Justin Verboomen and 9YO Zonik Plus Come Within Fraction of 90% to Claim Aachen CDIO5* Grand Prix Freestyle

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

AACHEN, Germany, July 6, 2025–Justin Verboomen and his nine-year-old Zonik Plus, the new stars of dressage, came within a fraction of 90% to claim the CDIO5* Grand Prix Freestyle in the Belgium rider’s first performance at the mecca of horse sports.

Justin and the Hanoverian stallion that have been competing at Big Tour for seven months, were awarded 89.400% with three judges scoring at least 90%, one at 88.275% and the fifth at 86.800.

The stadium packed with spectators from around the world gave Justin and Zonik Hit a sustained standing ovation, as they did for their hometown favorite, Isabell Werth on her Olympic gold medal mount Wendy de Fontaine in cold and drizzly weather.

Isabell and the 11-year-old Danish Warmblood mare scored 88.440% for their musical performance that competed immediately ahead of Justin and Zonik.

Germany’s Paris Olympic team mate Frederic Wandres on Bluetooth OLD placed third on 84.490%.

The head-to-head contest beween Justin on Zonik and Isabell on Wendy had generated excitement here and that is expected to flow over to the European Championship scheduled for Crozet, France at the end of August.

The soft-spoken and unassuming Justin has produced the most successful dressage results ever for his country and leading the team to silver behind Germany in the Nations Cup last Thursday.

He described the performance to music as “amazing.”

“Today I really had a super connection with him,” he said. “That was my main goal whenever I’m here in the competition. He was really growing day by day during this competition. And that’s really the most important for me today.”

He achieved the appearance of a “smooth and harmonic” performance.

“That’s really what I wanted to do,” he said. “So that people can really feel the emotions.

“… the only thing I want is to be able to create a similar feeling as today… because everything is new for me. I like the competition, of course, because it’s comfortable and it doesn’t have a lot of experience, but it’s really worth it.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isabell said of Wendy de Fontaine she was” really happy with the way the mare moved from the beginning.

“She was really focused with me. And also my canter work was much better, with more relaxation, still something more to get, but that was really great.”

Spectators started clapping even before the last line.

She was not unhappy with the result.

“This is a sport… this is what I really love, to have competition and to compete and also I think all of us, we love this and sometimes you have a percentage more, sometimes less, and this is a challenge.

“And I think you see two really completely different horses; one is more the dynamic type, and the other one is with the smooth part.

“And this is, at the end, sometimes a question of taste, and that makes it really exciting.

“I think today we have a super atmosphere, we have great sport, and this is what we love to do and work for.

“So as long as it’s like this, I’ll keep on going a bit.”

Results: