Justin Verboomen completing CDIO4* Grand Prix Freestyle at Lier for personal best score.
LIER, Belgium, May 18, 2025–Justin Verboomen on Zonik Plus wowed spectators in winning the CDIO4* Grand Prix Freestyle Sunday a day after leading his homeland of Belgium to an historic victory in the trans-Atlantic Nations Cup series.
Justin and his nine-year-old black Hanoverian stallion scored a personal best 86.155% for the win for six victories in 10 starts since beginning Big Tour six months ago.
Justin has developed the German-bred Zonik Plus (Zonik x Hohenstein) since a youngster but did not compete the horse internationally following the World Young Horse Championships as a six-year-old until last November when the pair debuted at Grand Prix. The rider is ranked 8th in the world and Zonik Plus sixth before this latest event.
Svenja Kämper-Meyer who rode on the 12-year-old Hanoverian mare Amanyara M FRH on Germany’s silver medal team was runner-up in the Freestyle on a personal best 77.300%.
Belgian teammate Larissa Pauluis on Flambeau, 15-year-old KWPN gelding that she competed at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics and last month’s World Cup Final, was awarded 77.085% for third place.
Katharina Hemmer on Denoix PCH, the 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding, won the CDIO4* Grand Prix Special.
Katharina, top scoring German on the silver-medal Nations Cup team at Grand Prix a day earlier, scored 75.702% for the win in the Special.
She took over the ride two years ago from her coach, German Olympian Hubertus Schmidt and part-owner with America’s Nancy Gooding of Denoix.
Britain’s Andrew Gould on the 12-year-old KWPN stallion Indigro was runner-up on 73.021%.
Dutch Olympian Hans Peter Minderhoud on Glock’s Taminiau, 10-year-old Hanoverian stallion, placed third on a personal best 72.787%. The pair were highest placed on the Netherlands bronze medal team Saturday.
Results: