Double European dressage champion Justin Verboomen, caught the eye at the recent World Cup qualifier in Mechelen, Belgium, where he finished second on 82.45%.
But this time it wasn’t riding the horse he’s most associated with, the current world number one Zonik Plus. Rather, it was his stablemate, the 11-year-old chestnut stallion Djembe de Hus OLD.
“It has been a crazy year,” Justin said after his tests. “What happened over the past year is unbelievable.
“Zonik Plus is having a bit of rest now, which is why I brought Djembe de Hus. My main goal here was to give him confidence. The indoor arena, the music, the applause, he found it all quite exciting. In the freestyle, he really tried to listen, and we had a special connection during the test.”
So who is Djembe de Hus?
Bred by Xavier Marie’s Haras de Hus via embryo transfer, Djembe de Hus is by Damon Hill – Olympic silver medallist, World Cup winner and one of only a handful of horses to break the 90% barrier – out of the Argentinus mare Elfe.
He was produced from a young age by French Olympic dressage rider Jessica Michel-Botton, progressing steadily through the age classes.
The pair enjoyed notable success in France, winning the national young horse titles in both 2019 and 2020 and finishing fourth the following year. In 2021, they represented France at the Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Verden, where they placed 12th in the six-year-old final, won by Lottie Fry and Kjento (Negro x Jazz).
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Following that season, the stallion was sent to Germany to continue his development under Marcus Hermes. During his time there, Djembe was shown sparingly at advanced national level, consistently scoring in the low-to-mid 70s. Marcus described him as “a world-class horse” during that period.
Djembe de Hus later returned to Michel, and the pair made their international grand prix debut in spring 2024. They competed at several major European fixtures, including Aachen, Hagen and Exloo, and later represented France at the FEI Nations Cup in Falsterbo. While Olympic selection for Paris 2024 was a long-term aim, their scores were not high enough for team inclusion, averaging just under 67% in the grand prix in the build-up to the Games.
Partnering with Justin Verboomen
Shortly before the Olympics, Xavier Marie announced that Haras de Hus would be closing its doors. Its horse stock, along with its semen and embryo collection – more than 300 lots in total – was offered in a clearance sale on 11 June 2024.
Djembe de Hus, however, was one of three horses, alongside Dorian Grey de Hus and Riwera de Hus, not included in the sale.
Instead, the stallion was briefly sent to Belgium with a view to sale, though he remained unsold. The ride then passed to Justin Verboomen, who made his public debut with Djembe in May 2025, riding hors concours in the grand prix and scoring 72%.
Later that month, the pair finished third at the Belgian National Championships, scoring 70.22% in the grand prix and 73.38% in the freestyle.
After a summer of training, Justin and Djembe made their international debut at Troisdorf CDI3*, showing marked improvement by scoring over 73% in both the grand prix and the special.
It was at Mechelen last month, however, that the pair made their real breakthrough, scoring 73.07% in the grand prix before climbing to 82.45% in the freestyle – more than nine percentage points up on their result at the Belgian National Championships.
It was a poignant moment for Justin, coming at the same competition where, a year earlier, Zonik Plus had announced himself on the world stage – and, for those keeping count, with strikingly similar scores.
The two horses’ backgrounds could hardly be more different. Justin has produced Zonik from the age of three, while Djembe arrived as an already established top-level horse. Yet he rides them in a similarly open frame, with Djembe’s standout movement the piaffe, while Zonik’s highest-scoring work comes in the canter pirouettes.
Different horses, different journeys – but the early signs with Djembe de Hus make him well worth watching.
Oscar joined Horse & Hound in October 2023 and is the magazine’s dressage editor and sports manager, overseeing coverage of equestrian sport. After studying equine science at Myerscough College, he spent four years working for leading dressage rider Emile Faurie, competing at the 2015 National Dressage Championships and travelling with the yard to CDIs including Aachen and Saumur. He holds a master’s degree in Literature from York St John University (2021).
