Germany Eclipses Competition for Team Gold at 2026 World Championships Dressage

- Text © Eurodressage (this article expresses Eurodressage's' eye-witness account and opinion about the competition)  
-- Photos © Astrid Appels/Eurodressage - No reproduction allowed - NO

Team Germany eclipsed all competition to win the team gold medal at the 2026 World Championships Dressage in Aachen (GER) on Wednesday 12 August 2026. Twenty years after securing team gold on home turf at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, the host nation repeated the feat.

Germany secured its 13th team gold medal in the history of the quadrennial World Championships on a team total of 235.063 percentage points and referred Great Britain to the silver medal with a 3.618 percentage point advantage (231.445 total). Reigning World Champion Denmark took bronze (229.426). 

Despite Germany’s commanding team performance, no German combination finished inside the individual top three.

Kentucky Fried Chicken

Dressage at the World Championships is taking place in the main show jumping stadium, just like it did in 2015 for the Europeans and 2006 for the WEG. With dressage kicking off the 2026 World Championship at the start of the week on Tuesday, the stadium with a 40,000 seat capacity felt eerily empty. Only for the afternoon sections did it get filled up and with the conclusion of the team competition on Wednesday afternoon, it looked like around 10,000 of those seats were filled. 

While there might not have been a sell-out crowd, the grandeur of the arena added weight and importance to the show and the atmosphere was certainly on point as those presents were fuelled to have fun and enjoy the sport. Particularly a large group of Australian fans gathered on the hallowed grounds of the CHIO Aachen and rooted for their ozzis, with their cheers ringing through the stadium as if they made up half the crowd. 

With Europe experiencing an unprecedented heat wave through the months of June and July, the weather in Aachen in August has been rather summer perfect with temperatures during the day rising to a sometimes challenging 30 C°, full sunshine but a gentle breeze swooping through the stadium. In the evening it cools down sufficiently to make the heat bearable.

For the press the work conditions in the field are rather brutal with three photo pockets set up in the main stadium, around the arena, with two on the long side, and one on the short side. The pockets are fully exposed to the burning sun and press is not allowed to move in between rides, only during the 15 minute (!) breaks. Only by the end of the team competition on Wednesday afternoon did one genius brain have the good idea to supply the press with a few, but not enough extra water bottles. It's a battle zone out there and one's survival depends fully on Bear Grylls' skills and wit to cover up, lather yourself with sun screen, ideally sport a sombrero hat the size of an inflatable kiddie pool, and stay hydrated by carrying water around like a camel in addition to the 20 kilogram professional camera and more. This reporter felt like Kentucky Fried Chicken when the day was done.

Germany Celebrates Golden Eclipse

Germany came into the competition as the favourite for team gold, although Great Britain was expected to give them a run for their money. With 91 combinations competing in Aachen the Grand Prix was split into two groups over two days and after day one, Germany had taken a comfortable lead with its first two results from Olympian Frederic Wandres and team rookie Raphael netz.

Wandres and Elena Knyaginicheva's 16-year old Oldenburg gelding Bluetooth (by Bordeaux x Riccione) were the overnight leaders after scoring 75.963% . The panel of seven distinguished judges included Michael Osinski (USA), Kurt Christensen (DEN), Alice Schwab (AUT), Clive Halsall (GBR), Maria Colliander (FIN), Ulrike Nivelle (GER), Maribel Alonso de Quinzaños (MEX). At major FEI championships not five but seven judges are seated around the arena as it reduces their individual influence on the overall score. In addition, the Judging Supervisory Panel is in place to correct any blatant errors that could be made if a judge did not spot a technical error or if a judge’s final score varies (above or below) by six% or more from the average of the scores of the other judges for the same combination. In that case the JSP may, by unanimous decision, change that particular score to be the same as the next closest score.

Frederic Wandres and his experienced Bluetooth showed excellent trot work with good extensions and flowing half passes, but today the horse struggled to find a fluent rhythm in the first two piaffes, while wanting to take the weight behind. The extended walk was well regulated and the extended canter and flying change were a highlight. In the zig zag, however, the hind legs jumped together a few times, just like in the right pirouette. Overall the horse relied heavily on his rider to carry him through the test instead of being in a light contact and in self carriage. They placed ninth in the end.

