Gilles Thomas
Determination to ride
Gilles Thomas has established himself on the world stage through a series of international victories, earning recognition as one of the most accomplished show jumping riders of his generation.
Leap forward
Gilles Thomas rose rapidly from youth championships to senior-level show jumping success. His career highlights include victory at the CSIO5* Grand Prix of Hickstead in 2022, and playing a decisive role in Belgium’s triumph at the Nations Cup Final in Barcelona that same year, the victory qualifying the team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. He went on to claim back-to-back Belgian Seniors Championship titles in 2023 and 2024, and took the silver medal the following year.
Family tradition
Born in Belgium in 1998, Gilles Thomas was raised in a family deeply committed to equestrian sport. He was introduced to riding by his mother and his uncle, both former international competitors. By the age of 13, he was representing Belgium at the European Junior Championships.
Between 2011 and 2019, Thomas accumulated six European Championship medals across children, junior and young rider categories, laying the foundations for his senior career. Named Belgium’s Jumping Talent of the Year in 2016, he steadily progressed through the ranks of elite competition.
At the Paris 2024 Games, Thomas made a strong impression, reaching the individual final on his Olympic debut. The following year brought further milestones when he helped the Belgium team to victory at the European Championships, where he also claimed individual bronze.
Thomas has continued to make his mark at the sport’s highest level with victories at premier events. In 2024, he won the CSI5* Grand Prix of Shanghai, and the following year celebrated victories at the World Cup Grand Prix at Mechelen and in the CSI5* Grands Prix of both Paris and New York. He capped 2025 by reaching his first Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final, finishing fourth. As of February 2026, he was ranked World No. 4 by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI).
His success is inextricably linked with standout horses, including Ermitage Kalone, a stallion who helped him reach the Olympic final and secure multiple podium finishes at CSI5* events. His current stable also includes promising horses such as Qalista DN, Luna van het Dennehof, and Qiara de Kalvarie. He is closely involved in the development of young horses, beginning work with them as early as age six or seven, a testament to his patient, long-term approach.
Gilles Thomas became a Rolex Testimonee in 2026.