by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 12, 2026
For the thirteenth time since the world dressage championships began in 1966, Germany took team gold. The honors earned Thursday were even more special because they came at home in Aachen.
The victorious German team: Isabell Werth, Fredric Wandres, Raphael Netz, Katharina Hemmer and chef d’equipe Klaus Roeser.
It was, however, a narrow victory. Great Britain threatened to take the top prize, but by 3.618 points wound up with silver for the fourth time in the history of the title meet. A couple of mishaps in World Cup Champion Becky Moody’s test on Jagerbomb Tuesday appears to have made the difference.
British strategist Carl Hester demonstrated his ability as a technician and an artist to get everything possible out of Fame, with whom he is seventh individually on 77.314 percent. He held the lead for only a few minutes, however, before Germany’s Katharina Hemmer came in on Denoix PCH and overtook him. But Carl was understandably proud of how it went.
“We just needed a good score and, over the past few days, I’ve been sat watching my best tests I’ve ever done to prepare, all the time thinking ‘nail this, nail this, watch this,’ ” he reported.
“It really worked for me in my head but, more to the point, I think I’m so much more able to direct my sight to the horse, and the horse reacted absolutely beautifully. We’ve watched him over the years get calmer and calmer, and today was possibly one of the calmest tests he’s ever done,” said Carl.
“He really didn’t bat an eyelid, but it actually gave me a lift going in there. I suddenly felt confident because he didn’t react negatively at all to any of the noise, so off I went and enjoyed my test,” said Carl, conceding that the last few weeks of build-up had been stressful.
Denmark, the defending champions, finished third. That team was led by a bravura 82.376 percent performance from world number one-ranked Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St. John Freestyle. That combination was just ahead of former world number one, Justin Verboomen of Belgium and Zonik Plus (80.885), who did not give his very best performance. The two are expected to battle it out for gold in the Freestyle on Saturday if they make it through Friday’s Grand Prix Special, as one assumes they will.
And the only other competitor to earn over 80 percent, reigning world champion Lottie Fry of Great Britain in third place, also should be considered a threat individually. Riding the glamorous Glamourdale (who receives 10s for his signature extended canter) she helped in a big way to boost her nation to the second spot on the podium.
“Glamourdale was just incredible. That was the most amazing feeling I’ve ever had in the ring,” Lottie reported
“We had a small misunderstanding and I just kind of threw him into that first piaffe, which was a shame because the rest of them were really good – the one on the center line was just incredible. The whole test was just the best feeling.
“He absolutely loves Aachen and he always goes well here, I’ve never have a bad ride here, touch wood, and he was just insane in that arena. He loved every second of it and he loved the crowd at the end – he wanted to go right up to them. It was so cool. I’m excited to bring that back for the Special, because not much else can be better. He was just amazing,” she said.
The U.S. was eighth with only one rider, 23-year-old Christian Simonson Fleau de Baian, qualifying to be among the 30 starters qualified for the Special. He was tied for twenty-fifth with Pan Am Games champ Julio Mendoza Loor of Ecuador (Jewel’s Gold Strike). Christian’s teammate, Kasey Perry-Glass, finished thirty-first with Heartbeat WP to miss by one heartbreaking placing, but has a chance to make the cut if someone withdraws.
Christian, who is still eligible for the Young Rider ranks, was understandably awed by being center stage is a legendary equestrian venue.
“It felt surreal. to go into that atmosphere. I’m a little speechless, honestly,” he said after his ride.
“I’ll never forget the cheering, the applause. It was really special.”
His mount of two years, known as Felix, formerly was ridden by the Dutch team’s Adelinde Cornelissen. Christian has developed his own style of dealing with the KWPN stallion, who is by Jazz.
“I try to be incredibly present with him,” the rider explained.
Christian Simonson and Fleau de Baian (USEF photo)
“I know i can do my best job if i don’t worry about anything else other than how can i do the best job for him at that moment, in this movement and just try to do my personal best for the feeling I would like.
“That just fills my thoughts so much I usually don’t have much more room to think about anything else.”
His mark of 71.304 was a personal best for the Grand Prix with Felix.
Christian Simonson and Felix after their test.
The top six teams — the podium group followed by Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden, earned their ticket to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The U.S. is already qualified as the home team. Other countries aspiring to those Games have the possibility of different routes to try, such as next year’s Pan American Games and European Championships.
The final rider for the U.S., Ashley Holzer, performed last in the class. Riding Hawtins San Floriana, she tied for forty-third place on 68.711 percent, but was her usual upbeat self, praising her horse.
“She’s such an amazing mare and great partner of mine,” said Ashley, who trains with Carl Hester.
