92.60 was the unbeatable score that carried Hanoverian gelding Einfach Imposant B to the title in the 5-year old final at the 2026 World Championships for young dressage horses in Verden on Sunday afternoon 9 August 2026.
Silver went to the Oldenburg stallion Global Amour OLD, while bronze was for Oldenburg mare Weihe’s Happiness OLD.
Nines for the Win
World Champion Einfach Imposant B FRH did not receive a single mark below 9.0: 9.0 for walk and canter, 9.3 for submission, and 9.5 for trot and future prospects.
Rider Kira-Laura Soddemann, who trains with Georgia Schulze Lefert, was thrilled: “He made the difference today. He entered the arena determined to be even better than in the qualifier, and I was privileged to ride him.” She believes this horse’s true strength lies within him; that is what makes him special.
Carlin Brenske, the daughter of owner Dr Peter Brenske who purchased Einfach Imposant B at the Verden Elite Auction for 140,000 euro, admitted frankly: “When I first saw a video of Einfach Imposant B, I thought – well, sort of. By the time of his first competition appearance, the video already looked better, and here he was simply superb.”
Owing to his success at the World Championships, World Champion Einfach Imposant as well as the World Championship runner-up among the seven-year-olds, Secret Agent was honoured by the Supporter’s Club for Hanoverian Sport Horses with the suffix FRH.
Silver for Global Amour OLD
Danish U25 team rider Alexander Yde Helgstrand has been riding the licened stallion since April and is delighted: “Global Amour can tell exactly whether he’s being used for breeding or competing under saddle. He has so much energy, yet he’s so focused in the arena. He gave me a brilliant feeling.”
Just a month ago, the 22-year-old was competing at the European Championships for U25 riders and came home with three medals; he admitted without hesitation: “Riding at the World Championships here was definitely much more exciting. With five-year-old horses, you’re already grateful if you can get them to go round a circle properly. Grand Prix horses are much more predictable,” he smiles.
The runner-up’s individual scores were: 8.8 for the trot, 9.2 for the walk, 8.7 for the canter, and 9.0 each for submission and future potential. The son of Global Player OLD out of a Fürstenball dam was bred by Britta Budeus-Wiegert. He is owned by Helgstrand Dressage.
Bronze for Weihe’s Happiness OLD
“The modern version of ‘Oma Weihegold’,” is how breeder and owner Christine Arns-Krogmann describes Weihe’s Happiness (by Dynamic Dream). With a score of 85.80%, the highly elegant mare took the bronze medal, ridden by Alina Schneider. The highest mark was for her incredibly light-footed and rhythmically precise trot: 9.4.
Judge Sven Rothenberger’s conclusion following the final for the five-year-olds: “Judging today was no easy task. The horses were fantastic, but completely different – you only have to look at the three medallists. From the very elegant Weihe’s Happiness to the rather solid winner Einfach Imposant, and in between the modern stallion Global Amour. And many of the young horses had their little issues, and then the winner came along and already showed us such a mature, flowing performance. We had to strike a balance between really good quality, rideability and precision. And then there’s the big question of exactly how to assess the horse’s potential. The rules don’t state that potential must include whether we can recognise a future Grand Prix horse. The rules state: Is it a good horse? Is it well trained? You have to keep all that in mind – so, it was difficult today, but fantastic.”
Concluding remarks from show director Wilken Treu: “we’ve already got a few ideas for next year, but overall we’ve received very good feedback from the riders, trainers and officials, as well as from our spectators. That’s the most important thing for us.”
-- Photos © Astrid Appels/Eurodressage - No reproduction allowed - NO SCREENSHOTS!
Related Link
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2026 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses
Scores: 2026 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses