![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Fleurs-7-1-2280x1520.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Red light, green light, dressage edition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After two days of Grand Prix, a team medal and a first natural selection, only thirty combinations returned to Aachen\u2019s main arena this Friday for the Grand Prix Special. The FEI does indeed programme this Special as the first individual final of the World Championships, before Saturday evening\u2019s Grand Prix Freestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This time, there was no more counting the points of your mates. Every rider for themselves, God for all, and the judges in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With, still, a second objective behind the pursuit of the best possible ranking: earning a ticket to the Freestyle. Eighteen places. Not one more. And with the limit on the number of combinations from the same nation, sometimes you need the calculator more than the binoculars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A kind of Red Light, Green Light, dressage edition. First one to move loses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Jeroen Devroe and Wim Verwimp failing to make the Grand Prix cut, Belgian hopes rested on two combinations: Larissa Pauluis with Flambeau, then Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus. The latter had, incidentally, finished second in the Grand Prix with 80.885%, behind Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other words, the flat country still had a few cartridges left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n And since the thermometer had also decided to take part in the World Championships, the day\u2019s programme was split into two sessions. One in the morning, another in the late afternoon, with a long break in the middle allowing the horses \u2014 and probably a few humans \u2014 to avoid the full-scale barbecue on the Soers plain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Larissa Pauluis was in the \u201cmorning session\u201d. Well, sort of: she entered the arena at 12:19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Flambeau, evidently, had nothing against the idea of soaking up a little more sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Belgian by adoption therefore took his rider through eight minutes of Grand Prix Special. Eight minutes rather in keeping with the weather of the day: some very beautiful sunny spells, followed by a few much cloudier passages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00ab I think I started very well.\u00bb <\/em>Larissa analysed after leaving the arena.\u00ab I thought the beginning of my test was really good. \u00bb<\/em> \u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n And it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pair settled into their test, found their rhythm and seemed ready to go after a big score. Until a few grains of sand slipped into the machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The first came in the two-time changes. The second in the extended canter. Two moments which, in a World Championship Grand Prix Special, can quickly cost a lot more than a front-row deckchair on the beach in Knokke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00ab It\u2019s a shame, he got a little behind my legs when he changed<\/em> \u201d Larissa regretted. Then Flambeau played another little trick on her: \u00ab He steals my extended canter, he doesn\u2019t listen well enough. I was expecting it a little, so I was prepared, but he still did it.\u201d <\/em>\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n And at this level, the judges do not hand out loyalty points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThose two movements cost me an enormous number of points. I am a little disappointed because I really thought he could do a very, very good score today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Verdict: 72,325 %<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At that point in the competition, Larissa Pauluis and Flambeau occupied provisional tenth place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not exactly the dream score when entering the arena. But enough to trigger the second event of the day: mathematics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Because in Aachen this Friday, it was not enough to know how to piaffe. You also needed to have paid attention in maths class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pauluis was tenth. Ten combinations still had to enter the arena after the break. In the catastrophe scenario where all ten went ahead of her, the Belgian would therefore slide down to twentieth place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ouch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Except.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among those final ten competitors were, notably, a German and a Dane. But three combinations from each of those nations already occupied qualifying positions, and only three representatives per country can access the Freestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still following?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Neither were we at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But after taking out paper, pencil, a calculator and probably asking someone who had done advanced maths to confirm it: in the worst-case scenario, Larissa Pauluis would indeed still collect one of the eighteen qualifying places for the Freestyle. Phew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She already knew it when she came out of the arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Fleurs-6-2280x1520.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nClear off if you don\u2019t like the sun<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Two mistakes that cost dearly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Aachen](\"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Fleurs-5-2-2280x1520.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Aachen](\"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Fleurs-2-1-2280x1520.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nGet the calculators out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Aachen](\"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Fleurs-1-2280x1520.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Aachen](\"https:\/\/www.sohorse.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Fleurs-3-1-2280x1520.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n