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The Philippaerts Twins Are the Justin Biebers of Show Jumping

Nicola and Olivier Philippaerts, 22-year-old Belgian twins, are the up-and-coming stars of show jumping and giving the sport a new look.
Photo by Daily VICE

Nicola and Olivier Philippaerts are considered to be up-and-coming stars of show jumping but have already established themselves as regular contenders in international competition. The success they enjoyed as kids has translated over to the senior level, and their worldwide popularity has soared. The 22-year-old twins from Belgium are the Justin Biebers of show jumping.

In 2012, Olivier became the youngest rider ever to win the CN international class at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Alberta, earning $1 million in the process—not a bad day at the office for a 19-year-old. Both brothers have since continued to shine in competitions across Europe and North America, including in Toronto where they've spent the week at the Royal Horse Show at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

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The show has already been a success for them this year, highlighted by Olivier's win in the $35,000 international jumper class Thursday afternoon.

"I think Toronto is a great show in all aspects," said Olivier. "It's a great show to compete at. There's a lot of people coming, which we really like. We appreciate it when the crowd is out there really cheering us on. We love to come for that."

In true Canadian fashion, the fans always make the brothers feel welcome.

"There's so many people that can fit in the ring and they cheer for everyone, not only Canadians but also for Belgian guys," said Nicola. "Everyone is interested in the class and it's really nice."

Back in Toronto this week for the fourth time, the brown-eyed brothers are sporting a completely different look after signing a long-term sponsorship deal with H&M that helped them purchase a new string of horses. A perk of the new deal has both horse and rider decked out in H&M apparel. While the two spend most of their time in the saddle, they are now modelling some of the brand's clothing and often have photo shoots to fit into their already very busy schedule. It's something they've never done before but both are enjoying the opportunity.

Olivier (left) and Nicola (right) at the The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

Not all riders are as fortunate as the twins. A major challenge the sport faces is the supply and demand of quality sponsors becoming harder to find. As the sport continues to grow, riders need a larger string of horses available to be able to show in different countries each week. "The amount of sponsors in the sport is very rare. It's not easy to get a good sponsor," said Nicola.

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Perhaps the biggest challenge the sport faces, though, is accessibility for fans with riders traveling all over the world for competition. Through the brothers' partnership with H&M, however, the Philippaerts' are making it easier for their fans to connect with them. Their following on social media has exploded and they've made an effort to bring fans behind the scenes at major competitions.

"They're trying to get more fans out there and I think they've done really well for us," Nicola said of his social team. "They believe in the both of us and it's just a great team."

That dedication to social media has given fans direct access to the riders and is exposing more people to the sport. The brothers are front and centre in it all, and the work they've done has peaked interest and created excitement around their success in the ring. "It's nice that we can actually focus on the riding and H&M helps us more with the things around it like the fan groups at the shows," said Olivier.

The team doesn't only include quality sponsorship and the brothers' talent. Ludo Philippaerts, their father, has been competing at the international level since 1989 and has plenty of experience and knowledge to share with his sons.

Ludo represented Belgium four times at the Olympic Games and won multiple World Cup classes aboard his legendary stallion Darco. Ludo now focuses his time on a breeding operation out of their farm in Belgium and works hard to ensure the brothers always have quality horses to compete on.

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"Every week there is a competition in Europe and we need so many horses," said Olivier. "My father spends every day on the road trying to find new horses, new owners, trying to get us to the top spot and we're really thankful to him that we have these kind of horses."

Coming off a very successful few weeks of indoor competition south of the border, the pair are off to hot starts in Toronto. In addition to his victory Thursday, Olivier finished fourth in the first speed class aboard H&M Legend of Love, while Nicola finished fourth in Wednesday night's $132,000 World Cup qualifier aboard H&M Forever D Arco.

So it's clear they've got talent in the ring, but when asked the hard-hitting question of who is the better model, both Olivier and Nicola laughed.

"You need to ask the fans, not us," said Nicola.

All photos by Daily VICE