Raphael Netz and Sonja Krall's 15-year old KWPN gelding Great Escape Camelot (by Johnson x Turbo Magic) secured their spot on the German team after a wonderful ride at the selection trial at the CDIO Hagen, but could not imitate that level in Aachen, even though the score reflected they were on similar form (73.338%). The refined gelding showed lovely half passes and good backing steps in the rein back, but the first piaffe hardly happened and the extended walk was limited in overtrack. The passage work was elegant, the two tempi's straight and the extended canter uphill. In the zig zag the half passes to the right seemed to have more ground cover, and then a mistake in the ones followed. Also the left pirouette was quiet four-beat. They ranked 13th. 

The first stellar ride from the German "mannschaft" came from Katharina Hemmer on Nancy Gooding's 14-year old Oldenburg gelding Denoix (by Destano x Pik Noir). At the 2025 European Championships in Crozet, Hemmer was stolen off the bronze medal in the Grand Prix Special by team mate Isabell Werth and in the Aachen Grand Prix the same happened. Either one rider did not get high enough a score, or the other scored too high. Hemmer was hammer! The chestnut gelding is one of the few top horses that is so elastic and supple on both reins. The half passes were bouncy and huge, the extended trots showed through lengthening without quickening the tempo. The first piaffe was on the spot, the first passage could have been a bit more closed from behind. The extended walk did not have the greatest overtrack and seemed a little tense but the collected was okay. The transition into the second piaffe was superb and the pi-pa part looked so nice and light. The twos were big and required the full diagonal to be executed. The zig zag could have had a little more ground cover to the left. The ones were easy, there was good sit in the pirouettes, but the right one was a fraction big. Overall the test was absolutely fabulous and the stadium erupted into cheers with a personal best of 79.224% flashed on the jumbotron. She placed fifth

As team anchor for decades Isabell Werth was the last rider to go for her team aboard Bolette Wandt and Madeleine Winter-Schulze's 12-year old danish mare Wendy (by Sezuan x Soprano). Werth and Wendy have been a partnership since 2024 and the last year the pair has improved particulary in the piaffe-passage work by being less hectic. Also the trot extensions appear less running and hectic, but the tall black mare failed to truly lengthen frame and step to achieve the proper overtrack. The half passes were very cleverly ridden with much crossing. The first piaffe was soft footed but happened too early to the marker. The extended walk had good relaxation and march but in the collected she became totally lateral in her steps. I would love to have seen the score for that collected walk, but Longines Timing is not offering a link to the breakdown of the scores. Also in the second piaffe-passage, Werth had her mare in a soft rhythm, but the overall problem is that Wendy does not truly take the weight behind and leans on her rider's hands in both movements, having the mouth open most of the time. The canter strike-off was with both hindlegs together, and also in the two's she became short behind at time. The zig zag was very well ridden but the final flying change a bit off balance. A change was short behind in the ones and then a mistake followed. The left pirouette was the better one of the two with the horse staying rather straight in the hindlegs in the right one. The final centerline was ridden with much rhythm. The 79.876% score was quite a surprise considering the issues in the canter work and walk and only one judge went down to 76.413% (Finnish judge Colliander) while the others continued to linger on 79% and even one at 82.717 (German judge Nivelle). Werth placed fourth in the end.

For Germany the 13th team gold medal at a World Championships was in the bag. Without a doubt Hemmer was the star of the team and the talk of the town that day.  “I am so proud of my horse,” said Hemmer, visibly moved. “Every now and then an ear would swivel to the side; I would then engage him with my aids, and he was immediately back with me. He gave everything for me today.” Werth reminisced on the days she won team gold with Satchmo 20 years ago. “It is very special to be back on the team here 20 years after our gold in Aachen and to win gold again,” Werth said. “There is nothing bigger or better than Aachen. It really is a welcome home. The arena is not easy, and I was a little surprised that Wendy was impressed. We had two small issues in our test, but otherwise I am proud and happy with how it went.”

The wonderful competition day came to a conclusion with a rare eclipse taking place as the sun began to set round 20h00. The French press team was smart enough to bring paper eclipse glasses which we got to borrow to watch the moon almost cover the sun fully from the top of the stadium. In Germany it was not a total eclipse, but it came pretty close and was magical.

Britain Back on Silver

Great Britain successfully defended the team silver medal they won at the FEI Dressage World Championship 2022 in Herning.

The British team was two home-bred horses strong (Jagerbomb and Donna Bella) while team rider Fiona Bigwood was also the owner of two of them (Fame and her own Donna Bella).  For the first time the World Championships celebrated the owners and grooms of the horses, bringing them to the stage after the medal ceremony for special awards and reccognition. While a pack of people stood in front of the German gold medalists, team Britain only had Fiona Bigwood's son in front as well as Gert-Jan van Olst as the owner of Glamourdale. For Team Denmark, only one person stood in front of the stag, Mount St. John's co-owner Louise Zinglersen, while co-owner Emma Blundell was on the show grounds but seemingly not invited to the stage (Wendy's two co-owners Bolette and Madeleine did stand in front of the podium for the appreciation moment). Kruth and Sloth both own their horses and Bachmann's horse Flash Gordon is owned by Spotify's Sofia Ek, but the Swede did not make an appearance.

Anyway, back to Britain....  the final group of riders on Wednesday had three A-listers bringing their A-game to the table, one after the other. Britain's leading lady was Charlotte Fry on Van Olst's 15-year old KWPN stallion Glamourdale (by Lord Leatherdale x Negro), who finished third with 80,311%. After a disappointing finish in the kur to music at the 2025 Europeans in Crozet, the pair went back to the drawing board over the winter and Fry presented a fresh and improved stallion at the CDIO Fontainebleau in April. In the Aachen Grand Prix they probably rode their best test in their career so far.  The extended trots were powerful, the half passes massive. The stallion felt into the first piaffe instead of fluently transitioning into it. The walk was good. The piaffe has always been the horse's weak point, but the second piaffe was the best one he's ever shown, even though it's still not truly on the hindquarters, lifting in the forehand. The canter work is the horse's forté and Fry always rides it full throttle, there is no such thing as "collected". In fact, both the trot and canter are always ridden as a "medium" trot/canter. The extended canter was uphill,  the zig zag so ground covering, the tempi changes were huge, but maybe the ones to the left a fraction shorter than those to the right. The pirouettes can be an issue for the stallion but this time Fry rode them a fraction bigger and they worked out well. Also on the final centerline "Glammy" had plenty of energy. This pair is all about power and ground cover, which contrasts greatly with the lightness and ease that a Freestyle or Zonik Plus exude. Maybe it's a taste of flavour for some, but from a classical dressage perspective one could say that it's a degree of showing collection that makes the tiniest of difference. 

“Glamourdale loves Aachen. He was amazing in there and the whole test felt like a highlight,” Fry said. “We had a small miscommunication going into the first piaffe, but I was able to correct it quickly. ‘Glammie’ took me around. It couldn’t have been better.”

British team stalwart Carl Hester landed seventh place with 77.314% aboard the 16-year old KWPN gelding Fame (by Bordeaux x Rhodium). The highly respected rider and trainer, who fostered generations of riders in the U.K., did what was expected of him: a solid performance on a horse that doesn't seem the easiest to ride. The bay gelding is always presented in a very short and tight frame, but the contact with the bit is steady without seemingly pulling. They began the test, going down the centerline in a 4-beat canter, but then got a much better rhythm going in trot with smooth extensions and half passes. The one to the right was clearly better in rhythm than the one to the left. The halt for rein back and backing steps were superb. Today the piaffe-passage was not as good as we have seen Fame before. He got tight and a little behind the vertical in piaffe and in passage the hindlegs trailed too much. There could be more overtrack in the extended walk but the rhythm in the collected was okay. The second pi-pa was too underpowered, but then a string of highlights in canter followed. The zig zag was nice, the extended canter and flying change were good, the ones really well ridden and the right pirouette superb. 

Hester commented with the same typical dry British matter-of-factness, “after 36 years of riding Grand Prix, you still don’t go in thinking that everything will simply work. It still brings pressure, fun, sleepless nights and so much going through your head. It doesn’t matter how long you have been doing it. It doesn’t necessarily get any easier as you get older, because after a few good results, people expect more from you.”

