MECHELEN, Belgium, Dec. 29, 2024–Dinja van Liere and her Olympic partner Hermes won the World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle Sunday for the Dutch pair’s first victory in their campaign for a start in this season’s series for the championship Final in three months.
Dinja and the 12-year-old KWPN stallion scored 83.240% for the win to boost the duo into contention for a place in the Final as the Western European lineup of 11 qualifying events moves on to the seventh competition in Basel, Switzerland in two weeks. The venue will host the Final the first week of April.
Dinja’s only previous World Cup event was at Omaha in 2023 but withdrew before the competition.
Belgium’s Justin Verboomen and the eight-year-old Zonik Plus, victors in the Grand Prix Saturday, were runner-up on 81.730%.
The international musical performance was the first by the pair and only their second CDI, having made their Big Tour debut four weeks ago. Justin competed competed Zonik when the horse was six at the World Young Horse Championships.
Fellow Belgian Larissa Pauluis on the 14-year-old KWPN gelding Flambeau, her Tokyo and Paris Olympic mount, was third on 79.920%.
Results:
