The start times for the Dressage Grand Prix at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen

“Everyone’s in great spirits,” said a cheerful assistant national team coach Hendrik Lochthowe, whom we ran into on our way to the team dinner. The horses are in top form; the new stables are cool and shaded inside, and should temperatures rise at the Soers, outdoor cold-air and water misters will ensure the well-being of the horses after their competitive performances.

The competition begins tomorrow at 8:20 a.m. with the dressage Grand Prix, which serves as the first half of the team competition and a qualifier for all subsequent events. Ninety-one horse-rider pairs from 34 nations will compete—19 teams plus 17 individual riders from 15 other countries.

Defending champions and favorites

• Denmark is defending its 2022 team world championship title from Herning. Three athletes from that team are competing again: Carina Cassøe Krüth (Heiline’s Danciera), Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour (Mount St John Freestyle), and Daniel Bachmann Andersen (Flash Gordon 37), joined by Nadja Aaboe Sloth and Favour Gersdorf.
  
  So far in 2026, Laudrup-Dufour has achieved some of the highest scores of any competitor, including a Grand Prix score of 84.174 percent at the CDI5* Herning. In 2022, she also won individual silver in the Special and Freestyle—though that was with Vamos Amigos. But with Freestyle, she is also among the title contenders in the individual standings.


• Germany —the all-time World Championship record holder with twelve team titles, and bronze medalist in Herning—is considered one of the top favorites on home soil, but will have to hold its own against Great Britain, Denmark, and Belgium in particular. With 12 World Championship medals (9 gold), Isabell Werth is the most successful rider in the history of the sport.


• Great Britain —team silver in Herning—will compete with reigning individual world champions Charlotte Fry/Glamourdale (gold in the Special and Freestyle in 2022), along with Fiona Bigwood (Donna Bella), the experienced Carl Hester (Fame), and 2026 World Cup Final winner Becky Moody (Jagerbomb). Fry, Hester, and Moody were also part of the British bronze-medal-winning team at Paris 2024.


• Belgium is dreaming of its first-ever Team World Championship medal—made possible by world No. 2 Justin Verboomen riding Zonik Plus (double gold at the 2025 European Championships in Crozet). Joining him are Jeroen Devroe (Lestor), Larissa Pauluis (Flambeau), and Wim Verwimp (Jedai de Massa).


• Netherlands: Dinja van Liere, who won double bronze in 2022 (Special and Freestyle), will compete in Aachen with the just-nine-year-old Mauro Turfhorst N.O.P.—marking his first appearance at a senior championship.

Historic Debuts

Indonesia: Dara Ninggar Prameswari (Miestral d’Ferraria) is the first Indonesian rider ever to compete in a World Dressage Championship.

Thailand is fielding a team for the first time, featuring Pakjira Thongpakdi (Definitely) and sisters Suphakamol and Suphajit Vuntanadit (Dreamboat BCN / Wall Street JV).

Mexico is back after a 20-year absence: Carolina Cordoba Wolf (Isabella) and Marcos Santiago Ortiz Diez (Waitoni).

Spain: Severo Jurado López (Flaconi W) returns to the team after a three-year hiatus, along with Borja Carrascosa (Frizzantino FRH), José Antonio García Mena (Gladiador do Lis), and senior debutante Lucía Gallardo (Hip By Johnson).

USA: Ashley Holzer (Hawtins San Floriana, who previously competed for Canada) and the experienced Kasey Perry-Glass (Heartbeat W.P., 2018 World Championship silver medalist in Tryon) will face newcomers Christian Simonson (Fleau de Baian) and Meagan Davis (Toronto Lightfoot).

Age range: At 71, Mary Hanna (AUS/Ivanhoe) is the oldest competitor in her seventh World Championship; the youngest is Rowena Weggelaar (NED/Don Quichot) at 21, closely followed by Felicita Simoncic (AUT) at 22.

Olympic Qualification: Aachen also marks the first opportunity to qualify for Los Angeles 2028—the top six nations will secure a spot on the Olympic team (exception: the host country, the U.S., which has already qualified).

Two pairs will compete tomorrow, and the other two the day after tomorrow. For Germany, there will be a “men’s day” and a “women’s day.” That means Raphael Netz and Frederic Wandres will compete tomorrow with Great Escape Camelot and Bluetooth OLD; Katharina Hemmer with Denoix and Isabell Werth with Wendy will compete the day after tomorrow.