2026 World Championships in Aachen: Show Jumping World Championships—Follow the action in our live updates

12:23 a.m.

Phew, that took a while. But finally, all the teams had trickled in for the press conference—everyone soaked to the skin, but all “overjoyed,” “super proud of their horses,” and “incredibly grateful” to the audience and the organizers. Harry Charles: “As far as I’m concerned, we could hold every World Championship here.” The German world champions, the Belgian silver medalists, and the British bronze medalists received their final round of applause for the evening from the media representatives in the press conference room.

The organizer, represented by tournament director Birgit Rosenberg, even handed out a batch of towels before the press conference began so that the riders could at least dry off a little after getting thoroughly soaked by the rain on the podium at the Soers. In any case, there was no need for a “water ditch baptism.” The World Championship team was lucky, though. As Birgit Rosenberg revealed, they didn’t receive the go-ahead from the weather station to hold the competition until shortly before it was set to begin. Before that, meteorologists had issued severe weather warnings. You could hear the thunder, but the clouds passed right by the stadium.

Otherwise, the party atmosphere was in full swing. All the Germans unanimously praised the great team spirit throughout the week. A colleague wanted to know which song was playing from the motivational playlist. Otto Becker pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, held it up to the microphone, and the song that, according to Richard Vogel, “is always played in La Baule” began to play. The title? No one knew. But it was easy to clap along to. “I was the happiest rider to ride in today,” Richard Vogel beamed into the mic. And Otto Becker next to him: “You could tell—he had two time faults.” Laughter. The fact that those two time faults cost him dearly in the individual standings—who cares!

The only one who didn’t look quite as happy that evening was Scott Brash—wearing a Rolex cap at a Longines event. Coincidence or on purpose? His knockdown at the first jump cost the British team the silver medal and cost him the lead in the individual standings. What caused it? Brash suspects the dark brown color of the jump was to blame. In fact, the jump only started causing problems once it was already dark outside.

Tomorrow, the horses will take it easy, rest, and have their second vet check. They’ll unwind and recharge their energy for Sunday, when they’ll need to give it their all once again. And with that, good night…

10:46 p.m.

Germany won the team competition, ahead of Belgium and Great Britain. Here is the link to the other top-ranked teams. This means that, in addition to the three teams on the podium, Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, and France have secured direct Olympic qualification for the Games in Los Angeles.

And we’ve done it! Thanks for being a part of it!

But there’s more: For the first time in 16 years, a German team has won the gold medal at a World Show Jumping Championship. Otto Becker, as national team coach, played a key role in this achievement in 2010 as well.

At the awards ceremony—where it’s once again pouring down—the grooms and groomswomen are also honored. Just as they are at every event. And the horses? They took advantage of the German national anthem to nibble a bit of the sacred turf. Well deserved!

That’s it for today from the Soers.

10:34 p.m.

The crowd in the stadium is singing “Sweet Caroline”—or, more precisely, the “oh, oh, ohhh” part. Here’s a look at the standings ahead of Sunday’s individual competition:

1st place: Daniel Deußer/Otello de Guldenboom and Steve Guerdat (SUI)/Dynamix de Belheme – 0.86 penalty points

3rd place: Ben Maher (GBR)/Point Break – 1.01

4th place: Marcus Ehning/Coolio – 1.78

5th place: Sophie Hinners/Iron Dames Singclair – 1.84

6th place: Abdel Saïd (BEL)/Wathnan Quaker Brimbelles Z – 2.63

7th place: Piergorgio Bucci (ITA)/Hantano – 3.57

8th place: Roberto Teran Tafur (COL)/Dez’ Ooktoff – 3.58

9th place: Armando Trapote (ESP)/Tornado VS – 4.57

10th place: Scott Brash (GBR)/Hello Mango – 4.8

14th place: Richard Vogel/United Touch – 5.38

10:32 p.m. Richie Vogel with two time faults

This got lost in the excitement—and thanks to the really lousy internet connection—but Richard Vogel and United Touch had two time faults. With 5.38 points, they’re in 14th place. A clean, fault-free ride would have secured them seventh place.

10:28 p.m.

We’d love to share a few more quotes from the new team world champions, but TV stations are lining up to interview the magnificent quartet on camera. But what do you think they’ll say? They’ll be happy. And so was the weather god in heaven. During Richie’s ride, heavy rain was pouring down from the sky, but for the award ceremony—for which preparations are currently underway in the stadium—it’s dry again. The weather gods are on Germany’s side today, or maybe they’re equestrian fans—or both.

10:21 p.m. Richie Vogel and “U.T. the Alien” ZERO

What a final ride! Effortless, confident, yet still thrilling—Richard Vogel and United Touch fly across the course. It’s unbelievable how this stallion “cheers” into the air with his rhythmic hind leg—and that’s exactly what the audience, which had been sitting in almost reverent silence just moments before, does as well.

