by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 22, 2026
A memorable marathon over a compelling course ended with the U.S. Four-in-Hand driving team in fifth place among 13 countries on Saturday, the next-to-last day of the FEI World Championships in Aachen.
Chester Weber, the leader after dressage, is now third individually, after his marathon score was added to his total. Fourteenth in the marathon with a total of 119.21 penalties, the U.S. star is behind the leader from the Netherlands, Koos de Ronde on 108.39, who had the best marathon of the day.
But first individually overall after two phases is, no surprise, defending champ Boyd Exell, who is after his eighth consecutive individual title and has led the Australian team of two to first place. That’s so far, since Sunday’s cones contest will decide who, and what countries, get the medals.
Boyd has 142.34 penalties individually, followed by Belgium’s Dries Degrieck on 147.72 and Chester’s 149.61. Which means it’s relatively close in determining who will get individual honors.
“It was hard work out there,” said Boyd.
“You had to work from the beginning to the end, and you couldn’t take your foot off concentrating. But my four horses, like yesterday, were at an optimum.
“They did it again for me today, and they were safe and fast. We didn’t try to win the marathon but we just tried to stay by the top three in every obstacle, which was our goal.”
He added, “The ground was ‘holding’ after 50 carriages and teams, although Aachen has done everything possible to keep the ground stable. I had an unlucky slip in obstacle six when my left wheeler stumbled in the mud, but he got up straight away and I was so grateful he found his extra legs.”
Chester praised his horses, especially venerable left wheeler Amadeus, who proved he still has it at 21 with his performance in the complicated obstacles.
Chester Weber in the marathon (FEI Photo).
The horse is “a half-hackney” combined with KWPN.
“I really like that sort. Maybe they’re not the best young horses, but when they settle into their job, they become professionals and cross-country really suits them; they have a lot of athleticism,” Chester pointed out.
Amadeus’ record that includes 59 starts would seem to underline the truth in that comment.
The second-highest score for the team is Taren “Taz” Lester, a man who used to work for Chester, among other internationally known drivers. He’s a trainer as well as a driver who is twenty-fourth individually with 183.65 penalties and came in twenty-ninth in the marathon after a seventeenth-place dressage finish.
U.S. four-in-hand driver Taren “Taz” Lester at the DHL obstacle in the marathon. (USEF Photo)
Veteran Jimmy Fairclough, who first drove in a four-in-hand championship in 1980, has 201.98 penalties and stands thirty-sixth, which is where is also finished in the marathon.
“I feel a little rusty,” said Jimmy.
“The footing got a little slippery, but my horses were full of power.”
Simply being at Aachen, with its atmosphere heightened by thousands of spectators, is a test for the horses.
“In America,” Jimmy explained, “we don’t have crowds like this and that takes a little bit of a toll on how fired up they are. But we pretty much made every turn we wanted; a little bit slower than I’d like, but I’d rather not have a mistake than be a little faster and something go wrong.”
He noted that it is the first world championship that his two leaders have been with him, though they did a pairs championship before he bought them. His other horses were in the last championships in Hungary two years ago, but that didn’t go well after one of his marathon leaders knocked out all his front teeth on the bars of his stall.
Jean Thornton, driving as an individual for the U.S., is fulfilling an ambition by being in the competition.
“I’m just thrilled to have finished this incredible course here at Aachen. It’s been a lifelong dream for me. To work with these beautiful, talented horses is such a privilege. They took me, I’m just guiding them; they’re the stars here.”
She ranks fiftieth of the 52 marathon finishers.
“I was so happy I was able to get within the time allowed,” Jean mentioned.
“I’m not super-fast in the obstacles. I was really happy to have achieved that. So many obstacles went so well.”
Click here for marathon results. Click here for team results. click here for individual dressage plus marathon results
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 22, 2026
The U.S. came into the FEI Para Dressage World Championships as the top nation in the discipline, and it is leaving the same way after taking the team gold medal Saturday.
On Friday, Fiona Howard with Diamond Dunes and Marie Vonderheyden on Fan Tastico H earned the best scores in Grades II and I respectively.
Kate Shoemaker and Vianne, the stars of Grade IV, produced the highest individual score of the team competition in Aachen with a mark of 80.460 to complete the job in style the next day and clinch the gold on a total of 236.135 for the squad that also includes longtime Grade III competitor Rebecca Hart.
Kate Shoemaker and Vianne. (FEI Photo)
Even better, Kate was the only rider to score more than 80 percent in the competition that involved teams from 20 countries.
The U.S. had a comfortable margin over the home side, as Germany wound up second with 229.875. The Netherlands was third on 227.639, Denmark fourth with 228.867 and Great Britain fifth on 222.379. It’s worth noting that Great Britain once dominated the Para standings, a reminder than no sporting status is ever eternal.
Chef d’Equipe Michel Assouline acknowledged that as champions from the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, the team was under pressure. That makes the desire to win even more of a task.
“We know from a sport perspective that maintaining your strength is probably the hardest,” he observed.
“We did it. But we also prize our horses, very much so. We want to look after the horses so well and make sure they are happy horses. Yes, we are thirsty to win the gold for the world championship because it was a first for us, so we wanted to have that — but not at the expense of the horses.”
Michel pointed out, “I think everybody could see that in the performance, the horses were really happy horses under extremely high standards of harmony, so we’re happy.”
The triumph was not without drama.
Kate revealed that there was “a bit of a moment” just as she was getting ready to enter the arena, when Carla Onrubia Roman of Spain fell from Valerio, who spooked as he and his rider were leaving the ring.
“She fell off right where we needed to cross by each other,” Kate recalled.
“I never had that experience with my horse, having a loose horse next to her,” Kate revealed.
But Vianne, fabulous mare that she is, handled the mini-crisis.
“She looked over there, said, `Are you guys okay? And then, she was like, `Okay, it’s fine,’ ” Kate reported.
“And then Michel said, `Get in the arena.’ I was like, `Yes sir.’
“I was so proud of Vianne in that moment, because she just went in the ring and said, `We go do our thing now and everything’s okay.’
“It was really, really special to me that she had that much confidence in me, to go in with that much excitement and still put in a really good test.”
Now that Para Dressage has been a success at Aachen, it will continue to be part of the show’s program annually, according to Sports Director Birgit Rosenberg.
That is a logical decision.
As Rebecca Hart explained, “One of the main things that we as Para athletes try to recognize is that Para doesn’t actually refer to being paraplegic or disabled.
“It refers to being parallel to able-bodied sport. When we can highlight that at a huge championship and a venue this world-renowned, it can only benefit the future of our sport. And for individuals with disabilities, being inspired helps them to understand that you do not have to let what the world would seem as limiting, limit you.”
Click here for team results. Click here for individual Grade IV results.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 21, 2026
For decades, Chester Weber has been polishing and perfecting his horses and his driving skills.
All that effort paid off Friday in Aachen at the FEI World Championships, as Chester not only won the dressage phase of the four-in-hand driving competition, but also set a new world record in the process.
His score of 30.40 penalties powered the U.S. to third place in the standings before Saturday’s marathon.
After the dressage, in the individual rankings, Chester was just 1.46 penalties ahead of Australia’s perennial driving star, Boyd Exell, who is looking for his eighth world championships title.
Germany leads the team standings on 79.31 penalties with its father/daughter team of Christoph and Anna Sandmann (as well as Anna Meier), while Australia’s two-member team of Boyd and Tor van den Berge is at 81.17, and the U.S. is on 81.84.
Chester raved about his Dutchbred harness horses, especially Amadeus, his 21-year-old right wheeler.
“He’s super special. He has a huge piece of my heart. We went to Windsor this year. He’s in super form.”
He added with a smile, “It’s super nice to have that sort of PhD in knowledge right next to you.”
In addition to Chester, the U.S. team consists of championships first-timer Taren Lester, seventeenth on 51.44 penalties, and James Fairclough, who first drove in a world championships in 1980 and was on the gold medal team at the 2018 World Equestrian Games with Chester.
Jimmy had to deal with pouring rain that made things uncomfortable during his dressage test. He is thirty-first with 60.83 penalties.
Click here for team standings. Click here for individual standings.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 21, 2026
The medal simply slipped away.
The U.S., which had been second in the FEI World Show Jumping Championships after two days of competition, faltered on Friday and dropped to fourth place. It was a close finish in the team final, with the Americans’ score of 16.95 penalties less than one rail from bronze medal Great Britain (12.98 penalties).
It seemed almost predestined that home side Germany would take gold in Aachen with a mere 4.48 penalties as European champion Belgium captured silver on 11.69.
The victorious German team: Richie Vogel, Marcus Ehning, Chef D’Equipe Otto Becker, Sophie Hinners and Daniel Deusser. (FEI Photo/Benjamin Clark)
The course by Aachen’s resident designer, Frank Rothenberger, was challenging under the lights, with several fences standing 1.65 meters, a triple combination set six strides before the open water and rain for much of the evening that made the ground a bit of an issue.
For the U.S., Laura Kraut once again was the trailblazer with just one rail down at the B element of the triple combination on Baloutinue, who had been a last-minute choice as her ride.
“I was thrilled with my horse,” said Laura, who also competed on the U.S. team 20 years ago at Aachen, when it hosted the World, Equestrian Games.
Laura Kraut, right, with the 2006 U.S. silver medal show jumping team at Aachen.
Of Baloutinue she said, “He was fantastic tonight. I thought I came in well (to the triple) but I definitely knew when I jumped A I was underpowered for B. i did feel he was a little slippy on the ground, so my advice for the rest of the team was to go up a size in studs.”
Once she made it through the triple, Laura said of her mount, “I knew he wouldn’t touch another one, because he knows he’s not supposed to hit one. i thought he finished the hard part unbelievable.”
After that, however, things really began falling apart.
