World Championship Newsletter, Day 4: Heat, Stranded in the Countryside, World Championship Horse with Chicken
from Jan Tönjes 
Travel broadens the mind—and that goes for business trips, too. WGBT—does that ring a bell? Exactly: the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Index, a factor that influenced the schedule (ZP) of the Grand Prix Special (GPS) today. It’s starting earlier because the WGBT will be at its highest between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. today. For those interested in the finer points of the weather, we’ve done some research. We’ve also looked into what else is being done for the horses in Aachen (see the interview).
Here’s the thing: Starting at 3:00 p.m.—when Frederic Wandres takes the ice—the second half of the qualified pairs will take the ice for the Grand Prix Special. By then, conditions should be back to normal, just like in “Bulb Globe Temperature.” For those of you who already have your black, red, and gold flag lying on the coffee table or next to your laptop: Here are the start times for the four German skaters.
12:08 p.m. Raphael Netz/Great Escape Camelot
3:00 p.m. Frederic Wandres/Bluetooth OLD
4:17 p.m. Isabell Werth/Wendy
4:39 p.m. Katharina Hemmer/Denoix PCH
It’s definitely going to be a close call. When we walked the cross-country course last night, we saw a long, strangely brown cloud in the sky. The forest in Hürtgenwald (less than 20 kilometers away) is on fire. In Aachen, people are reportedly being told to keep their windows and doors closed. Several hectares have already been consumed by the flames. Lukas Fischer, stallion manager for Paul Schockemöhle, was able to indirectly confirm this as well. He traveled to Aachen with his wife, Tanja. They passed burning fields—white smoke below, yellow flames licking upward. I don’t want to go on and on about climate change right now, but …
With a worried look toward the sky, we also ran into Andrew Hoy yesterday. He wasn’t worried about the burning forest, but rather the fading sunlight. That’s because he wanted to walk the cross-country course one more time. To do that, you need light—and a bit of inspiration, too. Giuseppe della Chiesa has designed a course on the cow pastures behind the Aachen stadium that really puts your brain to the test. Even the direct routes aren’t exactly self-explanatory. “Six routes in the water,” says Lucinda Green, the British cross-country icon. “If I had to ride it, I’d have to walk the course at least six more times to memorize the alternatives.” But ultimately, that’s a good thing, because the art of a World Championship is to design the course so that the best riders finish at the front and the others make it to the finish in one piece. Sometimes that requires more than just one alternative. “I’ve seen dozens of them,” says Lucinda, still looking a bit confused.
Later, Andreas Dibowski will explain the details of the course to us. Let’s see what he has to say.
My first impressions: Obstacle five, the direct route, with very narrow jumps, tests the horse’s rideability early on in the course. Coffin (8) and Sunken Road (9) are situated in the middle of a driving obstacle—it might look like riding through the lumber cutting section of my favorite home improvement store.
The first water complex is quite twisty. The deep jump down from the wall is likely a cliff. The direct route is recognizable as such only to experts.
One of the jumps, sponsored by the German Equestrian Foundation, has snails as its theme. One of the wooden slugs bears an autograph from Rüdiger Schwarz. I wonder if he ever gave someone a hard time right there? Some secrets will never be revealed.
Not only are there plenty of details to take in here—as is the case with virtually all jumps—but this spot also offers a real treat for the nose. The farmer has just spread fresh manure on the pasture next door.
The ground along the path—even though we obviously didn’t step on it—is a dream of green blades of grass, waiting on a springy yet sturdy surface for whatever lies ahead. Meanwhile, their neighbors to the left and right are withering, looking more brown than green.
Some of the horses that will be galloping past here on Saturday were already in action today. Libussa Lübbeke, riding Caramia—a mare bred by the family themselves—kicked things off. My colleague Dominique Wehrmann was thrilled to see how relaxed the mare was as the whole family gave her one last touch-up (and plenty of fly spray) before she entered the arena.
Who still remembers Tony Holiday? Want to dance the samba with me? And who knows the lyrics by heart? The first line? “You’re as hot as a volcano.” That’s how Malin Hansen-Hotopp felt playing Quidditch today. The Holsteiner may have danced with the grace of a samba dancer at times, but he can also pull off the worst kind of disco fox—aka the “knot dance.” “Like on a volcano.” Especially during yesterday’s gallop run. But that’s just how it goes sometimes. My personal music request for the cross-country course: Maybe Dschingis Khan? “Hey rider, ho rider, on and on…”
One more note on eventing horses: I hope Christoph Wahler and D’Accord don’t always go for the “chicken ways.” Why the concern? My thorough investigative research has revealed that the giant Hanoverian is involved with a chicken named Chiquitita. Read the full story here: The World Championship Horse That’s Got a Bird.
Final tips for everyone watching the Grand Prix Special today:
36 lessons + a final grade for harmony
Count toward the final grade as two:
- Trot half-pass to the left and right
- Three piaffes
- strong and collected walk
- Canter pirouettes left and right
Maximum score per judge: 470
With that in mind—see you tomorrow!
jan.toenjes@equi-pages.de
This is the EQUI PAGES newsletter—published daily from Aachen during the World Equestrian Games
This text was first published on August 14, 2026.
