New Zealand Names Team for the Eventing World Championships in Aachen

It’s not just their victory in the Nations Cup at the 2025 CHIO Aachen that makes the New Zealanders among the top medal contenders at the 2026 World Championships in eventing. The Kiwis have a long tradition of being major players in eventing—take, for example, Mark Todd’s two individual gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games.

They won gold at the World Championships in 1990 and 1998. In addition, there were individual gold medals won by Blyth Tait riding Messiah in Stockholm in 1999, by Vaugh Jefferis riding Bounce four years later in The Hague, and again by Blyth Tait in 1998 riding Ready Teddy. Mark Todd also won silver there on Broadcast News. There were two bronze medals in 2010, and again in 2022.

Jock Paget is sending the 2022 World Championships bronze medal-winning team—comprising Jonelle and Tim Price, Monica Spencer, and Clarke Johnstone—to Aachen, along with debutant Samantha Lissington. As for the horses, New Zealand is relying on German breeding expertise.

The team

• Tim Price with Falco, a 17-year-old Hanoverian by Cardenio-Weinberg (breeder: Norbert Nowak) > Price is the world’s number one. With Falco, he won two bronze medals at the 2022 World Championships. At the Olympic Games in Paris, the pair finished sixth, making them the top New Zealand team. They placed second in Badminton this year.


• Jonelle Price with Senor Crocodillo, a 12-year-old Holsteiner by Connor-Exorbitant xx (breeder: Anke Siewertsen) > Jonelle Price brings experience from four Olympic Games and three World Championships. Riding the gray Senor Crocodillo, she won the CCI4*-S in Millstreet (IRL) this year. In 2025, they placed tenth in the CCI5*-L in Pau. Price: “Senor Crocodillo is a horse who is in the form of his life for this championship. We have a really good partnership. It took a little while, but he trusts me completely. He’s always been a very solid jumper. That’s definitely his strength.” Unlike all her fiery mares, he’s a solid worker.


• Clarke Johnstone with Rocket Man, an 11-year-old Hanoverian by Diacontinus out of For Pleasure (breeder: Nicole Nehm) > Johnstone was also a member of the 2022 bronze-medal-winning team. Riding Rocket Man, he won the Nations Cup in Aachen in 2025 and placed ninth in the individual standings. This year, in four four-star starts, they most recently placed third at Burnham Market (CCI4*-S) and seventh at Chaumont-en-Vexin, France (CCI4*-L). Johnstone: “Rocket Man is a great horse, and this has been the goal for him for many years. (…) Last year, we won the Nations Cup in Aachen. I love this place and will do everything I can to repeat that (Nations Cup victory) this year.”


• Monica Spencer with Artist, a 15-year-old New Zealand Thoroughbred by Guillotine-Volksraad (breeder: Windsor Park Stud Ltd.) > Spencer and her Thoroughbred from the racetrack also contributed to the bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships; last year, they drew attention by finishing second in the CCI5*-L in Maryland, among other achievements, and were part of the winning Nations Cup team in Aachen in 2025. This year, they placed seventh in Kentucky.


• Samantha Lissington with Lucas Stone, a 10-year-old Finnish Warmblood by Concreto-Robin Z (breeder: Kaisa Kiviniitty) > This will be their championship debut in Aachen. Among other victories, they won the CCI4* in Strzegom last year and most recently placed seventh at the CCI4*S in Luhmühlen. Lissington: “Being nominated for the World Championships is such a big deal, especially with this horse. We bought him a year and a half ago as a three-star horse and actually thought he’d be a good second horse for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. We never would have dared to dream that his career would give us the opportunity to wear the fern (the New Zealand coat of arms) at a championship for the first time. He has proven to be a true professional and is passionate about what he does. I’m looking forward to finishing up the final preparations and traveling to Aachen.”

The Reservists

Some of the team riders have reserve horses of their own. Tim Price’s reserve horses are Jarillo, the Pau winner, and Vitali, the 2025 Aachen winner.

Jonelle Price has her fourth-place finisher at Luhmühlen (CCI5*-L), Capitaine de Hus Z, as well as Chilli’s Midnight Star (by Chilli Morning/William Fox-Pitt) in her stable. The latter placed ninth in Maryland in 2025 and twelfth at Badminton this year.

Samantha Lissington could also ride Delarado, a daughter of Diarado. Although the pair withdrew from the competition in Luhmühlen after a refusal, they went on to win the CCI4*-S in Strzegom in April, among other events, based on their dressage score.

Clarke Johnstone has an ace up his sleeve in the form of the thoroughbred Sparky Lad, who, among other results this year, most recently placed fourth in the CCI4*-L at Chaumont-en-Vexin.

The following were also named as reserves: two-time Olympic and World Championship rider Caroline Powell on High Time (eighth place at Burghley in 2025, eliminated at Badminton in 2026), James Avery and Dallas, who placed ninth at Luhmühlen, Tayla Mason on Centennial, who recently placed sixth at Badminton, and Jesse Campbell riding Speedwell, the horse that belonged to his wife Georgie, who died in a riding accident.