Can Waregem’s Year of the Horse turn a European championship into a lasting legacy?
Flanders launched the Lotto Year of the Horse in Waregem on 25 August, beginning a region-wide public programme that will culminate in Belgium’s first senior FEI Jumping European Championship in August 2027.
Belgium will defend its European team title at home in a championship linked to qualification for the 2028 Olympics. Public authorities are also using the event to test whether elite sport can generate durable participation, educational and local economic benefits.
Flemish ministers Annick De Ridder and Ben Weyts joined mayor Kristof Chanterie and equestrian officials in Waregem on Tuesday, 25 August, to launch the , a region-wide campaign leading to Belgium’s first senior European jumping championship. The campaign will take equestrian sport into schools, clubs and public events before Europe’s leading combinations assemble at from 11 to 15 August 2027.
For Belgium-based followers, the immediate attraction is sporting. Belgium will defend the European team title on home ground, while the championship will help determine qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. president Ingmar De Vos described 2027 as one of the following year’s most prestigious international championships. Organisers expect roughly 100 competitors from about two dozen countries and more than 8,000 spectators on each competition day.
The event also represents an unusually ambitious attempt to draw a line between elite competition and public participation. Project manager Katrien Geraedts said the Year of the Horse would include an interactive roadshow visiting 20 locations, educational material for primary and special-needs schools, introductory riding sessions, club activities and routes for riders and carriage drivers. Sport, para-sport, education and horse welfare are all meant to feature. A free supporters’ village is planned at the championship, while organisers say admission on the final Sunday will be free.
That broader programme matters because jumping’s international success can conceal its distance from families without access to horses, clubs or specialist knowledge. says the Belgian federation’s two regional leagues represent 13,500 competitive and 65,000 recreational members. The federation also describes Belgium as one of the world’s busiest countries for international jumping events. The campaign’s real test will therefore be whether children and newcomers encounter opportunities that continue after the medals have been awarded, rather than simply a year of promotion.
The public investment has produced a sharper political argument. In June, the classified the championship as a top event and approved a project subsidy of up to €1.8 million for organiser , covering the event and its activation programme. is contributing about €300,000, according to Het Nieuwsblad. Separately, the city council approved a €1.5 million redesign of the site’s stables and outdoor areas, with subsidies from Sport Vlaanderen; the planned boxes are larger, but their number falls from 84 to 72.
De Ridder argues that the championship combines sporting, social and measurable economic value, while Chanterie says ’s spending fits the municipal budget and will strengthen its position as a European equestrian centre. Independent Flemish MP Maurits Vande Reyde challenged that case in the , questioning why taxpayers should subsidise an event run by a profitable private company and asking for the expected return to be specified. The government’s response rests on projected visitor spending, international visibility and the campaign’s work with schools and clubs. No independently audited forecast of the eventual economic return has been published in the sources reviewed.
is a natural host rather than a decorative Belgian backdrop. Its Gaverbeek site already supports racing, jumping, eventing and para-dressage, and the city’s horse culture is anchored by Waregem Koerse. Yet this championship belongs to a wider European circuit: riders will represent national federations, the Lausanne-based governs the competition, and Olympic qualification raises the stakes well beyond . This is not an EU-organised event, and no EU institution has announced a formal role.
The next phase is practical. Organisers must complete the infrastructure work, publish detailed competition and visitor arrangements, and deliver the roadshow and school programme across . By August 2027, the sporting result will be clear within five days. Whether the promised lasting impact for young people, riders, clubs and horse lovers has been created will take considerably longer to judge.
Impact
Regional — Waregem expects substantial visitor activity and greater international visibility, while schools and equestrian clubs across Flanders are intended to participate in the Year of the Horse programme.
Local — Waregem will host the championship at Sport Vlaanderen Waregem, with organisers expecting more than 8,000 spectators per day from 11 to 15 August 2027. That should bring concentrated visitor activity and international exposure to the city. Waregem has also approved the design for renewed horse stables and outdoor works at the Sport Vlaanderen site. Beyond the venue, local schools, equestrian clubs and residents can engage through the Lotto Year of the Horse programme and its introductory activities.
International — Around 100 riders from roughly two dozen countries are expected in Waregem, making the championship a significant cross-border sporting event for Flanders. Belgium will defend its European team title under FEI authority, and the competition is linked to qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. For international visitors and Brussels-based readers, Waregem will become the Belgian focal point for senior European show jumping from 11 to 15 August 2027 rather than an EU institutional event.
What it means for you
If you plan to attend, reserve 11-15 August 2027 for the championship at Sport Vlaanderen Waregem and watch organisers’ channels for ticketing and access information; no ticket prices are provided in the article. Expect more than 8,000 spectators daily, so accommodation and transport may become busier near the event. Families, schools and equestrian clubs in Flanders can look for Lotto Year of the Horse roadshow stops, teaching resources, club actions and introductory riding opportunities. Taxpayers can track delivery against the Flemish project subsidy of up to €1.8 million.
Opposing perspectives
- Flemish government and Waregem organisers
Sports Minister Annick De Ridder and Mayor Kristof Chanterie frame the championship as a combined sporting, social and economic investment. They argue that international prestige, visitor expenditure, school outreach and club participation justify public backing beyond the five competition days.
- Independent MP Maurits Vande Reyde
Vande Reyde questioned in the Flemish Parliament why €1.8 million in public money should support an event operated by a profitable private company. He asked the government to identify the concrete economic return and challenged whether the organiser could finance more of the event itself.
- Belgian and European equestrian federations
FEI president Ingmar De Vos stresses the championship’s international sporting importance and Olympic qualification role, while Belgian federation figures view hosting rights as recognition of Belgium’s unusually strong position in jumping rather than primarily as a tourism project.
Who, where and what
Key people, places and terms in this story
Region staging the championship and the wider public engagement programme.
West Flemish city hosting the 2027 championship and the launch of the Lotto Year of the Horse.
Flemish sports agency partnering in the championship.
Venue where the championship will run from 11 to 15 August 2027.
Regional government that approved a project subsidy of up to €1.8 million for Golazo Sports.
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West Flemish city hosting the 2027 championship and the launch of the Lotto Year of the Horse.
Region staging the championship and the wider public engagement programme.
Venue where the championship will run from 11 to 15 August 2027.
Region-wide programme featuring a roadshow, school resources, club actions and introductory riding activities.
Senior European show-jumping championship scheduled in Waregem from 11 to 15 August 2027.
Flemish sports agency partnering in the championship.
Regional government that approved a project subsidy of up to €1.8 million for Golazo Sports.
International equestrian governing body under whose authority the championship is held.
Lead organiser and recipient of the approved Flemish project subsidy.
Belgian federation partnering in the organisation of the championship.
Flemish equestrian federation partnering in the event and legacy programme.
Flemish event partner supporting the championship.
Regional tourism partner involved in the championship.
Municipal partner and authority involved in works at the Sport Vlaanderen site.
Regional legislature whose committee record provides public scrutiny and context for the project.
Sources & evidence
- View sourceHet NieuwsbladPrimaryprimary· nieuwsblad.be· 25 August 2026Retrieved 28 August 2026· 38 days ago· Dated
- View sourceFlemish Governmentofficial· vlaanderen.be· 12 June 2026Retrieved 28 August 2026· 112 days ago· Dated
- View sourcePaardensport Vlaanderenofficial· paardensport.vlaanderen· 7 May 2025Retrieved 28 August 2026· 513 days ago· Dated
- View sourceCity of Waregemofficial· waregem.be· 8 April 2026Retrieved 28 August 2026· 177 days ago· Dated
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