgrounds, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is little chance of seeing him come back one day. He has already done that. But this time, it feels like the real one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mais il continuera \u00e0 entra\u00eener. \u00c0 former. \u00c0 faire grandir les jeunes chevaux de l’\u00e9levage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The three-year-olds are already waiting to be backed, the four- and five-year-olds are taking over, and a new generation is growing behind the stable doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\u201cWe still have plenty of young horses at home. I take care of that a bit. I train some people too\u2026 we will see what it becomes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI do not think you will see me much at shows, because I have done enough. But following the horses, yes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
There will always be an eye on Carrasco Z, C\u00f4te d\u2019Or Z and Little Fellow Z.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three horses. Three brothers out of the same dam. Three heirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And perhaps the most beautiful way to leave the stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not by getting off the horse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But by letting the horse continue without you.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Il y a parfois des adieux en fanfare. D’autres qui s’imposent, plus discrets. \u00c0 quelques jours de son 62e anniversaire, Dirk Demeersman a choisi la pointe des pieds. Plus de bottes, plus de selle, plus de camions \u00e0 charger avant l’aube. L’ancien olympien belge passe officiellement la main. Et il le fait avec trois chevaux […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50423,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[1157,1158,1156,1159,344],"class_list":["post-50403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reportages","tag-carrasco-z","tag-cote-dor-z","tag-dirk-demeersman","tag-little-fellow-z","tag-olivier-philippaerts"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Dirk Demeersman descend de cheval : la derni\u00e8re le\u00e7on d'un b\u00e2tisseur — So Horse<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dirk Demeersman met un terme \u00e0 sa carri\u00e8re de cavalier et confie ses chevaux \u00e0 Olivier Philippaerts. Retour sur une immense carri\u00e8re.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/en\/reportages\/2026\/07\/08\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dirk Demeersman descend de cheval : la derni\u00e8re le\u00e7on d'un b\u00e2tisseur — So Horse\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dirk Demeersman met un terme \u00e0 sa carri\u00e8re de cavalier et confie ses chevaux \u00e0 Olivier Philippaerts. Retour sur une immense carri\u00e8re.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/en\/reportages\/2026\/07\/08\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"So Horse\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sohorse.official\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-08T11:52:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-10T11:27:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cover-So-Horse-13.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"597\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"S\u00e9bastien Boulanger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"S\u00e9bastien Boulanger\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/reportages\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/reportages\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"S\u00e9bastien Boulanger\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8ec889a1dca0caa9c3fc409225ae3ca4\"},\"headline\":\"Dirk Demeersman descend de cheval : la derni\u00e8re le\u00e7on d’un b\u00e2tisseur\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-08T11:52:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-10T11:27:27+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/reportages\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1326,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/reportages\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/cover-So-Horse-13.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Carrasco Z\",\"Cote d'Or Z\",\"Dirk Demeersman\",\"Little Fellow Z\",\"Olivier Philippaerts\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Reportages\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/reportages\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/reportages\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\\\/\",\"name\":\"Dirk Demeersman descend de cheval : la derni\u00e8re le\u00e7on d'un b\u00e2tisseur — So Horse\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/reportages\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/reportages\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/cover-So-Horse-13.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-08T11:52:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-10T11:27:27+00:00\",\"description\":\"Dirk Demeersman met un terme \u00e0 sa carri\u00e8re de cavalier et confie ses chevaux \u00e0 Olivier Philippaerts. Retour sur une immense carri\u00e8re.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/reportages\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/reportages\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/reportages\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/cover-So-Horse-13.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/cover-So-Horse-13.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":597,\"caption\":\"Dirk Demeersman retraite\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/reportages\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/08\\\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"So Horse\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Reportages\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/categorie\\\/reportages\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Dirk Demeersman descend de cheval : la derni\u00e8re le\u00e7on d’un b\u00e2tisseur\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/\",\"name\":\"So Horse\",\"description\":\"L\u2019actu sur les chevaux autrement. \",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"So Horse\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/logog.