Belgium had never before claimed a medal at a major Dressage championship, whether in team or individual competition. That changed when Justin Verboomen made history in Crozet, France by winning gold in the Grand Prix Special at the Jiva Hill Stables FEI Dressage European Championship with his exceptional stallion Zonik Plus. Their 82.371% score left no doubt. Silver went to Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour of Denmark and Mount St John Freestyle, while bronze was awarded to Germany’s Isabell Werth and Wendy de Fontaine.
Early tension in Crozet
From the very first athletes, the atmosphere was electric, with serious medal contenders entering the arena early in the day. The top 30 combinations from the Grand Prix faced a wide range of weather conditions – from sunshine to heavy showers and gusts of wind – that kept both athletes and spectators on edge.
One of the earliest challengers was Great Britain’s Charlotte Fry with her World Champion and Olympic bronze medallist Glamourdale. After a disappointing day in the Grand Prix, Fry was determined to fight back, taking maximum risk in the trot tour. With energy, power and courage, the highlights were outstanding extensions, one-tempi changes and lateral work. But some shaky transitions and a less consistent piaffe held the score to 75.289%. It was enough for an early lead, but far from the podium by the end of the day.
Hemmer delivers the test of her life
Next into the arena was Germany’s Katharina Hemmer with Denoix PCH (owned by Nancy Gooding and Hubertus Schmidt). Completing the test of her life, the chestnut gelding showed relaxation, uphill movement and a harmonious, classical picture with not a single mistake. Their 78.678% kept them at the top of the leaderboard for a long time and eventually secured them fourth place.
“I am so amazed,” smiled Hemmer afterwards. “It doesn’t often happen that you can truly enjoy your test while riding it, but today was one of those days. Denoix wanted to do everything right, he really gave it all.”
Great Britain’s Becky Moody and her home bred Jagerbomb (owned by the rider and Jo Cooper) were also looking to make amends after mistakes in the Grand Prix. Their beautiful, still contact was textbook. While his passage may not be the most scopey, it has the rhythm of a metronome. With 77.796%, Moody finished just behind Hemmer in fifth.
Carl Hester once again gave a masterclass in classical riding with Fame (owned by Fiona Bigwood, Mette Dahl and the rider), though tension in the walk left him just short of Moody’s score.
Norway’s Isabel Freese and Total Hope, third in this year’s FEI Dressage World Cup Final in Basel, impressed again with a solid Grand Prix Special that scored 74.316% for tenth place, easily qualifying for Sunday’s Freestyle.
Germany’s Frederic Wandres and Bluetooth OLD (owned by Hof Kasselmann) followed with a fault-free performance. His piaffe, passage and pirouettes still lacked some power and have room to develop further. Their 75.942% left them in seventh.
Verboomen’s moment of magic
Then it was time for the sensation of the moment: Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus (owned by Verboomen). You could hear a pin drop in the stadium as spectators held their breath. The lightness, suppleness, and perfect balance between collection and relaxation captivated the crowd and the judges alike. Always with his ears pricked, attentive yet soft in every step, Zonik Plus danced his way to 82.371%.
With Werth, Laudrup-Dufour and Van Liere still to go, Verboomen’s victory was not yet certain, but the Belgian had thrown down a historic challenge.
Isabell Werth and Wendy de Fontaine (owned by Chateau de Fontaine and Madeleine Winter-Schulze) gave it their all, but mistakes crept into the one-tempi changes in the canter tour, keeping them just shy of 80%. Their 79.027% secured bronze for the most decorated athlete in history.
“We started this season quite late and I can feel we are not yet at peak form,” Werth admitted. “It was a challenge to reach the podium, but there were many things that pleased me today. In the Freestyle I want to take more risk – I will go for it!” she laughed.
Mount St John Freestyle and Laudrup-Dufour deliver
Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle (owned by Laudrup-Dufour Aps and Mount St John Equestrian) then entered the arena to breathless anticipation. Their performance was a joy to watch, soft and elastic, but a major mistake in the one-tempi changes – scored as low as 3.7 – proved costly. Even so, the rest of the test was of such high quality that they still posted 81.687% to secure silver.
“She felt absolutely wonderful. She was so soft, I really could present her in the most supple way. Aiming for gold is hard with such an amazing group of riders. I’m super proud of Freestyle. The scores of the other combinations motivate me to get better. On Sunday we will give it everything,” said Laudrup-Dufour.
Final competitor of the day was Dinja van Liere of The Netherlands with Hermès, who took double individual bronze at the World Championships 2022 in Herning. As always, Hermès delivered a strong piaffe and passage, but some points were lost in the trot tour. Their 75.486% left them outside the medals.
A golden day for Belgium
Verboomen was left almost speechless after clinching his historic medal, one that delivered not only personal glory but also Belgium’s first ever Dressage gold.
“I still cannot believe what just happened. I felt so much pressure yesterday and today, also pressure that I put on myself. That was hard to handle. Zonik is still so young and I feel like we have so much to learn together. I am speechless,” said Verboomen.
Saturday is a rest day for human and equine athletes in Crozet. On Sunday the action continues with the Grand Prix Freestyle – don’t miss it, starting at 11:30am local time.
Source: FEI press release by Bettine van Harselaar