British team riders Moody and Bigwood competed on the first day on Tuesday and 2026 World Cup winner Becky Moody stayed a little below par with her 12-year old KWPN registered Jagerbomb (by Dante Weltino x Jazz). The tall bay gelding did not stand immobile in the halt at entry nor at the end, and broke into canter in the extended trot. The second piaffe-passage was excellent. The horse walked with sufficient overtrack but got rather short in the collected but stayed clear in the rhythm. Moody pulled the score up in the canter with straight two-tempi changes, outstanding ones, a super extended canter and flying change at the end of the diagonal and very good ground cover in the zig zag. The right pirouette was a little flat though but the rhythm on the final centerline was like clockwork. They scored 73.820% for 12th place and stayed far off their personal best result. This time Britain could not truly pressure Germany for team gold. 

Fiona Bigwood and the 10-year old AES registered Donna Bella (by Don Juan de Hus out of her 2016 Olympic ride Atterupgaards Orthilia) were the drop score at 69,348% (37th), far below her usual 72 - 74% scoring range.  Fiona rode a safe, precise test but it lacked overall uphill tendency in many of the movements and the lateral bending and suppleness of the mare need to improve. The topline appeared a little too stiff in the Grand Prix test. Albeit, Donna Bella showed promise in the piaffe and passage and has ground covering extensions. 

Bronze for Denmark, Dufour Shines

Reigning world champions Denmark had to settle for bronze this time even though their team stronghold - Cathrine Dufour and Mount St. John Freestyle - rode the winning individual score of the day. 

Dufour presented th 17-year old Hanoverian mare (by Fidermark x Donnerhall), which she co-owns with the original British owner Emma Blundell as well as the Danish Zinglersen family, in excellent shape. While the mare was trained to and first competed at Grand Prix level by Charlotte Dujardin, Dufour has transformed her into a truly happy horse which performs with pleasure instead of under pressure. Everything looks soft, light, effortless. The half passes were huge. The halt for rein back not square, the extended trots ridden with the right amount of energy and ground cover. The first piaffe was quietly executed and on the spot. The extended walk was excellent but the rhythm became very edgy in the collected walk. The second piaffe had a tiny bit of tension; she shuffled in and out in the transition from and to passage. The extended canter had good energy but the back could have been a bit more supple to maintain a clear three-beat rhythm. The flying change was excellent. The zig zag was well ridden but the bending to the left seemed better than to the right. One flying change was short behind in the twos. The mare almost pivoted on her hindlegs in the left pirouette, the right was the best one and tiny. Freestyle always performed with her ears pricked, totally at ease in the work. In the final piaffe she swayed a bit with the hindquarters (visible from behind) but kept very much in tine to the refined aids of her rider. The 82.376% winning score was well earned and they were the deserved winners of the day. 

Dufour has been craving individual gold since becoming a senior rider a decade ago. She has been on the podium multiple times for silver and bronze, but golden glory has eluded her and the lacuna in her list of achievements is deeply gnawing at her soul. Will Aachen 2026 finally be her moment to shine or will it became a similar scenario to Crozet where the Dane took a flying start in the Grand Prix to be then overtaken by the underdog from Belgium, Justin Verboomen on Zonik Plus? 

“She felt so fit today. In fact, we have been on an upward tendency throughout the season,” Laudrup-Dufour said. “I was very confident when we entered the arena. ‘Free’ was absolutely unbelievable today.”

Denmark's second best score was 74,876% achieved by Daniel Bachmann Andersen aboard Sofia Ek's 12-year old Oldenburg gelding Flash Gordon (by Fiderbach x Don Romantic). The pair did not halt squarely, but then showed a lovely extended trot. The half passes were with a tight neck and not as flowing in the rhythm. The rein back was a little crooked. The second trot extension was fantastic. The passage was soft footed. Flash Gordon could have marched more in the extended walk. In both first two pi-pa's the horse was not entirely straight, first he was bent to the left and in the second pi-pa he seemed bent to the right. The canter extension was huge. The zig zag was ridden in a very controlled way but the horse needed to be more uphill oriented. The pirouettes were small. In many bits of the test the horse came across as hyper/over-collected and quite held in front. The young Grand Prix horse still needs to mature more in the work so he can move on his own feet, less supported by the rider. The judges rewarded them consistently with 74 - 75% scores. They placed 10th. 

