A historic moment at the World Eventing Championships in Aachen: Michael Jung and Chipmunk did it. At 18 years old, the Hanoverian—bred by ZG Meyer-Kulenkamp—led Michael Jung to the world championship title.
“Michi” and “Chip” kept everyone on the edge of their seats. At the takeoff of the second double combination, 5b, and at the following oxer, 6, the gelding touched the poles. A murmur and groans rippled through the stadium. But all the poles stayed down: zero faults, 23.0 points from the dressage carried through to the finish—world champion! “I’m speechless,” Michael Jung said afterward: “It’s a dream to ride him.”
An Emotional Silver Medal for Germany
With that flawless round, it was official: The German team won silver at the World Eventing Championships in Aachen. The Germans scored 95.6 points, while the British scored 84.9. The German delegation couldn’t keep up with the British team, which had been reduced to a trio. And that trio was a force to be reckoned with: Rosalind Canter and Lordship’s Graffalo won individual silver (23.4), Laura Collet, riding London, took bronze (28.0) after a knockdown in the course, and Tom McEwen finished seventh (32.6) on Dublin, a son of Diarado.
Julia Krajewski was in tears—tears of joy. When she entered the holding box this morning, all she could think was, “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Once the silver medal was secured, she was completely overwhelmed by her emotions. “After Paris, the next goal was Aachen. Nickel’s owner, the professor (Prof. Dr. Bernd Heicke, Ed.), is already 90, and this was his dream—and something that really motivated him—for Nickel to compete here in Aachen at the home World Championships. When a goal like that is worked toward step by step—it doesn’t just happen on its own. No one here just decided to do this last week. And then you’re here, and you deliver, and a medal is within reach, and then the horse has won a silver medal—I just have to cry…” At that moment, the tears were already flowing.
Why is it so special with Nickel in particular? “Mandy was just a machine—she just delivers. But Nickel is such a buddy—it’s like when your best friend wins a medal.” Then, after a brief pause: “Apart from that, I just think it’s awesome how Michi sealed the deal. It really feels like a team medal—not just for four people, but for 50. And I think that’s why everyone’s so, so moved right now.”
Individual Silver for Rosalind Canter and Lordship’s Graffalo
Ros Canter of Great Britain, who won the individual silver medal, had watched videos of her victory at Badminton during her preparations. She did so simply to remind herself once again what an exceptional horse “Walter” is. The son of the Trakehner Grafenstolz—whom Michael Jung once rode in international competition—finished the World Championships in Aachen with a dressage score of 23.4 penalty points.
Bronze for the Olympic silver medalists
Laura Collet has been riding the Holsteiner—who was born on the island of Föhr—for ten years. The pair’s experience was evident. A seamless ride—until just before the end. Then, the silver medalist from the Paris Olympics approached the third-to-last oxer completely out of rhythm. But the knockdown didn’t change their ranking—28.0 penalty points, bronze medal in the individual competition.
The British Win Even with Just Three Riders
The British dominance in eventing is undeniable. Even the withdrawal of the fourth team rider, Gemma Stevens—whose horse, Flash Cooley, absolutely refused to jump the Coffin—did not jeopardize the team’s victory.
The Road to Silver
It was a strong team performance by Germany. Time and again, all four riders had emphasized that this was a team competition. Everyone fell in line with that. Their team spirit was rewarded with the silver medal.
Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Carlitos Quidditch K
When the rider from Holstein, who lives in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, entered the stadium, it was clear that a clear round was crucial for the team, because Julia Krajewski and Nickel had incurred a penalty for a knockdown. The rider from Holstein Quidditch He got off to a strong start, clearing jump three—a red-and-white oxer—with a huge leap. The double combinations were no problem either. But then things got really dicey for a moment. The gray horse came very close to a bush oxer (6). But when you get that close, you just have to jump higher—and that’s exactly what the Quiwi Dream son did. After that, all the poles stayed down; the pair just didn’t quite make the time. 33.0 penalty points, ninth place individually. Because the Swiss rider Melody Johner, riding the mare Erin, had two knockdowns afterward, the gap to the Swiss team—which was in third place at that point—had widened.
Julia Krajewski and Uelzener’s Nickel – one knockdown, 17th place
After a moment of panic that morning, when Nickel had been sent to the holding box, the pair galloped into the arena with full concentration. They moved with fluidity. The Holsteiner jumped with a nimble front leg. Aside from the turn before the entrance, where Nickel galloped through the turn in a cross-canter, everything looked confident. However, the distance from the triple bar (9) to the white-and-blue vertical jump with a narrow plank at the top was a bit too long—the hindquarters knocked the plank down. As a result, the pair—who had started the World Championships as the leaders in dressage—finished in 17th place with 39.6 penalty points.
Libussa Lübbeke and Caramia FRH
For Libussa Lübbeke and Caramia FRH, things started to go wrong right at the first jump. The Hanoverian mare lightly touched the obstacle with her hind legs—a “wake-up call.” Jump 5a, the vertical, also wobbled dangerously, and at oxer 11, the pair approached a bit too closely, resulting in a knockdown. But there had been other wobbles as well. This came as no surprise to the rider. “We know this isn’t her strongest discipline; we know her, and you just have to trust her to stay calm. She needs an incredible amount of mental support—a steady hand to guide her through the course—and we managed that pretty well today.” That’s why the World Championships are ending on a positive note. “You always like to have a clear round. But the horse has already achieved so much—more than we ever could have dreamed of. So from that perspective, everything, everything is great!”
Caramia FRH Family Project
With 61.1 penalty points and a 41st-place finish in the individual standings, the pair concluded their World Championship debut. In 2016, the mare—then six years old—competed in her first international event, a CCI1*, under Fritz-Ludwig Lübbeke, Libussa’s brother. After the 2019 European Championships for Rural Riders, Libussa took over the horse, which had been born into the family. She was 18 years old at the time. The World Eventing Championships in Aachen marked the 55th international competition for the Hanoverian mare. She has finished every cross-country ride. A statistic that few horses can boast. In 2022, the pair won the team silver medal in the Young Riders category; last year, they became European Champions with the German team in the Senior division. And now, team silver at the World Eventing Championships in Aachen!
16th place for Christoph Wahler and D’Accord FRH
Riding solo, Christoph Wahler finished fifth after the cross-country stage on D’Accord FRH, another son of Diarado. In the show jumping course, the pair then had two knockdowns and 1.2 time penalties. The audience felt for the stallion breeder from the Lüneburg Heath. 37.4 penalty points—16th place.
Bronze went to the U.S.
. The race for second place was close. The U.S. team, which was still in fifth place after the cross-country, benefited from several jumping errors by the Swiss team. In the end, William Coleman and Diabolo by Diarado finished in fourth place (30.0). Boyd Martin and Cooley Nutcracker—the horse that , before her accident, had placed 19th with Liz Halliday at the Paris Games—finished 13th (37.3), while Philipp Dutton and Denim (46.2/27) were the third-ranked rider in the competition.
The Irish followed in the next spots, ahead of Switzerland and New Zealand. These three teams, along with Sweden and Belgium, have qualified for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Seven teams secured their spots. Since the U.S. is an automatic qualifier as the host country, the Belgians were thrilled to have earned their ticket to L.A.
Clear Rounds
It took a long time before New Zealander Jonelle Price, riding the Holsteiner Senor Crocodillo by Connor, delivered the first clear round on the course. In the end, 13 pairs finished without faults. Five other pairs, including Malin Hansen-Hotopp, finished with time penalties.