EQUI PAGES Newsletter: Just one click for your weekly update on Monday!
Travel broadens the mind—and that goes for business trips, too. WGBT—does that ring a bell? Exactly: the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Index, a factor that influenced the schedule (ZP) of the Grand Prix Special (GPS) today. It’s starting earlier because the WGBT will be at its highest between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. today. For those interested in the finer points of the weather, we’ve done some research. We’ve also looked into what else is being done for the horses in Aachen (see the interview).
Here’s the thing: Starting at 3:00 p.m.—when Frederic Wandres takes the ice—the second half of the qualified pairs will take the ice for the Grand Prix Special. By then, conditions should be back to normal, just like in “Bulb Globe Temperature.” For those of you who already have your black, red, and gold flag lying on the coffee table or next to your laptop: Here are the start times for the four German skaters.
12:08 p.m. Raphael Netz/Great Escape Camelot
3:00 p.m. Frederic Wandres/Bluetooth OLD
4:17 p.m. Isabell Werth/Wendy
4:39 p.m. Katharina Hemmer/Denoix PCH
It’s definitely going to be a close call. When we walked the cross-country course last night, we saw a long, strangely brown cloud in the sky. The forest in Hürtgenwald (less than 20 kilometers away) is on fire. In Aachen, people are reportedly being told to keep their windows and doors closed. Several hectares have already been consumed by the flames. Lukas Fischer, stallion manager for Paul Schockemöhle, was able to indirectly confirm this as well. He traveled to Aachen with his wife, Tanja. They passed burning fields—white smoke below, yellow flames licking upward. I don’t want to go on and on about climate change right now, but …
With a worried look toward the sky, we also ran into Andrew Hoy yesterday. He wasn’t worried about the burning forest, but rather the fading sunlight. That’s because he wanted to walk the cross-country course one more time. To do that, you need light—and a bit of inspiration, too. Giuseppe della Chiesa has designed a course on the cow pastures behind the Aachen stadium that really puts your brain to the test. Even the direct routes aren’t exactly self-explanatory. “Six routes in the water,” says Lucinda Green, the British cross-country icon. “If I had to ride it, I’d have to walk the course at least six more times to memorize the alternatives.” But ultimately, that’s a good thing, because the art of a World Championship is to design the course so that the best riders finish at the front and the others make it to the finish in one piece. Sometimes that requires more than just one alternative. “I’ve seen dozens of them,” says Lucinda, still looking a bit confused.
Later, Andreas Dibowski will explain the details of the course to us. Let’s see what he has to say.
My first impressions: Obstacle five, the direct route, with very narrow jumps, tests the horse’s rideability early on in the course. Coffin (8) and Sunken Road (9) are situated in the middle of a driving obstacle—it can look like riding through the lumber cutting section of my favorite home improvement store.
The first water section is quite winding. The deep drop down from the embankment appears to be a cliff. Only experts can recognize the direct path as such.
One of the jumps, sponsored by the German Equestrian Foundation, has snails as its theme. One of the wooden slugs bears an autograph from Rüdiger Schwarz. I wonder if he ever gave someone a hard time right there? Some secrets will never be revealed.
Not only are there plenty of details to take in here—as is the case with virtually all jumps—but this spot also offers a real treat for the nose. The farmer has just spread fresh manure on the pasture next door.
The ground along the path—even though we obviously didn’t step on it—is a dream of green blades of grass, waiting on a springy yet sturdy surface for whatever lies ahead. Meanwhile, their neighbors to the left and right are withering, looking more brown than green.
Some of the horses that will be galloping past here on Saturday were already in action today. Libussa Lübbeke, riding Caramia—a mare bred by the family themselves—kicked things off. My colleague Dominique Wehrmann was thrilled to see how relaxed the mare was as the whole family gave her one last touch-up (and plenty of fly spray) before she entered the arena.
Who still remembers Tony Holiday? Want to dance the samba with me? And who knows the lyrics by heart? The first line? “You’re as hot as a volcano.” That’s how Malin Hansen-Hotopp felt playing Quidditch today. The Holsteiner may have danced with the grace of a samba dancer at times, but he can also pull off the worst kind of disco fox—aka the “knot dance.” “Like on a volcano.” Especially during yesterday’s gallop run. But that’s just how it goes sometimes. My personal music request for the cross-country course: Maybe Dschingis Khan? “Hey rider, ho rider, on and on…”
One more note on eventing horses: I hope Christoph Wahler and D’Accord don’t always go for the “chicken ways.” Why the concern? My thorough investigative research has revealed that the giant Hanoverian is involved with a chicken named Chiquitita. Read the full story here: The World Championship Horse That’s Got a Bird.
Final tips for everyone watching the Grand Prix Special today:
36 lessons + a final grade in harmony
Count toward the score with a factor of two: left and right trot traverses
Three piaffes
Strong and collected walk
Gallop pirouettes left and right
Maximum score per judge: 470
With that in mind—see you tomorrow!
Jan Tönjes
jan.toenjes@equi-pages.de
This is the EQUI PAGES newsletter—published daily from Aachen during the World Equestrian Games
This text was first published on August 13, 2026.
EQUI PAGES Newsletter: Just one click for your weekly update on Monday!
