PRESS RELEASE
Silence fell over the Azelhof Equestrian Centre as Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus performed their test. After their world-class performance at Jumping Mechelen, all eyes were on this fantastic duo, and expectations were high. With great harmony and an incredibly friendly and elegant presentation, Justin guided Zonik Plus to an impressive 75.761%. This narrowly put them ahead of the other black pearl of the 4* Grand Prix, Maxima Bella, ridden by Poland’s Sandra Sysojeva.
“I’m really proud of my horse; he gave me such a great feeling. Compared to Mechelen, he was even better to ride—more focused on me,” Justin praised his nine-year-old stallion. “Zonik Plus is always so cheerful and always wants to give his best. He’s such a joy to be around.”
Feels like home
The arenas in Lier seem to suit the stallion well. Last summer, the duo became Belgian champions in the Small Tour, and since then, they have been stacking up top results. “The Belgian Championships were an incredible experience for us. It wasn’t even planned, we only decided to go a few weeks in advance. I was really impressed by the arenas and the organization; everything was just perfect. And now, once again, it feels like home. The stables are so comfortable for the horses, which is especially great for a stallion.”
“It’s a feeling I can’t put int words”
Justin Verboomen bought the stallion as a two-year-old from the breeder. “The first time I saw him, I thought, ‘Oh my god, this horse is from another planet.’ I couldn’t believe the breeder was willing to sell him, so I quickly shook his hand,” Justin laughs. “From the start, I had complete trust and belief in this horse. Zonik Plus gives me a feeling that I simply can’t put into words.”
Fantastic home crowd
After his test, Justin was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd that had clearly enjoyed his performance. How does it feel to compete in front of a home crowd at events like this? “It’s an amazing feeling, and I’m really proud of the way we rode today. Zonik Plus has so much talent, both mentally and physically. Performing these exercises comes so naturally to him.” And that’s exactly how it looked.
European Championships as the Goal
“As a child, I dreamed of riding at this level. But in the past two years, my perspective has changed. As long as I can keep doing this, it’s amazing. If not, it’s not the end of the world. Right now, I’m fully enjoying it, and I hope to continue for a long time with Zonik Plus. But nothing in life is certain. This year, the European Championships are our goal.” First, we get to enjoy this pair once more in tomorrow’s freestyle to music.
Top 3
Right now, two incredible young dressage horses are making waves in the sport. One is Zonik Plus, and the other is the mare Maxima Bella (by Millenium). Today, they faced off for the first time in the arena, and the competition was tight. Poland’s Sandra Sysojeva, who won the 5* Grand Prix in Doha last week, finished second today with Maxima Bella, scoring 75.413%, just 0.348% behind Zonik Plus and Justin Verboomen. In third place was Germany’s Katharina Hemmer, who scored 72.587% with Denoix, a son of Destano.