PRESS RELEASE Preview of Horses & Dreams 2026

The equestrian event at Hof Kasselmann is not known to be a place for a quiet start to the season. Connoisseurs know: Horses & Dreams starts early – and clearly. The opening stages of the NÜRNBERGER Burg-Pokal, Louisdor Prize and U25 Jumping Cup will once again provide an initial assessment of what is to come this year in 2026.

Werth sets the bar – the others have to deliver

When Isabell Werth travels to the NÜRNBERGER BURG-POKAL, it is rarely just about riding along. Ten final appearances speak for themselves. If you want to win here, you have to get past her and only a few still manage to do so. With Feinsten, she is presenting a stallion that she has only had under saddle for a short time, but who was already convincing as a four-year-old dressage horse vice-champion.

Frederic Wandres and Benjamin Werndl are two riders who can no longer be thought of solely in the role of challengers. Both have long been among the top international riders and both use the show series for 7 to 9-year-old dressage horses specifically as part of their training strategy. Wandres has made three starts so far with the Foundation son Fänomen de Malleret, and the pair has won all three. A BURG-POKAL qualification would be the next logical step in their career. Werndl will try to reach his third final with Embolo. Patrik Kittel (SWE), Katharina Hemmer and Leonie Richter will bring additional spice to the field.

Only the winner is guaranteed a place in the prestigious 35th series final at the end of the year, while the runner-up can hope to secure a ticket as one of the four best on points. A good sign: in both 2024 and 2025, the entire podium from Hagen later found themselves in the final in Frankfurt’s Festhalle.

Louisdor Prize: On the way to the premier class

The Louisdor Prize is where the image of the upcoming Grand Prix elite comes together. Designed for eight to ten-year-old horses, it is the last major training stage before entering the highest class. The path to the 2026 final leads over five stages, but for experts the real story begins at the start of the season. The opening leg of Horses & Dreams has been one of the most exciting dates in the calendar for almost two decades, as spectators often get a proverbial glimpse into the crystal ball of dressage. Horses such as El Santo NRW, Damon Hill NRW, Desperados FRH, Bella Rose, Weihegold OLD, Cosmo, Emilio, Duke of Britain FRH, DSP Quantaz, Bluetooth OLD and Fendi first appeared in the placings at Hagen and went on to write international success stories.

Isabell Werth and her rider Niklaas Feilzer, among others, want to write the next chapter in this series. Werth, who won last year’s final, knows the path from young horse to international top level like no other – and is once again setting a clear reference. Frederic Wandres and Benjamin Werndl are two other trainers in the field whose horses are rarely presented too early, but appear all the more solid when they take the step into the Louisdor Prize.

With Vaida Girl OLD, Bianca Nowag-Aulenbrock is bringing a mare to the start who is taking the next logical step towards the Grand Prix after her second place in the final of the NÜRNBERGER BURG-POKAL 2025. The performance of Maxi Kira von Platen, who is bringing an interesting alternative to the classic dressage bloodlines into the field with the Lusitano Mantovani’s Nuelo das Lezirias, should also be exciting.

U25 Jumping Cup: Germany’s best young riders

18 riders up to the age of 25 have been nominated for the first qualifier of Germany’s U25 Jumping Cup organized by the Stiftung Deutscher Pferdesport and Holger Hetzel. Tjade Carstensen won the final at the CHIO Aachen last year. Back then, the rider from Schleswig-Holstein was able to relegate his compatriot Johanna Beckmann to third place.

Beckmann, the reigning U25 show jumping champion, not only holds the title as the best in her age group, but also has the necessary consistency to hold her own at this level. Emilia Löser, who secured the title at the German Show Jumping Championships two years ago, is also one of the defining names of her generation. With Sönke Fallenberg, Marie Flick, Lea-Sophia Gut and Felix Raude, there is a broad, high-performing group of young riders ready to take the next step towards international challenges.

From the first start to the top

The fact that this path begins in Hagen a.T.W. is no coincidence. With the Sparkasse Osnabrück Cup, the oldest competition at the show, young riders gain their first experience in front of a large audience. The NÜRNBERGER BURG-POKAL lead rein competition marks the start of the sporting careers of the youngest participants, while ambitious amateurs put their skills to the test in the ADC Amateur Cup Final. Thus, year after year, Horses & Dreams creates an overall picture that shows equestrian sport in all its breadth – from the first steps in the saddle to an international career.

Tickets for all event days (Wednesday admission is free), the evening show “Journey around the World” and all three HALLA Clubbing events are available in advance via Reservix.

EVENING SHOW at Horses & Dreams on Saturday: Tickets here

HALLA Clubbing Show Parties: Tickets for all three events here

TICKETS for Horses & Dreams: https://horses-and-dreams.reservix.de/

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