Belgium’s Justin Verboomen on 9YO Zonik Plus European Championships Freestyle Gold

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Justin Verboomen on Zonik Plus celebrating European Championship Freestyle gold. © 2025 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

CROZET, France, Aug. 31, 2025–Justin Verboomen on the nine-year-old Zonik Plus won European Championships Freestyle on a personal best score Sunday adding to the history the partnership created in becoming the first from Belgium to capture individual gold two days earlier.

Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour of Denmark and Mount St. John Freestyle took silver with Germany’s Isabell Werth on Wendy de Fontaine the bronze in one of the most exciting in the 60 years of the Europeans.

Justin who found the Hanoverian stallion at age of 2 1/2 scored 89.964% for the victory in the Freestyle that was staged in a brilliant sunny day at the magnificent Jiva Hill Stables in the region where the snow-covered peak of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe, was visible.

Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour on Mount St. John Freestyle, the mare she took over from Charlotte Dujardin and won silver at last year’s Paris Olympics, took Freestyle silver Sunday on 89.821%, just 0.143% behind the leader.

Isabell Werth, the most successful equestrian in history and the winner of a couple of dozen European medals, rode her Olympic team gold medal mount Wendy de Fontaine to a score of 88.046% to earn bronze.

European Championships double gold medalist Justin Verboomen gets a Champagne shower on the podium from silver medalist Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and bronze medalist Isabell Werth. © 2025 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com

Justin has often been overcome by emotion at the success he has had on Zonik since beginning Big Tour nine months ago and his first ever senior championship.

Zonik Plus with Justin Verboomen aboard on the final centerline of the European Championships Freestyle that the pair won for their second gold medal. © 2025 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com

“I really can’t believe it, and honestly, I wasn’t expecting this gold medal at all today,” he said, “especially after the mistake we made in the laterals. I’m very happy tonight! I asked my producer to create a rather calm, slightly dark musical theme to showcase Zonik Plus, and I think it worked really well.”

Cathrine and the 16-year-old mare aptly named Freestyle placed first in the Paris Olympics Grand Prix Special that led her Danish team to silver.

The only international performance for the duo before this week’s championship was in February to add to their list of six straight victories since Paris.

Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour exclaiming with pumped fist her silver medal performance in the European Championships Freestyle. © 2025 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com

Cathrine said: “I was really happy with my freestyle. I made a small mistake at the end of the first flying changes in two-time, but I managed to redo them, so I didn’t completely fail. I actually didn’t watch Justin’s freestyle because I was too nervous.

“Of course, I’m a little disappointed today compared to yesterday, as it was very tight, even among the judges. But that’s how it goes.

“I’m really proud to see a new ‘small nation’ emerging here. I know Justin showed incredible riding. And I’m almost certain we’ll have some great duels in the future.”

For Isabell and the 11-year-old Danish mare Wendy that led Germany to team gold at the Paris Games, the third placed musical performance came after notching team gold here as well as individual bronze.

Isabell Werth on Wendy de Fontaine saying she was “very, very happy” with her ride in the European Championships Freestyle. © 2025 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com

After team gold and bronze in the Special, Isabell said, “today, she (Wendy) was really fantastic. There were a few small mistakes in the canter work, but honestly, we all made mistakes. So it was a very tight duel, a very competitive event. In the end, I think any of us could have been third, second, or first—it didn’t matter. It was an exciting competition for all of us, and for the spectators too, and we are really happy to be here.”

She added, “We look forward to the next championship (the World Championships in Aachen, Germany next year). It will be really exciting, and I hope Justin will feel our breath on his neck—as well as the judges. So we can’t wait.”

Becky Moody who a year ago was drafted at the last minute for Britain’s Olympic team that earned bronze was the highest placed in fourth on 86.982% of the three combinations from her nation in her first senior European Championships. The pair finished ahead of team mates Carl Hester on Fame and Charlotte “Lottie” Fry on Glamourdale. © 2025 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com

Results:

European Championships Grand Prix Freestyle

Click on the score for details
Rk.NumRider / HorseKEHCMBFTotal
1.
708
flag
Justin VERBOOMEN Justin VERBOOMEN
ZONIK PLUS HANN/Stallion/Black/2016/by ZONIK N.O.P. x HEIDEBLUME by HOHENSTEIN 4
88.925

(2.)
92.750

(1.)
89.025

(2.)
90.575

(1.)
90.125

(2.)
87.700

(3.)
90.650

(2.)
€15,000
2.
713
flag
Cathrine LAUDRUP-DUFOUR LAUDRUP-DUFOUR & ZINGLERSEN ApS, Mount St John Equestrian LLP
MOUNT ST JOHN FREESTYLE HANN/Mare/Bay/2009/by FIDERMARK x DONNA GRACIA by DONNERHALL 11
89.025

(1.)
89.125

(2.)
90.475

(1.)
89.950

(2.)
90.150

(1.)
88.500

(1.)
91.525

(1.)
€11,000
3.
734
flag
Isabell WERTH CHATEAU DE FONTAINE, Madeleine WINTER-SCHULZE
WENDY DE FONTAINE DWB/Mare/Black/2014/by SEZUAN 2 x SKOVENS VANILLA by BLUE HORS SOPRANO
87.050

(3.)
86.675

(4.)
86.800

(3.)
88.750

(3.)
90.100

(3.)
87.875

(2.)
89.075

(4.)
€8,000
4.
730
flag
Becky MOODY Becky MOODY, Jo COOPER
JAGERBOMB KWPN/Gelding/Bay/2014/by DANTE WELTINO OLD x UDYSEE by JAZZ
85.525

(4.)
88.975

(3.)
84.100

(4.)
86.575

(4.)
87.275

(4.)
85.950

(4.)
90.475

(3.)
€4,500
5.
733
flag
Frederic WANDRES Hof Kasselmann
BLUETOOTH OLD OLDBG/Gelding/Other/2010/by BORDEAUX 28 x LORENA by GB RICCIONE
82.200

(5.)
80.275

(10.)
80.900

(5.)
80.325

(8.)
84.025

(6.)
80.550

(7.)
84.125

(5.)
€3,000
6.
759
flag
Patrik KITTEL Sommarkvarn AB
TOUCHDOWN SWB/Gelding/Bay/2012/by QUATERBACK x LA MOUR by SACK
80.675

(8.)
80.375

(9.)
80.500

(7.)
80.850

(7.)
82.325

(7.)
81.875

(5.)
81.375

(7.)
€1,500
7.
729
flag
Carl HESTER Fiona BIGWOOD, Mette DAHL, Carl HESTER
FAME KWPN/Stallion/Bay/2010/by BORDEAUX 28 x BONAVENTURA by RHODIUM
81.300

(6.)
80.800

(6.)
79.200

(8.)
82.025

(6.)
80.975

(9.)
79.300

(10.)
83.600

(6.)
€1,000
8.
746
flag
Isabel FREESE Oivind BACHE, Lone BOEGH-HENRIKSEN, Paul SCHOCKEMÖHLE
TOTAL HOPE OLD OLDBG/Stallion/Black/2012/by TOTILAS x WEIHEGOLD OLD by BLUE HORS DON SCHUFRO
80.450

(9.)
76.925

(12.)
80.650

(6.)
83.075

(5.)
81.375

(8.)
81.725

(6.)
79.950

(12.)
€1,000
9.
762
flag
Maria VON ESSEN Alexanders Hovslageri & Häst AB
INVOICE OLDBG/Gelding/Black/2012/by JAZZ x ROXANNE by OLYMPIC FERRO
81.050

(7.)
80.750

(7.)
78.225

(10.)
80.075

(9.)
80.650

(10.)
79.250

(11.)
81.350

(8.)
10.
727
flag
Charlotte FRY Charlotte FRY, VAN OLST HORSES
GLAMOURDALE KWPN/Stallion/Black/2011/by LORD LEATHERDALE x THUJA by NEGRO
75.825

(15.)
83.700

(5.)
74.675

(16.)
79.000

(11.)
84.825

(5.)
80.450

(8.)
78.575

(15.)
11.
731
flag
Katharina HEMMER Nancy GOODING, Hubertus SCHMIDT
DENOIX PCH OLDBG/Gelding/Chestnut/2012/by DESTANO x PRINCESS by PIK NOIR
79.400

(11.)
80.400

(8.)
77.150

(13.)
78.175

(12.)
76.725

(16.)
80.300

(9.)
80.025

(11.)
12.
714
flag
Nadja Aaboe SLOTH Nadja Aaboe SLOTH
FAVOUR GERSDORF DWB/Gelding/Black/2013/by FOUNDATION 2 x VIRKELYST BENIDA by LEANDRO
79.475

(10.)
76.675

(13.)
77.425

(12.)
75.075

(15.)
79.525

(11.)
77.850

(12.)
78.775

(14.)
13.
743
flag
Dinja VAN LIERE Joop VAN UYTERT
HERMES KWPN/Stallion/Bay/2012/by EASY GAME x BUKKIE by FLEMMINGH
78.800

(12.)
75.700

(15.)
78.300

(9.)
79.475

(10.)
75.300

(17.)
77.200

(13.)
79.700

(13.)
14.
707
flag
Larissa PAULUIS Caroline LEPAGE, Emmanuel LEPAGE, Jean PAULUIS, Marie Christine PAULUIS
FLAMBEAU KWPN/Gelding/Bay/2010/by AMPERE x LAKARLA by ZEOLIET
76.500

(14.)
77.250

(11.)
78.125

(11.)
78.150

(13.)
77.175

(14.)
76.250

(14.)
80.925

(10.)
15.
750
flag
Sandra SYSOJEVA Sandra SYSOJEVA, Dominika KRASKO BIALEK, Piet LENSKENS
MAXIMA BELLA OLDBG/Mare/Black/2016/by MILLENNIUM x CIAO BELLA HRH by CHRIST 3
77.100

(13.)
76.150

(14.)
76.425

(14.)
76.575

(14.)
78.175

(12.)
75.300

(16.)
81.075

(9.)
16.
752
flag
João Pedro MOREIRA Roberto Pedrosa HARAS DO DROSA, Joao MOREIRA
DROSA FUERST KENNEDY OLD OLDBG/Stallion/Black/2015/by FUERSTEN-LOOK x FIODORA by DON KENNEDY
75.225

(16.)
73.625

(17.)
75.650

(15.)
72.625

(18.)
77.300

(13.)
75.725

(15.)
78.500

(16.)
17.
761
flag
Tinne VILHELMSON SILFVÉN Lövsta Stuteri AB
HYATT KWPN/Mare/Chestnut/2012/by APACHE x DORETTA FUGA by SANDREO
74.550

(17.)
73.000

(18.)
73.700

(17.)
74.375

(16.)
76.975

(15.)
74.350

(18.)
75.975

(17.)
18.
741
flag
Nicolas WAGNER EHLINGER Soc.Hippique et d’Elevage S.A., Nicolas WAGNER EHLINGER
QUATER BACK JUNIOR FRH HANN/Gelding/Chestnut/2009/by QUATERBACK x BONITA by BONHEUR
71.575

(18.)
74.275

(16.)
73.200

(18.)
74.125

(17.)
72.875

(18.)
75.025

(17.)
75.800

(18.)