Justin Verboomen (BEL) and Djembe de Hus win the World Cup Grand Prix of Neumünster 2026

Justin Verboomen, number one in the world, showed what dressage should look like these days at the World Cup Grand Prix in Neumünster. With the Oldenburg Djembe de Hus, the Belgian rider scored 76.826 percent. What the spectators got to see at the VR Classics in the Holstenhalle in Neumünster was – nothing! No or hardly any visible aids, no signs of dissatisfaction, horse and rider in harmony. Verboomen knew how to use his measured aids according to the condition of his horse. The first strong trot was still rather hesitant, perhaps the impression was that the Damon Hill son had not yet fully arrived in the arena in Neumünster. The arena is notorious among dressage riders. What the audience loves, being right up close to the action, can sometimes cause the four-legged athletes to hold their breath.

Verboomen unchallenged to victory in World Cup Grand Prix Neumünster

The pair offered many highlights. Smooth traversals, piaffe with a swinging back, expressive passage, flowing transitions. Plus a strong walk, which may not have had an excess of overstride, but a clear frame extension and striding out of the shoulder. The transition to collected walk was also remarkable. Almost imperceptibly, the Belgian rider changed his upper body position and Djembe de Hus picked himself up, showing a collected walk with a sure beat. The adaptation from this concentrated, calm phase of the task into the passage then immediately resumed with energy and melting.

Cleverly presented

When his creator handed out the gallop, Dejmbe de Hus didn’t exactly push himself into the front row. But his 38-year-old rider also makes a virtue of it. For example, with pirouettes jumped around the inside hind leg in the smallest of spaces and confident flying canter changes.

If you want to define an absolute highlight, then it is not a single lesson, but the connection to the horse’s mouth that Justin Verboomen showed today in the World Cup Grand Prix in Neumünster: the way he imperceptibly pushes his hand forward again from a deep seat in a strong trot and Djembe de Hus lengthens in the neck – that is what the textbooks say. Something you rarely see in reality, however. Four nines were recorded in the minutes (76.826 percent).

By the way, as we all know, victories are won at home or in training. Anyone who has seen Verboomen during morning training in the Holstenhalle knows that training icon Paul Stecken was right: “Riding properly is enough”.

Pauluis almost perfect

The judges awarded Larissa Pauluis’ performance 43 times with scores of 8.0 or better. In the saddle of the Dutch rider Flambeau, who has championship experience, the Belgian rider, who will soon be celebrating her 46th birthday, impressed. The Ampere son piaffed and passed like a metronome. The pair are currently in second place in the Western European League for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in Fort Worth, Texas (USA) in April. With 74.196 percent, the combination from Belgium achieved a personal best in the Grand Prix.

Third place for “Raphie”

The current leader in the Western European League is Raphael Netz. With Great Escape Camelot, he also achieved a personal best in the World Cup Grand Prix in Neumünster. The pair has never achieved 73.587 percent, third place, before. High marks were awarded for the wide-crossing trot traversals and the balanced canter pirouettes. The combination had to accept deductions in the walk tour. The front supporting piaffes were mostly clearly on point and were consistently scored in the seven range. The bay Dutchman with the electric hind leg scored particularly well in the clearly separated passage.

The Oldenburg Fürst Kennedy, ridden by the Portuguese rider João Pedro Moreira, was not always completely even in terms of his hind leg. He scored points in the canter and finished fourth with 71.565 percent. Close behind was Moritz Treffinger with Fiderdance. Treffinger presented the chestnut stallion skillfully, always sensitively trying to offer the “proud” stallion a little more length in his neck. A mistake in the zig-zag traversals prevented an even better placing (71.37/5th).

Three more Germans at the start

He was followed by Ingrid Klimke and the Fürstenball daughter First Class (71.0). The chestnut Gio, once a medal winner at the Olympic Games in Tokyo at the height of the Charlotte Dujardin euphoria, came sixth. The gelding finished in seventh place (70.696) with the British rider Annabella Pidgley, who sometimes had a clear influence with her spurs. The chestnut supported in the piaffe, which he showed lively and quite precisely on the spot. The third pair from Belgium, Alexa Fairchild and the long-legged gelding Fairplay, also achieved exactly the same score.

Laura Strobel and Sister’s Act made their World Cup debut. After a safe start, several minor but costly mistakes crept in, particularly in the canter (68.826 percent/11th).

Bad luck in the arena

Juliane Brunkhorst had even worse luck. Yesterday she had ridden the promising Diamante Negro to victory in the national Grand Prix, but today she heard the bell from chief judge Elke Ebert. Her horse Fürst Enno got off in a piaffe. The decision was based on Article 424.5.2. of the Dressage Regulations of the World Equestrian Federation (FEI). It states: “Any resistance in the Field of Play which prevents the continuation of the test longer than twenty (20) seconds is penalized by Elimination”. In fact, it was only about eight seconds after the first clear resistance before the bell was heard. But the resistance was clear. The chestnut had started to rise several times, which his rider tried to correct with remarkable calm. After ringing the bell, she then had the chestnut start again briefly in another place.

Results from the Neumünster 2026 World Cup Grand Prix