Friday, October 17, 2025 – Mondial du Lion Crédit Mutuel – Parc départemental de l’Isle Briand (Lion-d’Angers)
The dressage phase of the Mondial du Lion Crédit Mutuel ended with a brilliant performance from Belgian rider Lara de Liedekerke-Meier, who is clearly in top form this year. At the close of Friday’s competition, she stands 2nd in the 6-year-old World Championship with Tara van het Leliehof and leads the 7-year-old category with Helios.
A High-Level Morning in the 6-Year-Old Class
The 6-year-old class offered an impressive level of competition throughout the day. Sweden’s Wynja Eriksdotter Rubin was the first to break the 30-point barrier with Calidus, before Morocco’s Noor Slaoui took the lead on 27.8 points with Casanova.
Then came Lara de Liedekerke-Meier, who produced an outstanding test with Tara van het Leliehof, scoring 25.1 points. British rider Melissa Joannides, making her debut at the Mondial du Lion Crédit Mutuel, temporarily took second place with Graf Leopold (27.5 points).
But Olympic champion Julia Krajewski (GER) closed the day in style, taking the lead with Ajana on an excellent 24.1 points.
The German rider described the cross-country course as “more demanding at the beginning, but still fair, clear and as beautiful as ever here.”
Narrow Margins in the 7-Year-Old Class
In the 7-year-old category, the scores are extremely tight — less than one point separates the top five riders, with three tied for third place. Notably, the top 11 remains unchanged since the first part of the dressage phase held on Thursday.
Lara de Liedekerke-Meier maintained her lead with Helios and praised “the impeccable ground conditions and a slightly different course this year — more condensed, with less galloping at the end, which will make time management crucial.”
France’s Thomas Carlile is well positioned to challenge for another title, currently 5th among the 6-year-olds with Juste Unétoile and equal 3rd among the 7-year-olds with Iam du Loir. He’ll be one to watch over the weekend, starting with the cross-country, scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m.
It’s also a first participation for Emily Young Jamieson (GBR), now sitting 3rd among the 7-year-olds with La Vita 44. “I’ve often come to the Mondial as a spectator, even as a groom, but this is my first time competing here as a rider,” she said.
Fellow Brit Melissa Joannides, delighted with her debut at the event, added: “I’ve always heard the Mondial was an amazing competition — they weren’t lying!”
Meanwhile, American Hallie Coon, 2nd among the 7-year-olds with Bolleybawn Oliva, summed up her test simply: “She’s a winning mare — everything feels easy for her.”
Next Up: The Cross-Country
The action continues tomorrow, Saturday, with the cross-country phase — always one of the most anticipated moments of the Mondial du Lion Crédit Mutuel.