Robert Whitaker’s 2025 Hickstead Derby winner Gentlemen VH Veldhof has retired at age 20 and returned to Belgium to live out his days with former riders.
The Quite Easy stallion, previously ridden by Koen de Waele, David Simpson and Tim Gredley, ended his career on a high after his victory at the Hickstead Derby last year.
Robert Whitaker, who took the ride in late 2024, paid tribute to the horse’s achievements. “Gentlemen, thank you,” he said. “This special horse has done so many incredible things for so many people, including myself, Stephen and Caroline [Blatchford].”
Caroline Blatchford noted the immediate connection between Whitaker and the horse. Koen de Waele, who first competed the gelding internationally as a six-year-old, welcomed him back to his stable in Belgium, where he will spend summers in the field and winters with beach outings alongside an old stablemate.
“Everything was there, but he was a handful,” de Waele recalled of the early years. “At a show, in the ring, he never let me down, ever.”