Katie Dinan had an unhappy start with Out of the Blue SCF on Wednesday, when she was the drop score, as the mare toppled two rails. She recouped the next day for a perfect trip.
But in the team final, Bridey, as the horse is nicknamed, got intp trouble at the triple combination. Katie resorted to vocal encouragement at the B element and then toppled C. As a result, there was no way to reach the next obstacle, the open water jump, in six strides. She started to run past it, then elected to retire and became the drop score again.
Lillie Keenan, fault-free with Fasther the first two days, crashed through the first fence — the 1.65 meter Lindt oxer that also got many other riders — then had a rail at the next-to-last fence, a liverpool, for a total of 8 penalties.
“I do think my horse, he’s so in touch with me, he knew I was a little deflated,” Lillie commented, saying she thought he might not have been quite as focused as usual.
A refusal in the schooling area, where she said there were no lights, didn’t help before she went into the arena.
Knowing that her score had to count for the team after Katie retired on course, she suggested, “I maybe was riding a little bit more defensive. To jump around to win, you have to be on the offense, not the defense, I think that’s kind of the result that we saw.”
Anchor rider McLain Ward, who had a rail down on each of the first two days with High Star Hero, wound up fault-free. But there was no way to catch the nations that already had clinched their places on the podium.
McLain Ward and High Star Hero had the only clean round for the U.S. on Friday. (USEF Photo)
Reflecting on his team’s change of fortune, U.S. Coach Robert Ridland conceded, “It’s a hard one. In championships, you can’t be good two out of three days. You’ve got to be good all three days. We came close.
“Fourth out of 31 teams isn’t bad, but it’s not what we aim for. We were aiming for the podium. We were actually mathematically close until the last two riders from the end. We had quite a few high points,” he continued.
“Katie came through for us on the second day—that was great— because she didn’t have a great first day. And Laura was really consistent throughout, and so was Lillie. That was a very odd mistake at the first fence
tonight. McLain showed us tonight why he’s the anchor: he’s done it before, and that’s why he goes last.
“We actually had a pretty good week, but a podium is what we came here for,” he concluded.
Designer Frank Rothenberger’s course for the Friday team final.
The mood in the U.S. camp was understandably somber, but total jubilation reigned as expected among the 40,000 spectators in the standing-room-only arena seating, after the first three German riders had three clear jumping rounds and one time penalty.
Richie Vogel, German team anchor rider, and his fans.
The final rider, European Champion Richie Vogel, was the drop score for the second time this week with United Touch S.
Okay, he only had two time penalties, but his number wasn’t even needed. Richie galloped past the spectators after his round, reaching out to touch their congratulatory hands as his ecstatic smile shone through the rain.
Show jumping ends Sunday with the individual finals for the top 25. Laura qualified in twelfth place with 5.06 penalties and McLain made the cut in twenty-first place (6.62). The lead is shared by Steve Guerdat of Switzerland and the man who clinched team gold for Germany, Daniel Deusser (both on 0.86).
We often see empty stands for medal presentations, but no one at Aachen dreamed of leaving their spot and missing the momentous occasion when the team accepted gold — the first time Germany had won the world championship on home turf.
Their enthusiasm was unchecked, as they sang “Sweet Caroline” before the awards ceremony, then wildly cheered their team with joy that was contagious, even for those who weren’t German.
The top seven teams qualified for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Actually, the list goes down to number eight, because the U.S. automatically qualified as the host nation. In addition to the top three, the qualifiers are Italy, Switzerland, Ireland and France. Countries that didn’t qualify can do so next year at the European Championships or Pan American Games.
That veteran of veterans, Marcus Ehning, led the way for a German victory with Coolio 42.
On happier notes for the U.S., Chester Weber broke the record to win the dressage phase in four-in-hand driving (see our second feature below this story or click here) and 16-year-old whiz kid JJ Torano won the Stawag Prize for Young Riders with Lyon 50. We no doubt will see that young man on a championships team in the near future.
Of his first trip to the German shrine of show jumping, JJ acknowledged, “I was a little nervous.”
When it was his turn to jump, he realized, `Whoa, Aachen is a different feeling than any other ring.’ ”
He mentioned that there was “a little bit of nervousness for sure, but I’ve learned how to deal with it over the last few years. I tend to do well when I’m under pressure or nervous. There’s no better place to win than Aachen. I came here with the intent to win.” And he got what he came for.
There is no jumping on Saturday (the turf could use a little rest), only four-in-hand driving and Para Dressage. Click here for team results. Click here for individual qualifier results. Click here for results in the Stawag Prize for Young Riders.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 20, 2026
It was not only a gold medal, but also a world record for Kate Shoemaker and her Vianne at the FEI Para Dressage world championships in Aachen on Thursday.
A two-time Paralympian, Kate earned the honors in FEI Para Grand Prix Test A – Grade IV. Their personal best was 78.889 percent, breaking the world record for that competition.
Kate and Vianne (USEF photo)
“The entire test felt harmonious, and that was the one thing I wanted,” said Kate, competing in in her second FEI World Championship.
