Justin Verboomen Nominated for FEI Best Athlete, Dominique van Dalsen as Rising Star, Steffi Wiegard, Groom to Isabell Werth of Germany as Best Groom

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European Grand Prix Individual champion Justin Verboomen on his nine-year-old Zonik Plus celebrating as the first rider from Belgium ever to win continental championship gold since the competition’s founding 62 years ago. © 2025 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com

Oct. 3, 2025

Justin Verboomen of Belgium is nominated for FEI Best Athlete award, Dominique van Dalsen of Netherlands as a Rising Star and
Steffi Wiegard, groom to Isabell Werth of Germany, as Best Groom.

The nominations were announced Friday by the FEI (International Equestrian Federation) with voting by the public at FEI.org that counts for half the vote until Sunday Oct. 12.

The winners of the awards wil be announced at the FEI Awards gala in November.

Online voting is now live for the Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete, Longines FEI Rising Star, Cavalor FEI Best Groom, and FEI

Nominees for the Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete category are:

Justin Verboomen of Belgium – Dressage
Laura Collett of Great Britain – Eventing
Marijke Visser of Netherlands – Endurance
Richard Vogel of Germany – Jumping

Longines FEI Rising Star
Dominique van Dalsen of Netherlands – Dressage
Thijs Boon of Belgium – Eventing
Géraldine Straumann of Switzerland – Jumping
Tom Wachman of Ireland– Jumping

Cavalor FEI Best Groom
Steffi Wiegard of Germany, groom to Isabell Werth of Germany – Dressage
Oona Eerola of Finland, groom to Yuri Mansur of Brazil – Jumping
Sanne Melsen of Belgium, groom to Gilles Thomas of Belgium – Jumping
Adam Short of Great Britain, groom to Tom McEwen of Great Britain – Eventing

FEI Inspire category celebrates initiatives and individuals making a lasting impact on equestrian sport and communities worldwide
Beat as One – Stable Management Challenge, Shanghai Sport Development Foundation, People’s Republic of China
Chao-Yuan “Alain” Chang for the Therapeutic Riding Center of Taiwan (ThRCT), Chinese Taipei
Saskya Bingei for Equine Resources Indonesia, Indonesia (INA)