Justin Verboomen takes the lead in the FEI Dressage World Cup presented by RS2 Dressage

The first round of the FEI Dressage World Cup presented by RS2 Dressage delivered an exciting competition on Friday afternoon at the Brabanthallen. Belgian rider Justin Verboomen ultimately came out on top with his stallion Zonik Plus, securing the victory in the Grand Prix. Title defender Charlotte Fry followed in second place with Glamourdale, while Marieke van der Putten finished third with Zantana RS2 OLD as the best Dutch combination.

Verboomen was pleased with the win but still sees room for improvement heading into the freestyle. “In training, Zonik Plus felt absolutely fantastic, even better than earlier this season,” he said afterwards. “In the arena he was a bit distracted by the surroundings, which meant that the canter work in particular didn’t come out quite as well as it could have. Tomorrow in the freestyle I want to give him even more confidence in the ring.”

With Fry and Glamourdale, winners of the World Cup qualifier during The Dutch Masters in 2025, close behind, the battle in Saturday’s FEI World Cup freestyle to music presented by Equestic, promises to be an exciting finale.

Marieke van der Putten secured third place. Together with Zantana RS2 OLD she delivered a strong test, keeping the Dutch honour high in a strong international field of competitors. “I’m very happy,” Van der Putten said afterwards. “Zantana was really ‘on fire’, so I had to ride every millimetre. But I can feel that everything is becoming more and more confirmed. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s freestyle!”

Photos: TDM/Digishots