10:19 p.m. McLain Ward (USA) ZERO

It’s still possible! McLain Ward and High Star Hero complete a “clear round” for Team USA. The team finishes in fourth place.

10:16 p.m. Belgium wins the silver medal; bronze goes to Great Britain

Belgium is the runner-up in the World Show Jumping Championships; Abdel Said and Wathnan Quaker Brimbelles Z had a clear round. This finalizes the teams that made it onto the podium. Congratulations, Felicitation, Congratulations.

10:14 p.m.

What an incredibly exciting show jumping competition! For those following the interim results: Deußer and Guerdat are tied for first, Ben Maher (GBR) is third, Marcus Ehning is fourth ahead of Sophie Hinners. And Richie Vogel is still to ride.

10:09 p.m. Brash makes a mistake; Daniel Deußer and Steve Guerdat share the pole position

Even under the name “Chocolat Fence,” the first oxer brings no luck to the leader: Scott Brash and Hello Mango have a fault here. As a result, the Brit slips down in the rankings. And Daniel Deußer moves up: Together with Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat, he heads into Sunday’s final as the leader. Marcus Ehning has worked his way far up the standings.

10:05 p.m.

Julien Epaillard and Fringan de Vesquerie had won the speed jumping competition and thus the first round. Things didn’t go so well yesterday. Today, things were looking really good right up until the last three jumps. But then there were two knockdowns. The French pair hasn’t been riding together for very long. But they’re certainly a combination to keep an eye on in future competitions.

Things hadn’t been going well for Peder Fredricsson up to that point. With knockdowns and another ride through the double combination, the Swede won’t have the fondest memories of this World Championship.

10:00 p.m.

. Another knockdown at the Schoki oxer, the first jump. The magnificent gray Picobello, ridden by Switzerland’s Jason Smith, knocks the bar down. Still, the gray is a fascinating horse. Time penalties are added to the score in the end as well. Switzerland slips in the rankings.

9:53 p.m.

It’s a sea of flags. Beats are pounding from the speakers. The entire stadium is on its feet. Germany is the team world champion! Even the CEO of Pferdesport Deutschland, Dr. Dennis Peiler, is cheering. For the first time since 2010 in Kentucky, Germany has won the World Team Championship. And Richard Vogel hasn’t even ridden yet. But he still has to, because this second round of the Nations Cup also counts toward the individual standings. That’s why the individual riders at the top of the starting list were in the spotlight. And with that came the significant revelation: Daniel Deußer is in second place in the interim standings. Only Scott Brash is now ahead of him. And the Brit is up next.

9:51 p.m. WORLD CHAMPION!

Suddenly, the stadium falls completely silent as Daniel Deußer and Otello de Guldenboom clear the DHL high jump with ease. But other than that, the son of Tobago Z jumps fantastically! ZERO! WORLD CHAMPION!!!!!!!

9:49 p.m.

: Despite its chocolate-colored design, the first jump is hardly making the World Championships a pleasant experience for most riders. The oxer is also spoiling the fun for the U.S. team. Lilian Keenan and Fasther had a knockdown here, and later, they knocked down the second-to-last jump as well. This puts the U.S. out of medal contention for now.

9:47 p.m.

Thibaut Spits is killing it for Belgium. A perfect round that’s incredibly important for their chances of a podium finish.

9:45 p.m

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The youngest rider on Team GB posted the lowest score. Adrian Whiteway struggled on the final third of the course. But Scott Brash is still to come.

9:39 p.m.

Unfortunately, we were briefly offline, but here’s what happened. First off: no clear rounds. In the meantime, my colleague Dominique Wehrmann and our first EQUI PAGES intern have made their way through to Marcus Ehning. Here’s his take on the second half of the course:

“In the end, almost everything was already too good to be true. I thought, ‘Something’s bound to happen now,’ and then I made a little mistake there. But in the end, as I said, he (Coolio) is so in tune with me and so focused that even if you make a mistake as a rider, you can still pull it off.”

Cian Oo’Connor, the second Irish rider—after Darragh Kenny had withdrawn his horse—met his fate at the last oxer.

Switzerland is hit even harder: two penalties for Gaetan Joliat

Antoine Ermann of France is unable to complete the a and b elements of the triple combination without making a mistake.

9:14 p.m. Sophie Hinners, one time fault

Sophie Hinners had already paced the first distance perfectly: nine strides to the second jump. She sat back a bit at first, then cleared the colorful planks with perfect distance. The gelding simply jumps a class above the many world-class horses we’ve seen so far. Once, Hinners briefly holds him back with her hand just before the takeoff of the double combination. The audience holds its breath. Singclair continues to jump with confidence. All the way to the finish. But: a time penalty! This puts Germany ahead of the U.S. and Great Britain in the team standings after two rounds. A clear round, and it’s all over.

9:08 p.

m.

American rider Katherine A. Dinan pushes as hard as her legs will allow. But the momentum in the triple combination just isn’t enough, no matter how hard *Out of the Blue* tries. She misjudges the distance to the water jump. The American rider gives up, making this her disqualified result.

9:04 p.m.

Belgian rider Pieter Devos is riding a horse he bred himself in this final of the World Team Show Jumping Championships. Casual, a daughter of Cornet Obolensky, had a knockdown at the second jump. As a result, the Belgians continue to slip down the standings.

8:58 p.m. Harry Charles (GB) ZERO

Even though things hadn’t gone so well for Harry Charles so far, his gray mare Holst Freda by Colman impressively demonstrated her flying skills today. Great news for the Olympic team champion. Just a little too late for the British World Championship team, though. But this ride was a real treat to watch.

Olivier Perreau and Dorai d’Aguilly had previously ridden for France in a round marked by “beaucoup de Klapperei.” They then knocked down a bar at the Sparkassen oxer (12).

8:53 p.m.

Defending champion Henrik von Eckermann and Minute Man put on a superb ride, both rider and horse showing great style. Unfortunately, the double combination has to be cut from this potential instructional video: they knocked down the obstacles on both jumps.

8:50 p

.m.

Swiss rider Martin Fuchs and Connor Jei had gotten off to a rough start in the World Championships’ speed jumping competition. Today, however, the son of Connor showed his true class—right up to the Longines oxer (9). There, the bay horse landed with his hind leg on the rear rail.

8:40 p.m. – UNBELIEVABLE! MARCUS EHNING ZERO!!!

Marcus Ehning and Coolio kept us on the edge of our seats. Before the water jump, the rhythm wasn’t quite steady; at the double combination, the Holsteiner almost followed Ehning’s motto that a good horse is allowed to touch the fence once in a while. But only almost. After the hairpin turn, Ehning rode the gelding quite close to the vertical jump. The entire stadium held its breath. And then—with the precision of a seven-time World Championship participant—the pair crossed the finish line 24 hundredths of a second faster than the allowed time. (Germany is now just two “cleans” away from the World Championship title.)

8:37 p.m. Fault for Team USA

On the second jump of the triple combination, 3b—and thus early in the course—Laura Kraut and Baloutinue knocked down a pole. This means the U.S. now needs three clear rounds.

8:34 p.m.

Bad luck for the Belgians; on the third-to-last jump, the Sparkassen oxer, Nicola Phillipaerts and Katanga v/h Dingeshof knocked down a rail. But it fits the sponsor. They could have done without that mistake.

8:27 p.m. Ben Maher (GB) CLEAR!

Ben Maher and Point Break—what a round. This horse seems to have a “jump 30 centimeters higher” button built into both flanks. A light leg pressure, and the Action Breaker son soars upward without losing any of his base speed.

France had to accept a disqualification for Nina Mallevaey. Meanwhile, the Swedish team also suffered a setback. Because things went awry after a refusal at the wall—the Elisenbrunnen—Petronella Andersson withdrew,

8:22 p.m. Steve Guerdat (SUI) ZERO!

Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat had to really push hard on the triple combination, but his horse, Dynamix de Belheme, simply soared a level higher. The entry into the double combination—the triple bar—was also a massive leap. The pair effortlessly completed the rest of the course—zero faults. This leaves the Swiss rider with 0.86 points, in third place—the same score as Daniel Deußer.

8:19 p.m.

Danish rider Zascha Nygaard and the chestnut horse Drako de Maugre—on whom Patrick Stühlmeyer won the German Championship—decided not to finish the course after several significant errors.

8:14 p.m.

Starting order in reverse order of results: Ten teams are competing in this second round. Germany is in the lead, so they’ll start in tenth place. Marcus Ehning will be the first to compete.

8:09 p.m.

Irish rider Darragh Kenny has withdrawn his gray horse, Eddie Blue. Although the horse is “happy and in good spirits,” during this morning’s training session, the gray “didn’t feel 100 percent like usual.” This means the Irish team will definitely have to deliver, because the three remaining riders can’t count on a discard if things don’t go well.

7:59 p.m.

Now there’s a break until 8:15 p.m. So it’s time to take a close look at the COURSE. I walked the course—it’s not just high, it’s really high.

For those just joining us: Below, we have a commentary by Ludger Beerbaum (at 6:14 p.m.)

7:53 p.m. Interim update following the individual events at the World Show Jumping Championships in Aachen, where the team competition is being decided

All the

individual riders

have now competed. In the meantime, there has been some threatening thunder. It’s also raining a little again.

28 pairs made the course look challenging but not insurmountable. There were five “true” clear rounds that finished within the time limit. In addition, two riders crossed the finish line with time penalties. Probability, applied mathematics: 25 percent. A good ratio.