“I wasn’t thinking about points, or scores, or medals,” she recounted.
“I was thinking, ‘How can I show this very special horse to the best of our ability today?’ ”
Gold medalist Kate Shoemaker on the podium with Anna-Lena Niehues and Nicola Traylor. (FEI/Leanjo de Koster)
The world record is Kate’s second in Aachen after taking over the title for the Grand Prix Test B at CHIO Aachen in April. This week’s record-breaking personal best came with scores above 80 percent from judges at M and B.
Kate was hoping to add to her bronze medal from the last FEI World Championships in Herning Denmark, four years ago. Her first high-profile effort with Vianne was the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
“Coming into Paris, we were trying to figure each other out. She was eight, and one day an aid would do one thing, and the next day, it did something else,” said Kate, who has partial paralysis of her right leg due to periventricular leukomalacia, a brain injury that occurred at birth.
“This year, we came into our own as a partnership, and it feels so easy,” continued Kate, 38.
“I can go in there and just think about it, and the ride’s going to happen. She gives me her whole heart. That’s what it felt like today; she was completely one with me. I was so happy, I was crying before the final halt.”
Shoemaker’s gold medal came a day after her teammate, Marie Vonderhayden, and Karin Flint’s Fan Tastico H secured individual gold in the FEI Para Grand Prix Test A – Grade I.
“Two gold medals in two days is a very good feeling, and for Kate to have another world record is amazing,” said Chef d’Equipe Michel Assouline.
“The higher grades are very technical, so for her to get a high score is difficult. We are very excited for the rest of the week.”
click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 20, 2026
The U.S. show jumping squad edged closer to the tantalizing glitter of a gold medal Thursday, with three perfect rounds at the FEI World Championships in Aachen, Germany.
The riders earned a promotion from their bronze status after Wednesday’s first round, going to a second-place ranking with a mere 4.85 penalties — behind Germany (3.48) and ahead of a tie between Italy and Belgium (7.69). It’s so close that there is less than a rail between the scores of the first two.
Is the U.S. on the way to what could be the top medal awarded after the final team competition Friday? There’s still plenty of jumping to do and many things can change fast.
Just ask France’s Julien Epaillard, who was in first place individually after the one-round speed contest that opened the competition. Then two rails down Thursday were expensive, dropping him to sixty-fourth.
Scott Brash of Great Britain, meanwhile, moved up to first from third with a stunning trip on the intriguingly named Hello Mango, a horse he calls “incredible.” After watching her, who can argue with that?
“I’m delighted with Mango,” said Scott.
“I thought she jumped incredible. In the warm-up, she felt a little bit more tense today with the atmosphere and I went quick yesterday, so maybe that was why, but when she went in the ring, she was fantastic. The course rode quite well – it’s why there’s so many clears – but it’s big. The verticals are (at) the top of the wings, but horses jump well in this ring and it shows the standard we’ve got here.
“It’s amazing, but I’m under no illusions because there’s a long way to go. We’ll take one day at a time, but I’m super happy with Mango and looking forward to the rest of the week,”
Scott Brash of Great Britain and Hello Mango stand first at the world championships. (FEI/Benjamin Clark)
Aachen’s resident course designer, Frank Rothenberger, upped the ante as expected for the second day’s round. It winnowed out the top 10 teams that are riding for the medals Friday, as well as the 60 competitors who will be in contention for the top 25 seeking individual medals on Sunday.
Several verticals were set at an imposing 1.65 meters and a triple combination joined the line-up of challenges. The open water hasn’t been seen yet; it will be a feature on Friday, under the floodlights, before a very vocal capacity crowd of 40,000. How intimidating is that?
On the plus side, riders said the turf in the enormous arena was perfect, and fences were set away from the spots that got worn in Wednesday’s action during rainfall, so traction was insured.
A record 30 countries fielded teams, which is good news for the growth of the sport. But with the exception of the U.S., every nation in the top 10 is European, which tells you what parts of the world still dominate the discipline. Saudi Arabia finished eleventh, so a country from the Middle East — a region with an increasingly large investment in show jumping — did not make the cut.
Individually, unpredictability hit hard. Richie Vogel, favored by many to win individual gold with the illustrious United Touch S, was Germany’s drop score in the first round. While Germany remains first among the teams, Richie’s perfect trip — one of 49 in the class of 135 starters on the second day — could only boost him to twenty-third.
He said he felt no pressure, because others on the team had performed so well.
“I’m very happy I could give United a much better ride today than yesterday. He jumped incredible both days; I really messed up yesterday,” said Richie.
However, his partner and team member, Sophie Hinners on Iron Dames Singclair, is only 0.4 penalties behind Scott. And the always impressive Steve Guerdat (Dynamis de Belheme) of Switzerland is tied with Daniel Deusser (Otello de Guldenboom), another German, just 0.02 back of Sophie.
Laura Kraut is once again the top American. She has 1.06 penalties with Baloutinue, the team pathfinder for the second day. That isn’t her usual role.
