Off the Clock with Niels Bruynseels & Delux van T&L: Still Writing Their Story

Niels Bruynseels has always spoken about Delux van T&L differently.

Not just as a 5* Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix-winning horse, but as a once-in-a-generation partner.

As one of the standout combinations to qualify for the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix du Prince de Monaco, Bruynseels and his 17-year-old partner are writing another chapter in a story that few thought would continue. Almost two years after an injury threatened Delux's career at the highest level, the pair are once again competing among the world's elite—proof that patience, trust and partnership can still triumph at the very top of the sport.

For Bruynseels, the story stretches far beyond podium finishes and championship points.

"My whole career would be completely different without him."

It is a remarkable reflection from a rider whose partnership with Delux has become one of the defining combinations of the Longines Global Champions Tour era.

Together they have conquered some of the sport's greatest stages, including victory in the 2021 Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha before earning qualification for the prestigious LGCT Super Grand Prix later that season. More than four years on, they continue to prove their place among the world's very best.

Bruynseels remembers knowing there was something different about Delux from the very beginning.

"We could straight away feel that he was a special horse," he says. "Not only because of his body, but from the first jumps we took with him. It was immediately a special feeling."

Talent, however, has always come hand-in-hand with personality.

Delux is the undisputed king of the stable—intelligent, confident and always looking to test the boundaries.

"He's a little bit like a human," Bruynseels smiles. "He's very clever and always tries to take a little bit more... until the moment you have to tell him it's enough. But when you give him confidence, he does everything for the rider."

That trust would eventually be tested more than ever.

Two years ago, Delux's future at the top of the sport hung in the balance. An injury left the partnership facing the very real possibility that their days competing on the world's biggest stages had come to an end.

For Bruynseels, walking away was never the first thought.

"It was really important for me to get him back because he's such a special horse. This is not a horse you find every year," he explains. "The whole team gave 100%, even 200%, to bring him back."

The comeback demanded patience.

Months became more than a year as every milestone was carefully managed. Every decision centred around giving Delux the best opportunity to return—not simply to compete again, but to compete at the level that had made him one of the world's elite.

Then came the moment that made every setback worthwhile.

"It took a really long time to get him where we wanted him. Then, for the first time, he really gave something back to me. That's when I thought, 'That's why we did it.'"

Now, at 17 years old, success is measured differently.

Every competition is selected with purpose. Experience has taught the team exactly what Delux needs to stay happy, healthy and performing at his best.

"The most important thing is to manage him well. We don't let him compete just to compete. We know what he needs."

Away from the showgrounds, the routine becomes considerably more relaxed.

"When he has a few days off, he likes to go to the beach. We send him there for a few weeks. It's good for his health, for his mind... for everything."

It paints the picture of a horse entering the latter stages of an extraordinary career—not simply being preserved, but still competing at the very highest level while enjoying the balance that only years of understanding can bring.

For Bruynseels, that understanding is what has always defined their partnership.

Results may fill the record books, but the journey behind them is what matters most.

And when the time eventually comes for Delux van T&L to step away from the sport, Bruynseels already knows the legacy he hopes his partner leaves behind.

"I hope people remember him as a really special horse. We've had our ups and downs, but of course the nicest memories will stay forever."

As Monaco demonstrated once again, Delux's story is still being written. At 17 years old, the championship-winning gelding continues to compete with the world's best, reminding everyone that the greatest partnerships are not defined by how quickly they rise—but by how enduring they become.