All eventing horses at the World Championships in Aachen pass the fitness test

World Championships in Aachen, Eventing: A brief moment of panic, but all German horses passed the fitness test

Eventing 12.08.2026

from Dominique Wehrmann

"Hey, where's the camera?" Malin Hansen-Hotopp was in high spirits during the Quidditch game. Photo: sportfotos-lafrentz.de/Dirk Caremans

The German eventing riders and horses have successfully cleared the first hurdle in their quest to defend their title at the World Championships in Aachen. All of them passed the fitness test—albeit, to stay on topic, with a couple of minor hiccups.

Unlike in the other disciplines, the fitness test for the eventing horses did not take place directly at the stables, but rather in Stadium 2. Dressage will also be held there starting tomorrow. For the fitness test, a gravel “runway” was laid out in front of the grandstand to provide the required hard surface and give spectators an unobstructed view of the four-legged stars. They were all in top form—their muscles firm, their coats glossy, their long hair silky, and their hooves shiny. First, the good news: All the horses passed, including those of the German team.

Scary Moments

, Malin Hansen-Hotopp with Quidditch, Christoph Wahler with D’Accord, and Michael Jung with Chipmunk—they all trotted obediently and cheerfully up and down the gravel track. Olympic champion Chipmunk showed with a cheerful buck at the end that, at 18 years old, he’s as fit as ever and really looking forward to what’s coming next.

Julia Krajewski’s Nickel also took a reckless leap when the judges signaled “passed.” However, he slipped upon landing on the grass behind the gravel area, lost his footing, and briefly landed on his side. But the very next moment, he was back on his feet and marching toward the exit. Did anything happen? “I don’t think so,” said his rider. Since “I don’t think so” isn’t enough, the team veterinarian, Cosima von Saldern, checked to make sure that was really the case. She gave the green light. Nickel’s World Championship campaign can now begin.

The same went for Caramia, owned by Libussa Lübbeke, although in this case the judges did not immediately give the all-clear “passed” signal; instead, they sent the 16-year-old mare—bred by the Lübbekes’ family-owned stud—to the holding box. A few minutes later, she was allowed to trot by once more, and this time she was waved through.

Libussa said, “I was really surprised. For us, there was no doubt that the horse was healthy, which was then confirmed. But you have to experience everything at least once. So why not at a World Championship?” A rhetorical question. It was the first time Caramia had seen a holding box. “She didn’t trot any differently than usual. But—you’re not actually in there.” She didn’t have a bad feeling about it at all. “The horse feels great. She’s really fit!”

Michael Jung brauchte gar kein Signal zu geben, Profi Chipmunk wusste schon selbst, wo er anzutraben hatte und wo er wieder durchparieren sollte.

AACHEN - FEI World Championships 2026Jung Michael, GER, Fischer Chipmunk FRH Vet-Check / First Horse Inspection for Eventing HorsesAachen, Reitstadion Soers 12. August 2026 © www.sportfotos-lafrentz.de/Dirk Caremans

Julia Krajewski und Nickel bei der ersten Verfassungsprüfung. Foto: sportfotos-lafrentz.de/Dirk Caremans

AACHEN - FEI World Championships 2026Krajewski Julia, GER, Uelzener's Nickel Vet-Check / First Horse Inspection for Eventing HorsesAachen, Reitstadion Soers 12. August 2026 © www.sportfotos-lafrentz.de/Dirk Caremans

AACHEN - FEI World Championships 2026Wahler Christoph, GER, D'Accord FRH Vet-Check / First Horse Inspection for Eventing HorsesAachen, Reitstadion Soers 12. August 2026 © www.sportfotos-lafrentz.de/Dirk Caremans

"Sie trabte wie immer" – wieso Libussa Lübbekes Caramia in die Holding Box sollte, hat keiner aus dem deutschen Team verstanden.
Foto: sportfotos-lafrentz.de/Dirk Caremans

AACHEN - FEI World Championships 2026Lübbeke Libussa, GER, Caramia FRH Vet-Check / First Horse Inspection for Eventing HorsesAachen, Reitstadion Soers 12. August 2026 © www.sportfotos-lafrentz.de/Dirk Caremans

Team Roster

True to the motto “never change a winning team,” Rodolphe Scherrer has decided that Libussa Lübbeke and Caramia will be the team’s top pair. This strategy already worked last year at the European Championships in Blenheim, where the team famously won gold—with nearly the same lineup as they have now at the World Championships, except that Julia Krajwski and Nickel are competing in place of Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice. The two of them are the team’s third pair. Between them and Libussa, Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Quidditch will bring their experience to bear. Rounding out the lineup are Michael Jung and Chipmunk.

How should we assess the team’s chances? Rodolphe Scherrer answered this question: “Just take a look at the team. We’ve got the European champion, the German champion, the world champion, and the Olympic champion. I’m French—I don’t understand the question.” From that perspective, he’s right.

World Team Champion Christoph Wahler is competing this time as an individual rider with championship newcomer D’Accord. At the 2022 World Championships in Pratoni, Wahler played a key role in the team’s gold medal win alongside his longtime partner Carjatan S. What does he have to say about competing as an individual rider rather than on the team? “I’m extremely glad to be here! I’m now looking forward to Aachen and am very, very happy to have a new championship horse in D’Accord.” Whether as a team or individual rider, mentally it makes no difference to him. “I’m familiar with both situations—I’ve been a team rider and an individual rider—so it doesn’t change anything for me. I try to ride as well as I can anyway.”

First Impressions of the Course

The World Championship horses got their final fitness tune-up at the training camp on the Rodderberg. While the ground conditions there weren’t quite as perfect as they are now in Aachen (see below), a course had been prepared there as well for canter training on the hill. As team manager Dr. Annette Wyrwoll reported: “Holes were punched into the ground, and every morning at six o’clock, Rodolphe (Scherrer, the interim national coach standing in for the injured Peter Thomsen) instructed the local farmers on how to drive their water trucks.”

The first site inspection wasn’t scheduled until after the course review, but at least three-time Olympic champion Michael Jung and cross-country specialist Andreas Dibowski have already gotten a first look. Michael Jung said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen green grass!” Indeed, the course—which has been watered, tended, and maintained for months—winds like a green ribbon through the landscape, now tinged with autumnal hues, into which summer has transformed the Rhineland over the past few weeks.

And what about the obstacles? When asked whether the course designed by Giuseppe della Chiesa was more difficult than the challenges at the CHIO, Germany’s cross-country specialist Andreas Dibwoski replied: “It’s always tough, but it’s not any harder. It’s very technical; there are no surprises, no spot where you’d say, ‘Oh my God, that’s too much.’ It’s exactly what you’d expect at a championship like this. Everything is fair, and the dimensions aren’t pushed to the limit. The real challenge will be the logistics.” By that, he means that the riders need to know their routes precisely, because the complexes are exactly that: complex. There are many routes where you have to find the right numbers and letters, especially if something goes wrong. But to internalize this, the riders will walk the course not just once, but many times.

Team Spirit

Finally, some good news from national team coach Peter Thomsen. He has, so to speak, a direct phone line to his wife Kirsten, who has been cooking for the entire team at the training camp. And whenever she talks to her husband on the phone, the riders and other coaches also get a chance to chat.

Start Times

The World Eventing Championships kick off tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. with the first half of the dressage riders. The start times for the German riders:

Thursday