Laura Kraut and Baloutinue. (FEI/Benjamin Clark)
“I normally go in the third slot, but my horse is a little horse-shy,” she said, explaining that the schooling area is less congested for those who go early in the order.
“Two days in a row now, he’s just been 100 percent with me, doing everything I ask of him,” she said of Baloutinue, reminding everyone that he was the championships’ back-up horse for Bisquetta, coming up to bat when that mare suffered an injury.
“He’s just one of the best horses I’ve ever ridden in my life and to have him come out at age 16 and perform the way he has, I’m just thrilled,” Laura enthused.
Lillie Keenan is two spots behind her teammate Laura, with another clear and 1.17 penalties total on Fasther in her first championship.
She said her 16-year-old horse “really reminded me how incredibly special he is in every single way. He does things the laws of physics say are impossible.”
Lillie pointed out that Fred, as he is called by his friends, “knows the big moments. He missed chances to jump championships before. He deserves to have won many medals in his career.
“I know he knows this is important. The only factor here is that i have to ride my absolute best. If i do, he can do his job.”
McLain Ward and Lillie Keenan walking the course.
McLain Ward, Lillie’s mentor and the team’s anchor rider with High Star Hero, had a rail fall at the gingerbread man vertical fence and became the team’s drop score. He stands fifty-sixth.
“My horse felt very good,” said McLain, noting he was pleased with Hero before discussing what happened with the knockdown.
“i thought it was a casual ride to that vertical on my part, trying to find the happy medium without taking too much out of my horse. I left him a little too fresh today,” he noted, mentioning the importance of “finding the right balance energy-wise. I could have had him a little more relaxed.”
Although Katie Dinan is now standing eighty-first with Out of the Blue SCF as the result of an 8-fault trip on Wednesday, when her effort was the USA’s drop score, she recouped Thursday with a fault-free trip that showcased the ability of her Kentucky-bred mare.
“My horse has been great the whole time, but I made riding mistakes,” she said, reflecting on what happened in the first round.
Katie Dinan and Out of the Blue SCF.
“I’m so happy i could come back today and deliver a clear round for the USA.”
So was McLain.
“Thank goodness for the ladies today,” he said, paying tribute to their flawless performances that improved the team’s position.
Click here for team standings. Click here for individual standings.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 19, 2026
The U.S. continued its position on top of the world in Para Dressage as Marie Vonderheyden and Fan Tastico H took individual gold in the FEI Para Grand Prix Test A – Grade I.
“They are really starting to come together,” said Chef d’Equipe Michel Assouline as he discussed Marie’s performance on Wednesday at the FEI World Championships.
“They are definitely on an upward trend and it’s lovely to see them getting a high score. Overall, we had a good day,” said the man who has guided the U.S. to dominance in Para Dressage.
He warned, however, “Sport is sport. You don’t always win everything. We have combinations with known horses and the progression varies a little bit from time to time.”
Marie, who was making her championship debut, and Fan Tastico H have been together for just over a year. The combination delivered a standout performance in their first test of the week, earning 76.709 percent to rise to the top of the individual standings.
“I stayed organized in my head—it helps me be more accurate,” Marie said, explaining her gold-medal-winning technique.When asked about her relationship with Karin Flint’s Fan Tastico H, Marie replied, “He is a super nice person. And, yes, I say person, because that’s what I feel with him. He is very super.”
Six-time Paralympian Rebecca Hart and Rowan O’Riley’s Floratina, a 2008 Hanoverian mare were the first U.S. combination down centerline, competing in the Para Grand Prix Test A – Grade III. Hart and Floratina earned 73.900 percent, fourth in the individual standings.
The experienced combination arrived in Aachen with an impressive record, highlighted by three gold medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Returning to the world stage with Floratina made the moment particularly meaningful for Hart.
“The entire experience of representing our country again and going down the centerline with my partner is a magical moment,” said Rebecca.
Last in the ring for the U.S. was Fiona Howard and the 2013 Hanoverian gelding Diamond Dunes, owned by owned by Dressage Family LLC and Hof Kasselmann. With equally as impressive accolades as Rebecca, Fiona and Diamond Dunes put in a solid effort in the FEI Para Grand Prix Test A – Grade II, scoring 75 percent to be la fourth.
“He has risen to every challenge I have thrown at him,” Fiona explained. “We didn’t have our best ride out there today, but I couldn’t fault this horse. He put his heart out there and I’m so proud of him.”
click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 19, 2026
After a marathon first round of show jumping at the FEI World Championships, the U.S. team stands third on Wednesday, close behind Germany and Belgium but ahead of 28 other nations competing on the enormous — and increasingly slippery — grass field at Aachen.
Assessing his team’s position after the single round against the clock, U.S. Coach Robert Ridland offered a time-tested maxim: “You can lose it on the first day, you can’t win it on the first day,”
The championship has more entries, 145 — 14 of whom were eliminated or retired — than any other in the history of this competition. The jumping continues Thursday with a more demanding course from Aachen’s house designer, Frank Rothenberger,
“It’s a long slog,” Robert observed about the lead-up to the medals, adding, “the jumps get bigger.
