Tara Van Het Leliehof ridden by Lara De Liedekerke-Meier takes the 7-Year-Old and Brookfield Danny De Muze ridden by Tom McEwen takes the 6-Year-Old 2025 FEI WBFSH Eventing World Young Horse Championship at Mondial Du Lion Crédit Mutuel
6-Year-Old Champion: Tara Van Het Leliehof ridden by Lara De Liedekerke-Meier
In yet another first for Lara De Liedekerke-Meier, the in-form Belgian rider has won the 6-Year-Old at Mondial du Lion after nearly 20 starts at this event over the years. Lara’s first win at Le Lion comes just one week after her first ever victory at Boekelo.
After a show jumping phase that shook up the standings, Lara’s mare Tara Van Het Leliehof claimed victory on a score of 25.5. Second after dressage (25.1) and leading after a double clear cross country ride, they added just 0.4 time penalties on the final day to secure the win.
In second place and finishing on his dressage score of 28.9, Ireland’s Ian Cassells achieved his first ever podium at the Mondial, riding Rutland Flamenco, a horse he has only been competing for just a few months. But Ian, a member of Ireland’s recent FEI Eventing European Championship silver-medal team, didn’t finish his day there, also climbing the podium in the 7-Year-Old Championship later in the day.
The USA’s Hallie Coon riding Tykillen Tango took third place, also finishing on their dressage score after sitting tenth after that phase.
Britain’s Melissa Joannides riding Graf Leopold, second after dressage and cross country, unfortunately slid down the leaderboard on the final day with three rails down but another British rider, Max Warburton riding Monbeg Condor finished just off the podium in fourth place.
Despite one fence down that pushed him off the podium, Thomas Carlile and Juste Unetoile delivered the best French performance in this 6-Year-Old Championship, finishing seventh.
New Zealand’s Jesse Campbell took fifteenth place riding Collette Z and James Avery finished just outside the top 20, in 21st place with Greannanstown Donnacha Dusty.
Australia also had two completions with Natasha Moody riding Bay To Breakers, having had a very good competition (in sixth place after cross country) dropping to 25th place with three rails down, while Sophie Bragge finished in 24th place on board Argentinus Roulette.
7-Year-Old Champion: Brookfield Danny De Muze ridden by Tom McEwen
“I’m something of a specialist in finishing second or third!” laughed Tom McEwen modestly (and obviously forgetting his Olympic gold medals!) after his win in the 7-Year-Old Championship on board Brookfield Danny De Muze.
With such tight scores at the top of this class, a thrilling finish was expected and the crowd gathered around the show jumping arena on Sunday afternoon certainly got one. Five riders were separated by less than one rail and the final podium came from among the top seven after cross-country.
Pressure was at its peak for Lara de Liedekerke-Meier, the last to enter the arena with Helios. Having already taken the 6-Year-Old Championship, she came within a hair’s breadth — the oxer at Fence 8 — of doing the double, but her earlier lead was strong enough to secure second place, despite the four faults.
Having delivered a brilliant clear round, Brookfield Danny de Muze, second after cross country, was crowned 7-Year-Old Champion with Tom McEwen (GBR), earning his first title at the Mondial du Lion Crédit Mutuel.
“The Mondial provides the perfect conditions to develop tomorrow’s top horses” added Tom “Not all winners go on to have the biggest careers — for example, Ros Canter’s Lordships Graffalo finished eighth — but Danny has everything that defines a modern sport horse, and I believe in him immensely for the future”
Read our article on Le Mondial Du Lion Hall of Fame here
Ian Cassells, who was 32nd after dressage and seventh after cross-country with Noa W, completed the podium in third place, adding to his second place in the 6-Year-Old class.
Benjamin Massié climbed from 40th after dressage to finish fourth overall, the best French result of the 7-Year-Olds.
These impressive comebacks weren’t isolated: in the final top nine, apart from the top two (already on the podium after dressage), all other combinations had been ranked between 30th and 61st after dressage, making it definitely not a dressage test!
Australia’s Kevin McNab was one of the ups and downs, moving down the leaderboard, from third to 10th riding Newmarket Amy but Kevin’s other ride, RF Chanel moved up to 15th thanks to a clear round while Sammi Birch finished in 22nd place on board Rosa’s Party.
