What a MEGGLE-Prize at the CHIO Aachen 2025! Personal bests for all top three riders and a Belgian newcomer that left Isabell Werth and her Olympic gold and silver medallist horse, Wendy, behind him. Plus, a pair from England that took the hearts of the crowd in Aachen by storm.

2025 is the first international Grand Prix season for the Belgian rider, Justin Verboomen, and his self-trained and just nine-year-old Zonik Plus. It was the second Spécial ever for both horse and rider. And then in the MEGGLE-Prize at the CHIO Aachen! The Belgian dressage rider and his black stallion didn’t let that deter them. The pair danced to a phenomenal victory and their personal best score of 80.745 percent. It was Verboomen’s first victory in the dressage arena in Aachen.

Second place went to Isabell Werth and Wendy, who were awarded a score of 80.106 percent after making mistakes in the one-tempi flying changes. This was also a personal best for the pair. The British rider, Becky Moody, and her self-bred Dante Weltino son, Jagerbomb, were delighted at coming third with a score of 78.404 percent. The third personal best.

Not a man of many words, Justin Verboomen said after the Grand Prix in the Prize of Family Tesch that he can’t wait to show Zonik Plus’s real potential in the dressage arena. Whether that had been the case today? “Not yet. But you will see it one day!” he promised. Whereby everyone was already totally impressed with the pair’s performance today.

Isabell Werth doesn’t shy competition. On the contrary. “It was great sport and the strong competition makes it spicy. That is the reason I am still here.” She wasn’t surprised by the performance of the new talents. “I saw Justin in Lier and it was clear to me that he wouldn’t try to be a gentleman. That is what we love to have: Exciting sport and competitive shows, that is what the spectators love.”

The British rider, Becky Moody, member of the team that won bronze at the Olympic Games in Paris, was overjoyed: “It is something else to ride into this arena. The crowd are fantastic and so knowledgeable.“ At the same time, the atmosphere brings challenges with it. “He was definitely very enthusiastic today in the arena! He didn’t want to stand still, but it is precisely this energy that makes the rest of his test so special. That is what we are all striving for finding the balance between energy and relaxedness.”

Tomorrow, we continue with the Lindt-Prize. CHIO Aachen Head of Sport, Birgit Rosenberg, is looking forward to the next encounter between the “big three” – and she is certainly not on her own: “We all know that Isabell (Werth) is at her best when she is challenged. Namely, the most successful dressage rider of all time then excels with top performances. It is going to be exciting!