Justin Verboomen on Zonik Plus celebrating European Championship Freestyle gold. © 2025 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
CROZET, France, Aug. 31, 2025–Justin Verboomen on the nine-year-old Zonik Plus won European Championships Freestyle on a personal best score Sunday adding to the history the partnership created in becoming the first from Belgium to capture individual gold two days earlier.
Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour of Denmark and Mount St. John Freestyle took silver with Germany’s Isabell Werth on Wendy de Fontaine the bronze in one of the most exciting in the 60 years of the Europeans.
Justin who found the Hanoverian stallion at age of 2 1/2 scored 89.964% for the victory in the Freestyle that was staged in a brilliant sunny day at the magnificent Jiva Hill Stables in the region where the snow-covered peak of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe, was visible.
Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour on Mount St. John Freestyle, the mare she took over from Charlotte Dujardin and won silver at last year’s Paris Olympics, took Freestyle silver Sunday on 89.821%, just 0.143% behind the leader.
Isabell Werth, the most successful equestrian in history and the winner of a couple of dozen European medals, rode her Olympic team gold medal mount Wendy de Fontaine to a score of 88.046% to earn bronze.
European Championships double gold medalist Justin Verboomen gets a Champagne shower on the podium from silver medalist Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and bronze medalist Isabell Werth. © 2025 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com
Justin has often been overcome by emotion at the success he has had on Zonik since beginning Big Tour nine months ago and his first ever senior championship.
Zonik Plus with Justin Verboomen aboard on the final centerline of the European Championships Freestyle that the pair won for their second gold medal. © 2025 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com
“I really can’t believe it, and honestly, I wasn’t expecting this gold medal at all today,” he said, “especially after the mistake we made in the laterals. I’m very happy tonight! I asked my producer to create a rather calm, slightly dark musical theme to showcase Zonik Plus, and I think it worked really well.”
Cathrine and the 16-year-old mare aptly named Freestyle placed first in the Paris Olympics Grand Prix Special that led her Danish team to silver.
The only international performance for the duo before this week’s championship was in February to add to their list of six straight victories since Paris.
Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour exclaiming with pumped fist her silver medal performance in the European Championships Freestyle. © 2025 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com
Cathrine said: “I was really happy with my freestyle. I made a small mistake at the end of the first flying changes in two-time, but I managed to redo them, so I didn’t completely fail. I actually didn’t watch Justin’s freestyle because I was too nervous.
“Of course, I’m a little disappointed today compared to yesterday, as it was very tight, even among the judges. But that’s how it goes.
“I’m really proud to see a new ‘small nation’ emerging here. I know Justin showed incredible riding. And I’m almost certain we’ll have some great duels in the future.”
For Isabell and the 11-year-old Danish mare Wendy that led Germany to team gold at the Paris Games, the third placed musical performance came after notching team gold here as well as individual bronze.
Isabell Werth on Wendy de Fontaine saying she was “very, very happy” with her ride in the European Championships Freestyle. © 2025 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com
After team gold and bronze in the Special, Isabell said, “today, she (Wendy) was really fantastic. There were a few small mistakes in the canter work, but honestly, we all made mistakes. So it was a very tight duel, a very competitive event. In the end, I think any of us could have been third, second, or first—it didn’t matter. It was an exciting competition for all of us, and for the spectators too, and we are really happy to be here.”
She added, “We look forward to the next championship (the World Championships in Aachen, Germany next year). It will be really exciting, and I hope Justin will feel our breath on his neck—as well as the judges. So we can’t wait.”
Becky Moody who a year ago was drafted at the last minute for Britain’s Olympic team that earned bronze was the highest placed in fourth on 86.982% of the three combinations from her nation in her first senior European Championships. The pair finished ahead of team mates Carl Hester on Fame and Charlotte “Lottie” Fry on Glamourdale. © 2025 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com
Results:
European Championships Grand Prix Freestyle
Click on the score for details
708
ZONIK PLUS HANN/Stallion/Black/2016/by ZONIK N.O.P. x HEIDEBLUME by HOHENSTEIN 4
(2.)
