Dressage: On course for the World Championships - Werth, Wandres, Netz, Rothenberger and Schürmann for the Nations' Cup in Hagen

This year’s German Nations Cup will take place in Hagen am Teutoburger Wald on the July 1st weekend, which is important for the nomination of the World Championship team. The Kasselmann family’s tried and tested venue is hosting the CDIO. It is a CDIO4* tournament with the Grand Prix, Freestyle and Grand Prix Special – in that order – on the program. Hagen is the location because Aachen, where the Nations Cup traditionally takes place, is the venue for the World Championships this year.

The team for Hagen

Following the Grand Prix Special at the German Championships in Balve, the Dressage Committee has named the following quartet for the Nations Cup in Hagen. The Nations Cup team is often also the team that travels to the upcoming Championships. The nominees are

• Isabell Werth with Wendy, 1st Reserve Viva Gold OLD


• Frederic Wandres with Bluetooth OLD


• Charlott-Maria Schürmann with Dantes Pearl OLD


• Sanneke Rothenberger with Farrington

Many absences before DM Balve

The German Championships in Balve, officially the first selection for all those hoping for a place in the German World Championship dressage team, were not under the best of stars as far as the cancellation rate was concerned. First of all, Ingrid Klimke had withdrawn her Vayron in advance: The great son of Vitalis is still suffering from a problem he picked up before the Hamburg Dressage Derby. Then Katharina Hemmer, Klimke’s teammate who won the 2025 European Championships in Crozet, France, was affected. She had to withdraw her Denoix PCH from the start list for the championships due to a thick leg on the day of arrival. Both horses have the opportunity to recommend themselves for the team nomination in the CDI4* tour in Hagen. Both were members of the gold team at the last European Championships.

Fever thwarts World Cup hopes

But the field of potential World Championship candidates was also further decimated in Balve: Quick Decision, Benjamin Werndl’s horse, suddenly came down with a fever. For safety reasons, the neighboring horses were brought to a quarantine stable together with the Quarterhall son. This meant that Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Times Kismet ‘s first joint appearance at the German Championships ended differently than expected. Namely with no start in the Grand Prix Special. Lisa Müller’s Mondrian also went into quarantine and did not compete again in Balve. In the meantime, a rapid test has shown that all three horses are not suffering from herpes, influenza or druse. Nevertheless, they will not be able to compete.

Three Grand Prix in Hagen

In addition to the Nations Cup Tour, there will be two other starting options in Hagen, a CDI 4* and a CDI3* Tour. Germany has 15 starting places in the CDI4*. The Dressage Committee has the right to dispose of these starting places.

Longlist to be drawn up after Nations Cup in Hagen

A longlist for the WEG in Aachen must be drawn up by June 6th, the Monday after the Nations’ Cup in Hagen. Eight pairs of riders may be named on this list. The actual deadline for the official nomination of the German WEG Dressage Team is July 27th, the day of the so-called Definite Entries. This is when the German Equestrian Federation (FN) must nominate four rider/horse combinations for the WEG in Aachen.