Thermal, Calif.—March 8

If you’re going to fly halfway around the world to compete for a season, you may as well make it worth your time. Belgian Jos Verlooy is doing just that at the Desert Circuit, notching his second win of the winter with FTS Killossery Konfusion in the $117,000 Marshall & Sterling Grand Prix CSI3*, held on the grass field at Desert International Horse Park. The pair also won the $63,000 Brainwater CSI3* Welcome Speed on Friday.

Thirty-three riders took a turn over Swiss designer Julien Pradervand’s course, with the double and triple combinations claiming plenty of victims. The four riders who made it through to the jump-off all put in clear rounds, and Verlooy made use of his horse’s footspeed to take the title over Irishman Conor Swail, who earned second and third on Theo 160 and My Lady Lavista, respectively. Canadian Ali Ramsay rounded out the top four with Conrado 12.

“I just turned [to the last jump] and I saw a really big distance and I just challenged him to take it and so glad it worked out,” he said.

Verlooy has had the ride on “Konfusion”, a 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse (SIEC Livello—Killossery Kruisette, Cruising) owned by his family’s Euro Horse BVBA for three years. Verlooy’s friend Bertram Allen had the ride previously, and he thought the horse would suit the Belgian.

“He’s always very competitive,” said Verlooy, 25. “Every time he goes in the ring, he’s just a winner. He’s been so loyal to me and he wants to do so much for me and he just keeps on doing it. So yeah, I’m very grateful to be able to ride him. He’s just the way he is, you can’t change him. He just wants to go and he knows exactly where the top pole is. He knows the game exactly, he knows he has to be clear and he knows he has to be fast to win the class. So I just let him be and make him as happy as he can and just keep him fit, and the rest he does for me.

“[If he were a person] he wouldn’t be an easy human, but he would be very smart,” he added. “He would make a lot of money in his life.”

Verlooy has been flying back and forth to Thermal since this December, when he came over for two weeks of competition. When he’s been away from the desert he’s contested the Longines League of Nations Abu Dahbi (United Arab Emirates) and a two-star show in Belgium as well as FEI World Cup Qualifiers in Mechelen (Belgium) and Basel (Switzerland).

Deciding which horses to bring to Thermal was easy for Verlooy: he brought his geldings, who have an easier time going through quarantine than mare and stallions. He loves coming to the desert, thanks to the relaxed atmosphere.

“I love the people over here,” he said. “They’re all so friendly. The people at the show, they try to do their best. They ask every day what to improve. They’re really interested in the riders and how to make the show better.”

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Check out more from Desert Circuit here and in the April issue of The Chronicle of the Horse. Follow along with the Chronicle on Instagram and Facebook.