“We wanted to produce a harmonious test with plenty of elasticity. All I had to do today was balance him in the arena, and I could really enjoy riding him. It felt amazing,” Bachmann Andersen said.

Denmark's third rider was Carina Cassoe Kruth on the 15-year old Danish mare Heiline's Danciera (by Furstenball x De Niro). Kruth made her come-back to the team after a difficult period in turmoil with the Danish federation. The black mare performed gorgeous  half passes, extended canter, zig zag and one tempi changes, but she got tense in the piaffes, in which she leans on the shoulders and crosses behind. The pirouettes were well ridden. They posted 72,174% for 18th place. 

Nadja Aaboe Sloth and her 13-year old Danish gelding Favour Gersdorf (by Foundation x Leandro) were not far behind in 21st place with 71.956%. The duo showed good piaffe work but in the passage the horse kept the hindlegs too far out. A mistake in the ones affected the final score. 

Belgium Fourth But Feeling the Pressure

Small dressage nation Belgium has gone into delirious overdrive following the spectacular rise and success of Justin Verboomen, the reigning European Champion and regular World Number 1 ranked rider (swapping that spot with Dufour over the last few months). The Belgian equestrian federation as well as Belgian Olympic Committee have taken a remarkable interest in dressage sport all of a sudden and a big delegation travelled to Aachen to join the "Red Musketeers" in obtaining a team slot for the 2028 Olympic Games.  The top six ranked countries in Aachen qualify a team for the Olympics and at the end of the day Germany, Great Britain, Denmark, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Sweden had extra reasons to celebrate as they got their ticket for Los Angeles.

With ultra high expectations resting on Justin Verboomen's shoulders to save Belgium's Olympic biscuit, the sensitive and introvert rider from Brussels carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. With very little international experience compared to Dufour, Fry, or Werth, Justin is nevertheless expected to recreate the dream experience from Crozet and given little breathing space to be "human." With a huge delegation of clinger-ons surrounding him on the show grounds and no clear safe space being marked around him by his team, the rider entered the arena highly nervous and could not repeat his top form from the entire season (shown in Frankfurt, Fontainebleau, Lier).  The fans were certainly there in the seats to support him as a loud roar erupted from the crowd when Verboomen and the 10-year old Hanoverian stallion Zonik Plus (by Zonik x Hohenstein) entered the stadium. The pair rode smooth trot extensions and the held passes were good, in a not too passagey rhythm.  The halt for reinback was stretched. The passage was floaty, but in the first piaffe the horse back-stepped with the right hindleg. The extended walk had good marching, but the overtrack could be a bit more generous.  Also in the second piaffe there was some back-stepping. In canter there was a little bit of tension creeping into the pair and Justin rode the horse more on the curb then usual. The two tempi changes were very nice and also required the full diagonal; which is interesting to note as it's the same as a Glamourdale who is a powerhouse mastodont compared to Zonik Plus who comes across as a pretty pony in comparison.  The extended canter was stiff in the top line and stabby and in the zig zag two changes were a bit messy. The ones were unbalanced and short, but no mistake was made. The left pirouette was world class, the right one had a small bobble.  The judges rewarded the ride with 80,885% which ranked them second. Verboomen had to iron out these little miscommunications if he wants to stay on a golden streak. 

Larissa Pauluis and the 16-year old KWPN bred Flambeau (by Ampere x Zeoliet) were Belgium's second best scoring pair with a 72,469% and 15th place in the Grand Prix. The horse has a big bouncy trot and showed good trot extensions and half passes. He is rhythmical in the piaffe-passage work but Pauluis often parks her hands wide open and low on her thighs to keep the neck in position. The zig zag was a highlight though with excellent bending. The left pirouette could have been a bit more collected and the exit of the right one was a little sloppy.  Flambeau had plenty of energy in the tank on the final centerline.

Jeroen Devroe and the 10-year old KWPN gelding Lestor (by Ghandi x Painted Black) scored 69,690% for 35th place. They showed some very nice piaffe work, but the bay gelding needs to be more straight in the one tempi changes. 

