Belgium’s Justin Verboomen FEI Best Athlete of 2025
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Nov. 7, 2025
Justin Verboomen of Belgium, rider of his champion mount Zonik Plus, has received the FEI Best Athlete Award for 2025.
With his nine-year-old Zonik Plus, Justin captured double gold at the European Championships and reached No. 1 in dressage World Rankings, a historic first for Belgium.
Raised in a family of riding instructors, Justin’s lifelong connection with horses has shaped a grounded and classical approach to his training. From the time Justin met Zonik Plus as a two-year-old, their partnership has grown through the years.
In 2025, their achievements brought Belgium unprecedented international recognition in dressage–the nation’s first-ever Nations Cup victory and an individual champion at the prestigious CHIO Aachen in Germany.
“Exactly one year ago,” Justin said, “I was only dreaming of us taking part in our first international show together. I never imagined how far this journey would take us. Mechelen was unforgettable especially because it was the last show my mother saw, and that memory makes every moment since even more meaningful.
“Winning the Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete Award wasn’t something I expected. I just wanted to share the connection I feel with Zonik, to let people see his spirit and our story.
“To feel that others were moved too is incredibly touching. I’m endlessly grateful to have met a horse like him. He’s not just a partner in sport, but truly part of my family. This award isn’t just ours; it belongs to everyone who believed in us and felt our emotion through the arena.”
The awards were at a banquet concluding the FEI’s annual General Assembly in Hong Kong.
the sport, both on and off the field.
Ireland’s Tom Wachman, 20-year-old jumper rider, received the Rising Star award.
Sanne Melsen of Belgium received the Best Groom Award for her contribution to Belgian jumping athlete Gilles Thomas’s team.
The Inspire Award went to Beat as One – Stable Management Challenge for transforming stable care into a source of pride, responsibility and personal growth for young participants in Shanghai, China.
