The reigning European champion beat the reigning world champion. Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus triumphed in the Grand Prix of the World Cup Tour at Indoor Brabant in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, ahead of reigning world champion Charlotte Fry with Glamourdale.
That this duel for the top spot was inevitable was clear from the starting list. The world’s number 1 and 3. Two black stallions who couldn’t be more different. Everyone was eager to see what would happen.
And it certainly lived up to the hype. In the end, they were separated by just 0.43%, and the European champion took first place.
Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus received a score of 78.457% – despite a mistake in the zigzag half-pass and the fact that the now 10-year-old stallion botched a trot transition. Beautiful passages and the world’s best pirouettes, correctly awarded up to 10, were among their strengths. Three judges placed Verboomen first and three placed Lottie Fry first – with judge Christoph Umbach tying both riders for first place.
With a total of only 10 points less, Great Britain’s Charlotte Fry and the now 15-year-old Glamourdale came in second. Glamourdale once again shone with the best extended canter imaginable (and which was awarded the dream score 10 by four of the five judges), but completely messed up the second pirouette. And Glamourdale’s piaffe remains not his strongest move.
With 74.609%, the best Dutch combination – Marieke van der Putten and Zantana, a 12-year-old Oldenburg mare by Zonik x Sir Donnerhall – came in third. A considerable distance behind (72.892%), Belgian rider Larissa Pauluis and her horse Flambeau finished fourth – the now 16-year-old KWPN gelding is clearly feeling the effects of the extensive competition schedule of the past weeks and months.
The World Cup Freestyle starts tomorrow at 2:00 PM.