(1.)
(2.)
(1.)
(2.)
(3.)
(2.)
€15,000
713
MOUNT ST JOHN FREESTYLE HANN/Mare/Bay/2009/by FIDERMARK x DONNA GRACIA by DONNERHALL 11
(1.)
(2.)
(1.)
(2.)
(1.)
(1.)
(1.)
€11,000
734
WENDY DE FONTAINE DWB/Mare/Black/2014/by SEZUAN 2 x SKOVENS VANILLA by BLUE HORS SOPRANO
(3.)
(4.)
(3.)
(3.)
(3.)
(2.)
(4.)
€8,000
730
JAGERBOMB KWPN/Gelding/Bay/2014/by DANTE WELTINO OLD x UDYSEE by JAZZ
(4.)
(3.)
(4.)
(4.)
(4.)
(4.)
(3.)
€4,500
733
BLUETOOTH OLD OLDBG/Gelding/Other/2010/by BORDEAUX 28 x LORENA by GB RICCIONE
(5.)
(10.)
(5.)
(8.)
(6.)
(7.)
(5.)
€3,000
759
TOUCHDOWN SWB/Gelding/Bay/2012/by QUATERBACK x LA MOUR by SACK
(8.)
(9.)
(7.)
(7.)
(7.)
(5.)
(7.)
€1,500
729
FAME KWPN/Stallion/Bay/2010/by BORDEAUX 28 x BONAVENTURA by RHODIUM
(6.)
(6.)
(8.)
(6.)
(9.)
(10.)
(6.)
€1,000
746
TOTAL HOPE OLD OLDBG/Stallion/Black/2012/by TOTILAS x WEIHEGOLD OLD by BLUE HORS DON SCHUFRO
(9.)
(12.)
(6.)
(5.)
(8.)
(6.)
(12.)
€1,000
762
INVOICE OLDBG/Gelding/Black/2012/by JAZZ x ROXANNE by OLYMPIC FERRO
(7.)
(7.)
(10.)
(9.)
(10.)
(11.)
(8.)
727
GLAMOURDALE KWPN/Stallion/Black/2011/by LORD LEATHERDALE x THUJA by NEGRO
(15.)
(5.)
(16.)
(11.)
(5.)
(8.)
(15.)
731
DENOIX PCH OLDBG/Gelding/Chestnut/2012/by DESTANO x PRINCESS by PIK NOIR
(11.)
(8.)
(13.)
(12.)
(16.)
(9.)
(11.)
714
FAVOUR GERSDORF DWB/Gelding/Black/2013/by FOUNDATION 2 x VIRKELYST BENIDA by LEANDRO
(10.)
(13.)
(12.)
(15.)
(11.)
(12.)
(14.)
743
HERMES KWPN/Stallion/Bay/2012/by EASY GAME x BUKKIE by FLEMMINGH
(12.)
(15.)
(9.)
(10.)
(17.)
(13.)
(13.)
707
FLAMBEAU KWPN/Gelding/Bay/2010/by AMPERE x LAKARLA by ZEOLIET
(14.)
(11.)
(11.)
(13.)
(14.)
(14.)
(10.)
750
MAXIMA BELLA OLDBG/Mare/Black/2016/by MILLENNIUM x CIAO BELLA HRH by CHRIST 3
(13.)
(14.)
(14.)
(14.)
(12.)
(16.)
(9.)
752
DROSA FUERST KENNEDY OLD OLDBG/Stallion/Black/2015/by FUERSTEN-LOOK x FIODORA by DON KENNEDY
(16.)
(17.)
(15.)
(18.)
(13.)
(15.)
(16.)
761
HYATT KWPN/Mare/Chestnut/2012/by APACHE x DORETTA FUGA by SANDREO
(17.)
(18.)
(17.)
(16.)
(15.)
(18.)
(17.)
741
QUATER BACK JUNIOR FRH HANN/Gelding/Chestnut/2009/by QUATERBACK x BONITA by BONHEUR
(18.)
(16.)
(18.)
(17.)
(18.)
(17.)
(18.)