Andrè Thieme and DSP Chakaria will not be competing at the World Show Jumping Championships in Aachen

Chakaria and André Thieme will not be competing at the World Championships in Aachen. It would have been the pair’s fourth appearance at the championships. In 2021, the two competed at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and, a few weeks later, won individual gold and the team silver medal in Riesenbeck. In 2022, they were part of the German quartet at the World Championships in Herning. The Nations Cup went down in history when André Thieme was thrown from the saddle at a large oxer, which the chestnut mare cleared with a powerful leap.

Chakaria and Thieme: A Comeback in the Year of the World Cup

Their victory at the Aachen Grand Prix capped off a great year for the pair in 2024. That year, Chakaria also competed in the Nations Cup Final in Barcelona.

In 2025, the Chap daughter had to take an extended break. But by the end of the year, she had returned to competition in top form and quickly got back on the path to success in the spring of 2026. Among other achievements, she won the first leg of the League of Nations with the German team in Ocala. This was followed by a second-place finish at Horses & Dreams and victory in the Hamburg Grand Prix. She placed sixth in the Aachen Grand Prix.

With two clear rounds, Thieme and Chakaria played a key role in the German team’s second-place finish at the Nations Cup in La Baule, France. Last weekend, the pair competed in Falsterbo. There, the mare stepped into the water jump and subsequently incurred additional penalties.

Chakaria and André Thieme Out of the World Cup

On Monday afternoon, following the tournament in Falsterbo, the German Equestrian Federation (FN) issued an official statement announcing that the Mecklenburg-Brandenburg mare would not be competing at the World Championships in Aachen. In the press release, André Thieme is quoted as saying regarding his decision to withdraw: “I noticed in Falsterbo that Chakaria is currently not jumping the water jump with the confidence she normally displays. In the best interest of my horse and the team, I have therefore decided to withdraw from the World Championships. We don’t want to take any risks and will now work calmly to restore her full confidence over the water. Of course, I would have loved to be part of this great team in Aachen. But for me, the trusting partnership with my horse comes first. That’s why this is the right decision, even though it’s a difficult one for me. Now I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed from home and wishing our team every success.”

Marcus Ehning Ahead of His Seventh World Championship

Marcus Ehning, who replaced André Thieme, has competed in 19 World Championships in the senior division so far. The competition in Aachen marks the seventh time that the father from Borken has competed in a World Championship. He made his debut in 2002 riding For Plesaure. In 2022, he placed fifth in Herning riding Startgold.

The Holsteiner Coolio will be Ehning’s World Championship horse. Most recently, the pair won the Grand Prix of St. Gallen. Prior to that, the 13-year-old son of Casalito had, among other achievements, placed second in the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in Shanghai.

Olympic champions are traveling to Aachen as reserves

National team coach Otto Becker commented: “Decisions like this are never easy in elite sports, but unfortunately, they’re part of the game. André Thieme assessed the situation with Chakaria very responsibly. I have the utmost respect for his decision. Marcus Ehning and Coolio, a pair with championship experience, will step in.”

Christian Kukuk and Checker, Olympic champions at the 2024 Paris Games, are now the new reserve pair. They will compete in the warm-up jumping competition in Aachen.