On the bright side he noted, “The horses all looked good. We are within shooting distance, which is what the plan was.”
The winner was the rider known as “the Flying Frenchman, former World Cup champ Julien Epaillard of France with Fringan de Vesquerie, who had a perfect trip in 70.6 seconds.
France’s Julien Epaillard and Fringan de Vesquerie (FEI photo by Richard Juilliart)
He was just ahead of Harrie Smolders (should we call him the Flying Dutchman?) in 71.96. Britain’s Scott Brash finished third on the luminescent gray, Hello Mango (72.19). The way penalties are calculated, Julien is on 0, Harrie on 0.68 and Scott on 0.80. Knockdowns carried four seconds added to the time. No one in the top 24 dropped a pole.
The first day of the championships offers a challenge beyond the height of the fences and the way they are laid out.
“You can win time, but you can also lose time,” Julien said.
“It’s difficult to find the good balance between being in the five best and keeping the horse ready for tomorrow.”
In that context, he said, “I didn’t do exactly my plan the round, so I decided to change my plan and collect a little bit my horse.”
He did, however, make a crucially time-saving tight turn on the rollback to the wavy planks at fence number four.
“I feel the horse is a really championship horse (My Lord Carthago X Diamant de Semilly) so i gave him a long break this winter. balanced between big classes and small classes to keep the horse relaxed as possible,” he said explaining his preparation.
Today’s course
There is more than just some medals at stake in Aachen.
France is seeking to be one of the seven-highest placed countries at the championships, because that would qualify the nation for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. (The U.S. is automatically qualified as the host country.
“We have a super team, young riders and old warriors,” Julien commented.
“Of course, we would like to be on the podium. We will try to give our best, stay focused and hopefully on Friday night we’re still here.”
But in a competition which is the caliber of the championships, anything can happen. Form doesn’t always hold.
Germany’s Richard Vogel and United Touch S.
German fans and the many other admirers of European Champion Richard Vogel and the fabulous United Touch S were disappointed when the stallion, who was jumping in a hackamore, had a rail at the vertical three fences from the end of the course. He was, can you imagine it, his country’s drop score as a result. Only the best three of four scores count, with the greatest number of faults always dropped.
So what happened to Richie?
He explained, “I have a very clear answer for that — poor riding. United felt fantastic; he jumped better than just “very well”—he couldn’t have jumped any better.
“He listened to me perfectly. I was able to ride him with very subtle aids, and he always responded beautifully. The start was very harmonious; everything went according to plan. Then I had planned for eight strides to the white oxer—I think I was the only one who did that. After that, I was a bit worried that I might arrive too close to the red vertical if I took five strides. I held back a little right upon landing, but I still waited far too much. I actually know how sensitive United is; he waits for my cues so well these days that I didn’t need to intervene like that.”
The highest-ranked American rider is Laura Kraut, standing eleventh with her 2024 Paris Olympic mount, Baloutinue, a late replacement for planned starter Bisquetta, who had a slight injury.
“I’m absolutely thrilled. He just couldn’t have been better; he reacted beautifully to everything,” Laura commented.
I wish I was a couple of seconds quicker (she finished in 72.72) but I rode to my plan. I think I’m only person int he world who has a reserve (horse) as good as this one.”
She was sixth in the starting order and admitted, “I was a little tentative about going so early in the round.”
Laura Kraut and Baloutinue (USEF Photo)
On the other hand, the Olympic multi-medalist found she didn’t have anything to learn from watching others ride.
“There’s no questions,” she said of the lack of complexities on course.
“It’s just a straight gallop. Even after watching 140 rounds, I wouldn’t have done one thing different, so I’m pleased.”
Lillie Keenan was next-best for the U.S. with the aptly named Fasther, fourteenth without a fault in 17.94 seconds in the rider’s championships debut.
“Fasther always shines here in Aachen,” said Lillie.
“He is a star really in any venue. But when he feels that atmosphere he grows. He has a monster stride. Getting to gallop on an open grass field really showcases his special talents.”
She emphasized that “the hardest part about championships is (that) unlike any other show you, are jumping multiple days…and don’t want to give everything in the first day,” noting that would “take too much out of your horse.
Referring to her horse by his barn name, she said, “Fred has a huge character. He’s very confident in himself. He knows that he knows best.”
The rider and her mount have an understanding: “I will never change him and better I don’t try to,” she noted
Lillie’s mentor, McLain Ward, another Olympic multi-medalist, rode High Star Hero as the forty-fourth to go. He was blazing along until he had the back rail at the oxer, 12A, part of the double that was the next-to-last obstacle. That caught a number of riders, including world number three Shane Sweetnam of Ireland on James Kann Cruz, and Britain’s Harry Charles with LT Holst Freda.
McLain is thirty-third on an adjusted time of 75.83. Without the rail, his time on High Star Hero would have been 71.83 and good for second place.
