Larissa Pauluis and Flambeau Crown CDI Lier with Belgian Victory

After six days of international top sport, packed grandstands and sporting highlights, CDI Lier received the finale it deserved on Sunday. While spectators had filled the arena on Saturday evening for the impressive show of European champion Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus, the final day was entirely dedicated to the 4* Grand Prix Special and the Freestyle. Once again, Belgian dressage made a strong impression.

In the Grand Prix Freestyle, sponsored by VGP, Larissa Pauluis put the finishing touch on a successful week with her seventeen-year-old Flambeau. Delivering a strong test and a score of 79.825%, the pair secured victory and provided the home crowd with a fitting conclusion to a successful edition.

“Still like a young boy”
Larissa Pauluis is enjoying a strong season with the seventeen-year-old Flambeau and currently leads the intermediate standings of the World Cup series. “He really still feels like a young boy,” Pauluis smiled afterwards. “I have to manage his energy as if he were a four-year-old.” Despite the win, she remained critical. “They are animals, of course. We had a slightly hectic start and the final transition into passage wasn’t perfect. But otherwise Flambeau felt very good, and we didn’t make any mistakes. So I’m very happy with that.”

Proud of First Step Valentin and Defalque
This season, Pauluis is firmly focused on qualification for Belgium towards the 2028 Olympic Games. The first key opportunity will be the World Championships in Aachen later this year. For that reason, she has decided not to travel to the FEI Dressage World Cup Final. “I want to keep Flambeau fit and fresh. After The Dutch Masters, he will have a few weeks of competition rest.” During CDI Lier, her other Grand Prix horse, First Step Valentin, competed internationally for the first time with fellow Belgian rider Charlotte Defalque. “That was really special to see. She is increasingly finding the right buttons, and that takes time when a horse has always been ridden by you. They had a very good start here, and that makes me proud.”

Still gaining experience
It nearly became an all-Belgian podium in the Freestyle. However, Dutch rider Marieke van der Putten managed to position herself among the home favourites. With Kuvasz RS2, a son of Glamourdale, she scored 78.945%, a personal best for the combination. “To be honest, I didn’t quite find my focus,” she admitted. “That has never really happened to me before. Maybe it was the heat, I don’t know. I made a silly mistake in the two-tempis. But I’m incredibly proud of Kuvasz. He still lacks some experience at this level, but he improves every competition.”

Floating through the freestyle
Third place went to Alexa Fairchild with Fairplay, a son of Delatio, scoring 77.465%. “It felt like we were floating through the freestyle, I truly enjoyed it,” she said enthusiastically afterwards. “I could really ride on feeling and didn’t have to overthink things. Everything felt easy, and I’m very happy with my horse.” She also praised the organisation in Lier. “It’s always wonderful to compete here. Everything is so well organised, especially for the horses but also for us as riders. Our next competition is the World Cup qualifier at The Dutch Masters, and I’m really looking forward to that.”

German podium in the Grand Prix Special
The Grand Prix Special was won by Grand Prix winner Katharina Hemmer of Germany with Denoix PCH. Scoring 75.596%, she claimed a convincing victory. “I’m so happy with Denoix. Our goal was to ride relaxed tests, and we more than achieved that. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and excited to see what it will bring.” The podium was completed by her compatriots Fabiënne Müller-Lütkemeier with Valencia AS (70.298%) and Lisa Müller with Gut Wettlkamp’s Zonik Hit OLD (69.787%).

Results