Roger Yves Bost claimed a French victory in the year-ending World Cup event ©Getty Images

Roger-Yves Bost claimed a French win after prevailing in a 12-horse jump-off today at the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Jumping World Cup competition in Mechelen in Belgium.

It provided a perfect end to a year in which the 51-year-old had already claimed a team gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Riding his Olympic mount Sydney Une Prince, Bost was one of 12 riders to go clear in his first round with a swift time of 68.34 sec.

That put him third fastest heading into the jump-off behind fellow Rio 2016 gold medal winning compatriot Kevin Staut.

But Staut swiftly fell out of contention after failing to complete the shorter final circuit.

Bost, in contrast, held his nerve superbly to win in a time of 38.86.

It completed the finest 12 months in a lengthy career which saw him win the world team title in 26 years ago in Stockholm in 1990.

Jos Verlooy, pictured competing in Los Angeles on the FEI circuit in October, finished in second place today ©Getty Images
Jos Verlooy, pictured competing in Los Angeles on the FEI circuit in October, finished in second place today ©Getty Images

Home hope Jos Verlooy of Belgium finished in second place today on Caracas with a jump-off time of 39.71.

Germany's Holger Wulschner placed second in the initial run but had to settle for third in the jump-off.

He produced a time of 40.08 on BSC Skipper.

Spain's Pilar Lucrecia Cordon finished fourth on Galine la Cour Zichelhof, in 41.30, finishing narrowly ahead of Sweden's Henrik von Eckermann.

He claimed fifth after riding Mary Lou 194 to a jump-off time of 41.44.