2026 Oldenburg State Championships and Elite Mare Show in Höve: Schedule and Rules
Oldenburg Championships: Höven Instead of Rastede – Let’s Talk About Six
from Jan Tönjes 
2026 Oldenburg Championships and Elite Mare Show: Höven instead of Rastede. Photo: OLD Art
The event kicks off in Höven, located south of Oldenburg, on Tuesday, June 30. This day will be entirely dedicated to show jumpers and ponies. On Wednesday, course-jumping skills will also be put to the test in show jumping classes from A through M.
Oldenburg Dressage Horses in Höven Starting Thursday
Starting Thursday, July 2, the focus will shift to the dressage horses. In the age groups for five-, six-, seven-, and eight-year-olds (OLD Masters Qualifier), the Oldenburg horses will have to prove their talent, including in qualifiers on Friday, July 3. Following changes to the schedule of the Bundeschampionat, the Oldenburg Association has also decided to modify its qualifying test for three- and four-year-olds. In line with the requirements in Warendorf, the three-year-olds will only have to compete in a single test. This will take place on Sunday.
Two Ways for Four-Year-Olds to Qualify
The new regulations also apply to four-year-olds, just as they will be applied in Warendorf. Qualification for mares and geldings, on the one hand, and for stallions in a separate class, on the other, takes place in riding horse classes. Alternatively, a horse can also secure a spot in the final (on Sunday, Class A dressage test) through successful performances in Class A dressage tests, which are also separated by gender.
This final is scheduled for Sunday. The qualifiers will take place on Thursday and Friday. Not only the Oldenburg horses but also the dressage ponies from Weser-Ems will be selected in accordance with the new requirements for the National Championships. Show jumpers will take center stage once again on Friday as the program continues. That’s when the Youngster Tour final—an S-level show jumping competition with a jump-off—is scheduled to take place. It’s set to be held on Friday evening. And afterward, there will be a party, the Night of Champions, featuring “DJ Meet Sax” as the theme.
Oldenburg Elite Mare Show in Höven
Saturday is the day reserved primarily for unridden horses, or those that were presented in Höven only in hand. Every Oldenburg mare scheduled to participate in the Elite Mare Show must have previously completed a mare performance test. The results are factored into the judges’ decision.
Starting at 2:00 p.m., the Elite Mare Show organized by the Oldenburg Horse Breeders’ Association and the Oldenburg International Show Jumping Breeders’ Association will take place. As is traditional at Rasteder Schlosspark, there will be the “Brillantringe,” from which the winning mares will then be selected. Following that, the blue-and-red winner’s sashes will be awarded to the six-year-old show jumpers. The four-year-olds (10:15 a.m.) and five-year-olds (11:45 a.m.) will compete on Saturday morning.
And even the youngest are represented in Höven: On Saturday evening, there will be an elite foal auction, followed by another party.
Sunday—Oldenburg Champions Day in Höven
There will be plenty of champions on Sunday. The state champions among the three-, four-, five-, and six-year-old Oldenburg dressage horses, as well as the champions among the three- and four-year-old dressage ponies from the Weser-Ems Horse Stud Book, will be determined.
Information about the Oldenburg Championships
Höven Riding Club in the municipality of Wardenburg: https://maps.app.goo.gl/SWps9gbidCn6fpRN9
Results/Schedule for the Oldenburg State Championships and Elite Mare Show