“It would have been nice to not have that unlucky rail at the end,” McLain mused, but added, “it was a solid round and I’m very happy with him.”
Horses started slipping when the rain really came down later in the class, and McLain noted that while the “ground is spectacular,” with so many horses going, “the corners get a little greasy. That’s one of the variables of our sport,” he pointed out.
U.S. Coach Robert Ridland was on the edge of his seat as he watched the team with the USEF’s manager of show jumping, Lizzy Chesson.
The U.S. anchor rider, Katie Dinan, had two rails with Out of the Blue SCF. They put in an extra stride at the sixth fence, the brown Lindt oxer, but were too close on take-off and crashed through, scattering the rails. Katie kept her cool and recouped, but also had the back rail at the tenth fence.
“My horse is in very good form,” Katie recounted, then explained, “I made a mistake as a rider. I am disappointed in myself for that.
“Fortunately, my teammates were all very good today and we’re in a good position for tomorrow,” she concluded, promising she would try to deliver then. Katie is ranked one hundred twenty-first in the class. She was third in April’s FEI World Cup finals, where she was the highest-placed U.S. rider. Her mare is U.S.-bred from Spy Coast Farm in Kentucky, a rarity in a sea of European horses.
Coach Robert explained that the order of go for the team (which can be changed on Thursday) was handled so that the horses known to be fastest went first, when the ground was at its best and they had a better chance of placing high. He mentioned that Katie’s horse is not particularly fast, so even the best ground wouldn’t have benefited her the way it did the first three riders for the team.
On a down note, Hungarian rider András Jun. Kövy pulled up Egano van’t Wingerdhof Z and dismounted after the stallion faltered partway through his round and held up a front leg. Curtains immediately were put up around the horse, who then was transported to the veterinary clinic, where he was found to have a soft tissue injury and is being treated.
Click here for individual standings. Click here for team standings.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 18, 2026
The last two days have offered welcome time for a deep breath after the intensity of the FEI World Championships’ first week in Aachen.
The eventers, dressage riders and vaulters have gone home. Starting Wednesday, it’s the turn of the show jumpers, four-in-hand drivers and Para dressage.
Week one had so many great moments, but if I had to pick one, it was the performance of perennial eventing gold medalist Michael Jung of Germany and the determined fischerChipmunk FRH. His record has moved beyond amazing.
Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH after clinching individual eventing gold.
Describing Chipmunk, Michi put it so beautifully: “He has all the experience and he knows everything. This is just the best feeling you can have as a rider, that is horse is absolutely with you, listening during the course, going forward or waiting, and finishing for the time and still in the end, so powerful.”
A close second in the roster of the week’s impressions, at least for me and any other U.S. supporters, was the determined climb of the American riders from sixth after dressage to the bronze medal spot on the podium, even after one team member was eliminated on cross-country.
Will Coleman, this year’s Defender Kentucky 5-star winner, showed admirable ability on an even bigger stage with the multi-faceted Diablo to wind up just short of an individual medal in fourth place.
In dressage, Britain’s Lottie Fry achieved a first, taking both the Grand Prix Special and Freestyle for the second world championships in a row with the lofty-striding Glamourdale, who always lives up to the Glamour part of his name.
Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour of Denmark, ranked world number one on Mount St. John Freestyle, earned silvers in both the Special and Freestyle. In the Freestyle, local favorite Isabell Werth on Wendy de Fontaine took the bronze despite a big mistake in the two tempis.
Worthy of note was the fifth-place performance of Zen Elite World Cup Champion Becky Moody and her homebred Jagerbomb, a willing partner the British rider trained from the ground up. Their brilliantly executed routine to a medley of Beatles tunes made a statement, proving that if you have ability (and perhaps a little genetic luck) it’s possible to achieve a world-class dynamic without spending seven figures on an imported animal.
Her countryman, Carl Hester, showed yet again what an incredible horseman he is, when Fame took issue with some corners of the arena and was on his toes; his tippy-toes, no exaggeration. Carl, the architect of British dressage success, kept it all together when it could so easily have fallen apart in lesser hands.
Carl Hester keeps the lid on Fame.
Those who can attend Dressage at Devon’s Masterclass in Pennsylvania should do so to watch Carl in action, and learn something in a rare chance to see this equestrian genius in person.
As we look ahead to the jumping, my thoughts go back to the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen.
There McLain Ward and Laura Kraut, who will be on the U.S. team this week, were part of the silver medal squad. Looking back, some things have remained the same, but we also can see how much has changed in the sport over the last 20 years.
The U.S. 2006 World Equestrian Games silver medal show jumping team at Aachen: McLain Ward, Margie Goldstine Engle, Beezie Madden and Laura Kraut with chef d’equipe George Morris.
A nice addition was the recognition of the hard-working grooms, who were saluted on the podiums and given mementoes of their charges’ medal performances.
We still had the Final Four at Aachen 2006, an exciting switch-off of horses among the four highest-ranking riders at the show to determine individual medals. That format has gone away, but it doesn’t mean the excitement has faded.