7:38 p.m. CLEAR ROUND with an 18-year-old horse

:

Roberto Teran Tafur from Colombia and Dez’ Ooktoff’ deliver the next clear round. The noble KWPN stallion, a son of Colandro, is 18 years old.

7:27 p.m. ALL OBSTACLES ON THE COURSE WITH HEIGHTS

While potato chip bags rustle in living rooms across Germany, my colleague Dominique Wehrmann has presented the course in detail. Here’s the link. Tip: Just open it on your spare phone, and you’ll always know what’s going on.

7:25 p.m.

No “Tornado” from the sky (gray clouds, no rain), but a compact brown whirlwind flying the Spanish flag that manages to cross the finish line within the time limit without any errors. Amandao Trapote and his “Tornado” are celebrated in style. However, the two do not win the style award.

7:21 p.m.

Things just aren’t going well for the Netherlands at this World Championship in Aachen. After Gerve and Grandorado were eliminated early in the course—because the experienced bay simply wouldn’t go any further—Harrie Smolders and Mr. Tac can also pack their bags tonight. Two knockdowns. But the most bitter part is this: The Dutch team—as was already clear yesterday—hasn’t yet qualified for the Olympic Games. Next opportunity: the 2027 European Championships in Waregem, Belgium.

7:10 p.m. – 23 years

old

, zero, and fast!

Omar Abdul Azir al Marzooki and Enjoy de la Mure—now that was a run. The rider from the United Arab Emirates is 23 years old. And he delivers a fantastic run, finishing more than four seconds under the allowed time. The horse is galloping at a high cadence. That’s how you cover ground.

7:04 p.m.

Back in the weather studio: It’s just drizzling a little now. We’ve seen some great rides, even without any falls. But the 87-second time limit is a problem.

6:55 p.m.

Unfortunately, the Aachen World Cup Weather Studio has to check in briefly: No more thunder, no more lightning. But rain. Not bad, but steady. Hopefully the ground will soak up the water as well as it has in recent days

6:49 p.m.

The horses have to jump a lot. But the ones that made it to the World Championships are up to the task. Time is running out. That’s what will decide the outcome. The top teams are neck and neck. Every tenth of a penalty point can affect the standings.

6:42 p.m.

Just a reminder: Germany is in the lead. Three clear rounds and “we” are world champions.

Germany has 3.48 penalty points, followed by the U.S. with 4.85 and then Beige (7.69).

6:40 p.m.

A quick weather update: It’s rumbling and thundering, and we’ve already seen the first flash of lightning. Hopefully the weather holds up. In any case, the court is in good condition, says David Will, who is here as a supporter of Sophie Hinners and Richard Vogel—and also as the national coach of Saudi Arabia.

6:37 p.m.

The individual riders are the first to compete. The rider from Saudi Arabia galloped through the water jump. After that, there isn’t much left. It’s all over before the double jump.

6:35 p.m.

, second rider, first “clear round”: Brazilian Stephan de Freitas Barcha manages to complete the course within the time limit. Riding Chevaux Primavera Imperio Egipcio, he’s in good position with 6.35 penalty points—let’s see if that’s ultimately enough to advance to the final of the top 25. On Sunday, the A Final will take place first, followed by the B Final with an even smaller field of competitors.

6:30 p.m. – It’s underway

The first rider, Carlos Hank Guerreiro riding H5 Shaq Attack, completes the course without knocking down any obstacles. However, the pair fails to finish within the time limit. Ludger Beerbaum had predicted this as well: Unlike in the other jumping competitions, the seconds will matter.

6:22 p.m.

Here’s a quick overview of the course:

• 580 meters long


• 87 seconds allowed


• 14 obstacles with


• 17 jumps


• one double and one triple combination


• an open water ditch

6:19 p.m.

We also managed to get a half-set from Sophie Hinners, who is currently in second place in the individual standings:

Significantly harder than in the first round, with quite a few jumps and very technical.

6:16 p.m.

The deciding factor will be who has the most energy left and who has paced themselves well throughout the tournament so far.

Ludger Beerbaum

6:14 p.m.

Ludger Beerbaum says this is one of the most difficult courses he has ever seen in Aachen, “and I’ve ridden quite a few here.” His impression: There’s far too much jumping. “It starts right from the first jump—there’s just too much jumping right from the start.”

Taking all the key data into account—the horses are competing in their third jumping event—this course is 40 percent more difficult than the two previous ones.

He sees a few tricky spots. And, of course, some obstacles are set at their maximum height. For example, the 1.65-meter-high Allianz steep jump (3). While the distances were fairly clear in the previous rounds, this course features several half-distances where riders must decide between seven and eight, or eight and nine gallop strides.

6:04 p.m.

The floodlights are on, and the course walk is complete. We’re ready to go. But we still have just under half an hour to go.