Pieter Devos Flies the Flag the Highest for Belgium in the €105,500 Saut Hermès Prize CSI 5*

By Jumper News on 2026-03-22

Paris, France – March 21, 2026 – Playing out on as sublime a course as ever amidst the interplay of light and shadow created by the Grand Palais‘ glass roof, the second day of the 16th edition of the Saut Hermès took place on Saturday.

The Belgian national anthem resonated around the Grand Palais once again in tribute to Pieter Devos (BEL) and his mare Jarina J, victorious in the Saut Hermès, a class split into two rounds with jumps set at 1.55m reserved for the top ten women and the top ten men from Friday’s Hermès Sellier Prize CSI 5*.

Seven pairs finished with a clear round in the first course created by the legendary course designer duo from the last Olympics, Spaniard Santiago Varela Ullastres (ESP) and Frenchman Grégory Bodo (FRA). Compelled to set a blistering pace, the riders really felt the pressure, however.

**Jessica Burke** (IRL) & **Good Star du Bary**

Solely Belgian rider Pieter Devos (BEL) and Irish rider Jessica Burke (IRL) with her French Saddle Good Star du Bary, the recent winner of the World Cup in Bordeaux (and the first woman in history to pull off this feat) managed to go clear a second time.

Three seconds faster than his rivals, the Belgian ultimately took the win to succeed last year’s winner, Jeanne Sadran, Hermès partner rider. “I’m absolutely delighted, beamed Devos, European team champion in 2025, team bronze medallist at the 2021 Olympics and mainstay of the Belgian team for a number of years.

My mare brought her A game. Strategically, I thought it was important to go fast initially but after seeing that no one was finishing with a double clear round I thought I’d play it safe, even though Yuri (Mansur) was going after me and is known to be quick (teamed as ever with 18-year-old Vitiki, the Brazilian ultimately lamented two faults). In the end, I just tried to ride my own race without overthinking it. I still took a few more risks than I’d planned, especially over the last fence. My mare is really very consistent and very quick though. I can easily play around with the stride pattern and winning in a place like this is something else.”

**Malin Baryard-Johnsson** (SWE) & **Hennessy**

With a total of two points (one time penalty point in each round), the Swedish rider Malin Baryard-Johnsson (SWE) on Hennessy, who has multiple Olympic and world medals, snatched third place, just ahead of Frenchman Julien Épaillard and Easy Up de Grandry, the fastest pairing in the second round but with one fence down in the first.