Belgium’s Justin Verboomen made history at the 2025 European Dressage Championships in Crozet, clinching individual gold in the grand prix special with Zonik Plus – the nation’s first-ever championship medal.

Their spectacular performance earned a personal best of 82.37%, leaving the crowd on its feet and an emotional Justin almost lost for words.

It was always set to be a three-way battle with Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour (Mount St John Freestyle) and Isabell Werth (Wendy De Fontaine), and in the end, it was the tiniest of mistakes that proved decisive.

Drawn first of the leading trio, Justin delivered a phenomenal test. His ride was littered with nines for the trotwork, piaffe and passage, and he received four 10s for his double-marked pirouettes.

The judges were split – Germany’s K

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