The drop score came from Wim Verwimp on the Korean owned 13-year old Jedai de Massa (by Don Juan de Hus x Galopin de la Font), who could not achieve a peak performance. Jedai is a world class horse but not the easiest to ride: he is spooky and sensitive and can be a 73% horse on a good day or a 63% horse on a bad day. The gelding delivered something in the middle in Aachen and finished 52nd with 68,121%.

Quick Notes

While Belgium finished fourth, neighbouring country The Netherlands finished fifth. The Dutch nation used to be a medal contender for years but in the last decade has been in a "rebuilding" phase and could only rely on individuals combinations to pose a threat. Holland's best in the Grand Prix was Marieke van der Putten and the 12-year old Oldenburg mare Zantana (by Zonik x Sir Donnerhall). The pair impressed already in Crozet with its talent, but Zantana is very high strung and often becomes too tense and hectic. Van der Putten, who trains with Marion Schreuder, has brought more peace and quiet into their overall performance which has led to higher scores. The judges eagerly reward the promise this mare brings but seem to ignore the braced back she has, for instance, in the trot extensions (in which barely any overtrack is achieved). The rein back was tense and overall the bending to the left not sufficient (and was lacking in the pirouettes). Then again the piaffe had good sit, the two's were big, the extended canter uphill, the ones beautiful and the final centerline was very neatly ridden. They scored 77,764%. 

Dinja van Liere rode the third Zonik offspring into the top 11 of the Aachen Grand Prix:  the 9-year old KWPN stallion Mauro (by Zonik x Negro), owned by Reesink and Eric Koele. The very young Grand Prix horse was too passagey in the half passes and he still often drops in the poll. He piaffed well on the spot but ground his teeth. The canter work showed many strengths: tempi changes, pirouettes, uphill extended canter. The zig zag was well executed but it was interesting to see the rider perform it from behind and how she sat counter-weight in the saddle in the canter half passes in the zig zag.  They scored 74.161% for a lovely test to place 11th.

Stand-out performances were delivered by Australian Simone Pearce on the 10-year old Spanish bred Will Marq (by Rio Marq x Lanciano), who finished 16th with 72.391%. The rather old-fashioned looking CDE bred gelding showed outstanding piaffe and passage work: clear in the rhythm, with the hindleg reaching under. At times Pearce rode it a bit too collected, barely covering ground in the passage, while bumping out of the saddle with her seat, but it were highlight movements of the horse.  Also in canter the horse impressed with a big, uphill extension and one tempi changes. 

Sweden's best performance came from Therese Nilshagen on the 10-year old Navarro (by Negro x San Remo) on a score of 72,376%, while America's best performance was from team rookie Christian Simonson. The 23-year old Simonson placed 25th on the 16-year old KWPN stallion Fleau de Baian (by Jazz x Ulft). The liver chestnut is not the easiest and grinds his teeth, but Christian cleverly rode the stallion on the fine line between underpowered and overasked.  He scored 71,304%.

It was a little sad to see how the French team has lost all its flair after a big high at the 2024 Paris Olympics on home turf. Like a soufflé the French dressage programme seems to have collapsed with no clear continuity of good riders and the best one refusing to be selected on the team due to personal conflict with the staff of the French equestrian federation.  The country landed a 16th place in the team ranking out of 18 participating countries. The best scoring French rider was Pauline Basquin who dropped all the way down the board to 45th place with a 68,696% on her 16-year old Sertorius de Rima Z, who now has 100 CDI starts to his FEI record. Sertorius is certainly not the horse with the most miles travelled. Rotem Ibrahimzadeh's 18-year old Hexagon's Double Dutch clocks in at 159 CDI starts in his career. 

Get Ready for the Special

A rest day took placce on Thursday 13 August and the Grand Prix Special will be held on Friday 14 August. A set of medals will be allocated to the top three ranked riders. Will Verboomen find his Crozet flair again? Will Dufour continue on the same winning form? Will Glamourdale overpower the competition or will Denoix be the shooting star of the show? Or will Werth ride with the knife between her teeth and battle for a podium spot? All will be revealed tomorrow. 

-- Photos © Astrid Appels/Eurodressage - No reproduction allowed - NO SCREENSHOTS!

Related Link
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2026 World Championships Dressage
Scores: 2026 World Championships Dressage