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/logog.png\",\"width\":296,\"height\":146,\"caption\":\"So Horse\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/sohorse.official\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8ec889a1dca0caa9c3fc409225ae3ca4\",\"name\":\"S\u00e9bastien Boulanger\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/958b7300960313a7bf10ee053221a7a94b9056219a3a03458f5a0db80e1e25e3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/958b7300960313a7bf10ee053221a7a94b9056219a3a03458f5a0db80e1e25e3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/958b7300960313a7bf10ee053221a7a94b9056219a3a03458f5a0db80e1e25e3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"S\u00e9bastien Boulanger\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sohorse.eu\\\/en\\\/author\\\/seb\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Dirk Demeersman descend de cheval : la derni\u00e8re le\u00e7on d'un b\u00e2tisseur — So Horse","description":"Dirk Demeersman met un terme \u00e0 sa carri\u00e8re de cavalier et confie ses chevaux \u00e0 Olivier Philippaerts. Retour sur une immense carri\u00e8re.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/en\/reportages\/2026\/07\/08\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Dirk Demeersman descend de cheval : la derni\u00e8re le\u00e7on d'un b\u00e2tisseur — So Horse","og_description":"Dirk Demeersman met un terme \u00e0 sa carri\u00e8re de cavalier et confie ses chevaux \u00e0 Olivier Philippaerts. Retour sur une immense carri\u00e8re.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/en\/reportages\/2026\/07\/08\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\/","og_site_name":"So Horse","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sohorse.official","article_published_time":"2026-07-08T11:52:58+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-07-10T11:27:27+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":597,"url":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cover-So-Horse-13.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"S\u00e9bastien Boulanger","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"S\u00e9bastien Boulanger","Estimated reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/reportages\/2026\/07\/08\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/reportages\/2026\/07\/08\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\/"},"author":{"name":"S\u00e9bastien Boulanger","@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/#\/schema\/person\/8ec889a1dca0caa9c3fc409225ae3ca4"},"headline":"Dirk Demeersman descend de cheval : la derni\u00e8re le\u00e7on d’un b\u00e2tisseur","datePublished":"2026-07-08T11:52:58+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-10T11:27:27+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/reportages\/2026\/07\/08\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\/"},"wordCount":1326,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/reportages\/2026\/07\/08\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cover-So-Horse-13.jpg","keywords":["Carrasco Z","Cote d'Or Z","Dirk Demeersman","Little Fellow Z","Olivier Philippaerts"],"articleSection":["Reportages"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/reportages\/2026\/07\/08\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\/","url":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/reportages\/2026\/07\/08\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\/","name":"Dirk Demeersman descend de cheval : la derni\u00e8re le\u00e7on d'un b\u00e2tisseur — So Horse","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/reportages\/2026\/07\/08\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/reportages\/2026\/07\/08\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cover-So-Horse-13.jpg","datePublished":"2026-07-08T11:52:58+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-10T11:27:27+00:00","description":"Dirk Demeersman met un terme \u00e0 sa carri\u00e8re de cavalier et confie ses chevaux \u00e0 Olivier Philippaerts. Retour sur une immense carri\u00e8re.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/reportages\/2026\/07\/08\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/reportages\/2026\/07\/08\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/reportages\/2026\/07\/08\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cover-So-Horse-13.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cover-So-Horse-13.jpg","width":1000,"height":597,"caption":"Dirk Demeersman retraite"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/reportages\/2026\/07\/08\/dirk-demeersman-fin-carriere\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"So Horse","item":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Reportages","item":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/categorie\/reportages\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Dirk Demeersman descend de cheval : la derni\u00e8re le\u00e7on d’un b\u00e2tisseur"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/","name":"So Horse","description":"L\u2019actu sur les chevaux autrement.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/#organization","name":"So Horse","url":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/logog.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/logog.png","width":296,"height":146,"caption":"So Horse"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sohorse.official"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/#\/schema\/person\/8ec889a1dca0caa9c3fc409225ae3ca4","name":"S\u00e9bastien Boulanger","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/958b7300960313a7bf10ee053221a7a94b9056219a3a03458f5a0db80e1e25e3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/958b7300960313a7bf10ee053221a7a94b9056219a3a03458f5a0db80e1e25e3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/958b7300960313a7bf10ee053221a7a94b9056219a3a03458f5a0db80e1e25e3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"S\u00e9bastien Boulanger"},"url":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/en\/author\/seb\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50403"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50455,"href":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50403\/revisions\/50455"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/641388673_1473838650970244_6901490094960020953_n.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Dirk](\"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/473777133_1156368466050599_6117443942080137255_n-2280x995.jpg\")
![\"Dirk](\"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/10d74604-0aea-11e6-98f7-ff2108d639af_web_scale_0.0956546_0.0956546__-edited.jpg\")
![\"Dirk](\"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/clinton3-1024x683-1.jpg\")
![\"Belgian](\"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/belgium.jpg\")
![\"Dirk](\"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/641037712_1473835824303860_4474055338838232613_n.jpg\")
![\"Dirk](\"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/dirk-2280x1714.jpg\")