The Final Four in 2006–Beezie Madden, silver; Jos Lansink, gold; Meredith Michaels Beerbaum, bronze and Edwina Tops-Alexander, fourth place.
Beezie Madden with Authentic on her way to individual silver at the 2007 World Equestrian Games in Aachen.
The stars of the sport will continue to shine. So many have a chance for medals, but Germany’s European Champion Richard Vogel, Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat, Britain’s Scott Brash and Ben Maher, Shane Sweetnam of Ireland and McLain and Laura all have the possibility of being among those who wind up with individual medals.
Countries that could take team medals include the homelands of all of the above and perhaps European Champion Belgium. And I never rule out France.
The routes over the fences will be laid out by Aachen’s resident course designer, Frank Rothenberger, who did the same job in 2006 at Aachen’s last world championships.
He believes, “The distribution of jumps must be perfect, and I have to consider the technical questions and lines. The main issue is that we must keep an eye on the less-experienced riders while also keeping the top riders in the lead. That’s really difficult this week.”
Frank believes each course designer has a distinct signature.
“All my top colleagues, the top course designers in the world, have their own handwriting,” he commented.
“I always try to keep the flow, with rideable lines and no hard turns. I also don’t want to use just poles and planks. We should not bore the horses, the riders or the audience. We need a big variety, and that is what makes a good course outstanding.”
In Para, the U.S. is the undisputed world number one and seems likely to remain so. Who might also be on the podium? Likely the Germans and the Dutch, not necessarily in that order. Perhaps the Danes will get close also.
In driving, the USA’s Chester Weber, ranked number eight in the world, always has a chance at an individual medal, but Europeans tend to dominate the team standings; the Dutch and Belgians are true power players. Australia’s Boyd Exell holds the number one individual ranking in the discipline.
The jumping gets underway Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. in Germany, which is 3:30 a.m. Eastern time in the U.S. There are 145 starters from every continent except Antarctica. Representatives of nine countries will be making their championships debut at Aachen, an extremely diverse group including Monaco, Cyprus, Iran, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe.
You can keep up with all the action at www.nancyjaffer.com, beginning on Wednesday afternoon and going right through the finale next Sunday. We do our best to send out email reminders, but they sometimes go astray, so keep checking the site for updates. If you missed any stories from last week, some are in the On the Rail section of the site. You can access others by clicking on the “previous columns” icon on the masthead.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 17, 2026
Brazil’s show jumping squad was looking like it had big potential at the FEI World Championships until a shock announcement by one its top riders, Yuri Mansur, that he would not be competing on the team this week, citing differences with how the team is run.
“Differences” is probably an understatement.
He revealed on social media that for years, “I’ve had to contend with so much incompetence, a lack of capable leadership, power struggles among the athletes themselves, a total lack of commitment to what truly matters, and an absence of unity or a winning mentality. Every year, the process and the result are the same: fighting, insults, deliberate lack of communication, a lack of honest rules and procedures, favoritism, and no results…”
He added, “Of course, some of us have achieved remarkable and incredible results over the years, but as a team… it’s always the same story: `almost there.’ I received the most deplorable treatment from this management team, the worst I have ever witnessed. I was blackmailed and mistreated. Yet, I pressed on and gave my all for this country.”
Yuri Mansur riding for Brazil in his trademark yellow jacket at the 2026 FEI World Cup Finals.
Last Sunday, he said the situation “crossed every line regarding ethics, respect, and sportsmanship. That is why, with great sadness, I am announcing a difficult decision. As of today, I will no longer represent Brazil in championships or Nations Cups. To all the athletes heading to the World Championship to represent Brazil, I sincerely wish you the best of luck. I’ll be rooting for you!
As for this management team, I feel nothing but pity.”
He gave no further details about the circumstances that led to his decision.
But the Revista Horse website said “the crisis was triggered by disputes over the selection of the starting quartet and the choice of official mounts—discussions that dragged on until the final training session on Saturday. The technical evaluation process and the final roster composition — distinguishing between starters and reserves — exacerbated these internal rifts.”
Meanwhile, the Brazilian Equestrian Confederation’s president, Constantino Scampini, told Revista Horse that selection of the team members was the sole responsibility of the technical staff.
“At this moment, there isn’t much to say regarding the decision made by the coach, Frank (Franke Sloothaak) who selected the team. He possesses the expertise to determine the best squad for Brazil, and we respect that technical decision.”
The team now includes Pedro Muylaert riding Gemme Villers; Rodrigo Pessoa (Major Tom); Stephan Barcha (Chevaux Primavera Império Egípcio) Marlon Zanotelli (Dorette OLD) and Luciana Diniz (Vertigo du Desert).
Mansur’s media post has been a hot topic, and someone from Australia suggested he could ride for that country, as his trademark bright yellow jacket would fit in with the yellow and green color scheme of the folks from Down Under. But no joke, he said several countries already had reached out to him.