“I knew the atmosphere would be a little tense for her. I tried to relax her. This mare tried her heart out. It’s a tough ring for a lot of horses, and she really was a great girl.
“I knew it was going to be a lot of electricity in the air with the crowd, being with these top riders before me, and i think that affected me a little bit more than i would honestly like to admit to people. But I had a great team behind me that really helped me.”
Germany’s team trainer, Monica Theodorescu, said she had a good night’s sleep because Germany led after Tuesday’s competition on the scores of Frederic Wandres and Ralph Netz.
“There was nothing to worry about,” said Monica, who praised Katharina’s ride on the USA-owned Denoix PCH, coming close to 80 percent with a personal best mark of 79.224 percent.
“At a championship like this, you want everything to come together, and when it does, it is amazing. Denoix was very cool. We can really rely on each other and he tried his heart out,” said Katharina.
Monica added with a smile, “We want to call her hammerer and not Hemmer any more because she gave an absolute fantastic ride. The horse was just shining and so beautiful, so that made everything pretty safe.
“But of course, Isabell (Werth on Wendy de Fontaine) at the end topped it even more so. The team was absolutely great these two days.”
Collecting yet another gold medal for her record-breaking stash of same, Isabell, fourth with 79.876 percent, commented, “Each time, it’s new and each time something can happen, but she was affected about the atmosphere, but I was very pleased with her.”
There are a few little things she wants to fix, like an error in the one-tempi changes, perhaps.
“Hopefully, we can sort it out till Friday, but it was super good because we had a very strong team. Wendy was a controlled risk. It worked, so we have another gold,” Isabell concluded.
Thinking back to the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games at the venue, Isabell noted, “to come back after 20 years, it means a lot of things happened in between. To realize you could move with the time, with the development of the sport, it makes me really proud and happy.”
Click here for individual results. Click here for team standings.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 4, 2026
The new Dressage4Kids Youth Challenge at Fairview Partners Dressage at Devon this September will give riders between the ages of 14 and 18 a chance to win $5,000 in cash and a variety of other prizes.
The new competition, believed to offer the largest cash prize in U.S. youth dressage, will debut Sept. 27, the final day of this year’s show.
Participants will compete in both the Dressage Seat Equitation and Junior Handler classes, with the highest combined score winning the overall championship. In addition to the cash prize to the champion, other prizes will be awarded through eighth place and will include gift certificates for various products, including boots and a customized helmet.
“It’s no secret that our sport faces a few significant challenges. One, how do we get more youth excited about dressage at a younger age?, ” asked the show’s president, Nicole DelGiorno.
“Two, how do we develop the next generation of handlers and get riders interested in sporthorse breeding early on? And three, how do we celebrate and elevate the backbone of the sport, and ensure there is a next generation to pass the baton to one day?”
She explained, “The Dressage4Kids Youth Challenge was our way of addressing some of these challenges. Exceptional horsemanship, especially at the foundational levels, is something that deserves to be rewarded in a serious way. I think the $5,000 prize makes it clear that we want to invest in the future of our community.”
The format of this groundbreaking event reflects the kind of equestrian the program is intended to recognize. That’s not simply the young person with the most advanced horse, but rather, one who can ride effectively, present a horse beautifully and safely, and demonstrate a broader understanding of horsemanship.
Dressage4Kids was a natural partner for the inaugural program. Founded by Olympian Lendon Gray, the organization has spent more than two decades developing young riders through education that places horsemanship, responsibility and long-term development ahead of short-term results.
When asked about how the Youth Challenge dovetails with the mission of Dressage4Kids, Lendon said, “Dressage4Kids is definitely set up for the overall education of the rider, not just to focus on competition. The Youth Challenge makes it so that those riders who maybe don’t have the fancy horses get their chance to come and really prove that they’re becoming horsemen.”
Emelia Lewis is a young rider local to Devon, Pa., and a Youth Challenge-hopeful. When asked what the financial development means to her, she said, “I think this new class presents an exciting opportunity for a wide range of horses and riders.
“For those who may not have the ability to compete in a CDI environment, it offers the chance to still experience that elevated level of competition and atmosphere. I also believe it is incredibly important to highlight a rider’s ability to properly handle and present a horse from the ground. I am truly excited about the addition of this class and look forward to the opportunity to participate in it!”
The Dressage4Kids Youth Challenge is part of a broader effort to make Sunday at Kingsview Partners Dressage at Devon even more welcoming to families, while giving the next generation a visible place within one of the country’s best-known dressage competitions.
“We already have wonderful Sunday programming for young people with our very popular Dressage Explorers program,” Nicole said.
