Press Release from the Hannoveraner Verband:
The Rheinish stallion Zonik Plus by Zonik/Hohenstein (breeder: Dressage Plus LDA, Amadora/POR) already now made an impressive competitive career with his regular rider, Justin Verboomen. At the age of six, he finished sixth in the final of the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses. Just three years later, the pair triumphed in the 2025 CDIO5* Aachen and won the individual gold medal in the Grand Prix Special as well as the Freestyle in Crozet, France, there he also won the bronze medal in Grand Prix. Further victories followed in Lyon, Frankfurt and, most recently, in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
Breeding for health has an important role in sport horse breeding. Zonik Plus does not meet the necessary health requirements for recognition by the Hanoverian Association in one trait (OC in the right knee – flattening with a marked change in structure). According to recent estimates, heritability for this trait in riding horse populations is estimated to be between 0.21 and 0.25. There are no relevant further X-ray findings for the limbs.
Due to the stallion’s outstanding sporting performance, the Hanoverian Breeding Committee has decided to enter Zonik Plus into the Hannoverian Association’s Stallion Book I, regardless of this finding. However, the process needs to be transparent and therefore information about this finding is provided. The risk assessment for the use of Zonik Plus is then the responsibility of the breeder.
This information is available in the stallion directory: https://service.vit.de/pferd_praesentation/Front?rasse=&vater-%3Elangname=&standort=&vater-%3Evater-%3Elangname=&sprache=en&verband=31&langname=Zonik+Plus&bundesland=&anzeigezweck=Hengstverteilungsplan&land=&deckart1=&aktion=SelektionVb31Hvp&mutter-%3Evater-%3Elangname=