Bernard Fonck and What A Wave make history by claiming Belgium's first individual gold medal in reining at the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018. | Photo: FEI/Liz Gregg

The reining competition closed the first week at the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Equestrian Games (WEG) Tryon 2018 with great performances and big scores as some of the world’s best riders battled it out for the FEI medals at the Johnson Controls Individual Reining Competition finals.

When the curtain fell upon the Tryon International Equestrian Center’s Indoor Arena, Bernard Fonck (BEL) and What A Wave made history by claiming Belgium’s first individual gold medal with a spot-on execution of pattern #12. The Belgian rider, who has won close to $1,800,000 in reining competitions, and his mount, an 11-year-old American Quarter Horse stallion owned by Gina De Pauw and Steve Vannietvelt, scored a 227 for the win claiming the highest step of the podium.

“This is the first time in history that a European rider leaves the World Equestrian Games with the individual gold medal and I could not be any prouder,” said Fonck. “What A Wave is the sweetest horse I have ever had the pleasure of riding. I am very fortunate to have had more than one ‘once in a lifetime’ horse, and he is at the top of this list. Every time we show, he gives me all he has and every time it gets better and better. When I came here I knew that we could probably make it to the top five positions but I would have never imagined that we would claim the gold