European Champion Zonik Plus to perform in Live Music Show on Saturday
CDI Lier is in full swing. After three successful youth days, the senior competitions have now begun. Although Justin Verboomen is not on the start list for the CDI4* Grand Prix, he will travel to Lier on Saturday evening together with Zonik Plus for a never-before-seen performance set to live music.
Verboomen and Zonik Plus made history as the first Belgian combination to win European gold at senior level, claiming victory in both the Grand Prix Special and the Freestyle. The pair currently leads the FEI Dressage World Ranking and has firmly established itself among the sport’s top combinations.
From breeding to improvement
Following their successes in Frankfurt, Zonik Plus has primarily been focused on breeding duties in recent months. However, training continued intensively at home. “I really wanted to take this opportunity,” explains Verboomen. “Over the past weeks, the focus for Zonik Plus has mainly been on breeding, but at home we have worked specifically on improving several exercises. This show gives me the chance to feel where we stand in a competition setting, so that heading towards The Dutch Masters we can hopefully take another step forward.” The Dutch Masters will be the first show of the year for the European Champions, who have their eyes on the World Championship in Aachen later this year.
Live music
In Lier, the pair will present a freestyle accompanied by live music from Verboomen’s life partner Jonatan Martinez and To The Music, starting time 7.30PM. It promises to be a special prelude to the CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle that follows. Verboomen is clear about his horse’s potential: “Zonik Plus can still improve a lot, and he is still very young. I truly can’t wait to see what the future will bring.”
For the programme, start lists and results: www.belgiumdressageevents.be