“There are so many things to take part in, from our famous stick horse ride to face painting to fascinating presentations from equine experts to children’s games. But we wanted kids to see that there is an attainable pathway for them here. Maybe today they are riding a stick horse down centerline, but one day they may be riding a Grand Prix horse under the lights in the Dixon Oval. The Dressage4Kids Youth Challenge gives them their first stepping stone.”
Interestingly, giving prize money for equitation is a hot topic in the hunter/jumper ranks. The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association held a forum last month on the subject that brought out advocates both for and against the concept. Prize money is not allowed in hunter/jumper equitation, but Nicole said there is no rule against it in dressage.
Those in favor of having prize money in hunter/jumper seat equitation felt with the high costs of horse-keeping, training and competition, it is important for riders to get a financial boost. Trainers also benefit financially for the classes under some formats. And others pointed out that prize money could be extended to adult amateur equitation, but someone else mentioned that might run afoul of the amateur rule.
Those against the idea of hunter/jumper equitation prize money felt it could lead to over-use of horses.
“Any time you introduce money into a horse event, the horses are the ones who take the brunt of it,” said Geoff Teall, an author, judge and trainer.
“Philosophically, I think the money for children is wrong.”
Sissy Wickes, chair of USHJA’s joint equitation task force, spoke in favor of the idea, saying she didn’t think horses would be used more because of the financial incentive, noting the idea would be to “provide some relief for the cost of horse showing.”
USHJA President Britt McCormick emphasized that no rule proposal is under consideration to allow prize money in equitation.
“The purpose of that virtual Town Hall was not to introduce a rule change, but rather to have the conversation before any proposal was developed and to determine whether the idea merited further discussion,” Britt explained.
“That is the purpose of all our Town Halls. The goal is simple: to promote discussion and create opportunities for members to engage in meaningful conversations together about issues affecting our sport. These in-person Forums and virtual Town Halls are intended to give all members a voice early in the process, so we can better understand different viewpoints before ideas advance any further.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 11, 2026
The multi-faceted Sally Ike has just been notified that she will be inducted into the U.S. Eventing Hall of Fame this December, but her achievements go far beyond eventing.
Sally Ike, course designer, one of her many roles in equestrian sport
She was a pillar of equestrian sport governance, spending more than three decades serving with the U.S. Equestrian Team, the American Horse Shows Association and its successor, the U.S. Equestrian Federation. Her roles included being the manager of U.S. show jumping for many years, and then going on to serve as director of licensed officials.
A licensed official herself, she has been a technical delegate, a steward and course designer. She also was chairman of the Essex Foxhounds.
Giving young people a leg up, she was involved with the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Emerging Athletes Program and instrumental in the USEA Young Event Horse program. Her dedication to education, horsemanship, and organizational leadership was recognized with the USEF Lifetime Achievement Award.
Sally Ike in her eventing days on Roxboro, winner of the Essex Horse Trials
The Hunterdon County, New Jersey, resident began competing in eventing in the 1960s and was short-listed for the 1968 U.S. Olympic eventing team with her horse, Evening Mail. For half a century, her service and commitment to developing opportunities for horses and riders have left a lasting mark on eventing and other horse sports in the USA.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 3, 2026
The FEI’s monthly dressage standings have just come out, and the names at the top of the list offer the promise of a memorable world championship this month, with two horse/rider combinations having equal likelihood of earning top honors individually.
The gold is most likely to go either to Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour (Mount St. John Freestyle) or Belgian sensation Justin Verboomen (Zonik Plus). They each have taken turns as number one. This month, Cathrine rose from twenty-ninth to take that spot, with Justin (number one) last month, right behind. Their mounts are, not surprisingly 1-2 on the 3-star and above horse list.
Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St. John Freestyle
Reigning world champion Lottie Fry is third in the rider rankings while her Glamourdale holds the same position in the horse hierarchy. Germany’s Isabell Werth (Wendy de Fontaine) is number four, followed by Becky Moody of Great Britain (Jagerbomb). Her compatriot, Carl Hester (Fame) stands sixth.
The highest-ranked U.S. horse ridden by an American is Christian Simonson’s star, Indian Rock, at number 13. Indian Rock is resting, however, and won’t be part of the U.S. team. Christian is riding Fleau de Baian, number 76 on the horse roster, at Aachen.
His teammate, Genay Vaughn (Gino), who dropped off the U.S. world championships team, is number 40 on the rider list.
Helix, ridden by the USA’s Adrienne Lyle, is number 51 on the horse list, but the three-time Olympian did not apply to be on the world championships team.
