CCI4*-S Luhmühlen, DM 2026: Julia Krajewski in first and third place; Malin Hotopp-Hansen, with broken ribs, finishes second. CCI5*-L: Britain’s Emily King leads
Julia Krajweski in first and third place after dressage in Luhmühlen; Malin Hansen Hotopp, with three broken ribs, finishes second
from Jan Tönjes 
Julia Krajewski and Nickel delivered one of their best dressage performances to date in Luhmühlen and will head into the cross-country course at the 2026 German Championships as the overnight leaders. Photo: sportfotos-lafrentz.de From the very moment they stepped into the dressage arena in Luhmühlen, Nickel and Julia Krajewski left no doubt about their intentions: The Holsteiner looked around once—“I know this place,” he must have thought, says Julia Krajewski. Then they got started: The horse in beautiful, balanced posture. The withers were the highest point, with a line of tension running from the active hind leg all the way to the horse’s mouth. Just as it should look. While 22.9 penalty points aren’t yet the pair’s best result, Krajewski notes that they’re not expected to reach peak form for another eight weeks. That’s when the World Championships will take place in Aachen. If the Olympic champion—assuming, of course, she’s nominated—manages to ride the bay horse just as well, that would be a major asset for the German team.
Worked on the warm-up
In the absence of national team coach Peter Thomsen, who had been in an accident, the team spirit seemed even stronger—that was the impression one got while watching the warm-up and the competition. Everyone was looking to see if they could help out. In the case of Krajewski and Nickel, the warm-up was carefully controlled, with the neck positioned at varying depths. “He just can’t do 20 minutes of Pi and Pa.” He doesn’t have to, but many a Pi/Pa athlete could take a page from his book when it comes to the flying changes and the confidently bent and positioned half-passes. A big one!
A Top Round with Broken Ribs: Malin Hansen-Hotopp
Malin Hansen-Hotopp, who had traveled from Vorpommern, showed her gray horse in impressive form. During the welcome applause, her horse Quidditch did a little happy hop, but then he delivered. With 27.0 penalty points, she had taken the lead at that point. “In the past, I would have had to calm him down after a jump like that. Today, he’s fully focused right after it. And then it’s straight forward.”
Julia Krajewski had already taken the lead in the first half yesterday with the Irish horse Tullabeg Platinum. With 27.2 penalty points, the pair placed third after the dressage. Belgian rider Lara de Liederkerke-Meier, riding Kiarado d’Arville, nearly challenged her for a spot on the podium: the judges awarded 27.3 penalty points, though they did not always agree on their assessments of the performance.
Three more German pairs are in 10th, 11th, and 13th place. Libussa Lübbecke and Darcy earned 31.5 penalty points for a performance marked by impressive composure, though one might have wished for a bit more energy in the canter. Vanessa Bölting came in eleventh with Ready to Go (31.8). Arne Bergendahl placed 13th (32.2) with Bronco—a son of Luthien NRW, a Badminton finalist—who is supported by the Road2LA initiative.
The other combinations are very close in terms of points. As everyone is saying, time is likely to be the deciding factor in Saturday’s cross-country race.
Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Quidditch are in second place after the dressage at the 2026 German Championships in Luhmühlen. Photo: sportfotos-lafrentz.de
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Interim Results After the Dressage at the CCI4*-S in Luhmühlen
- Julia Krajewski/Nickel 22.9
- Malin Hansen-Hotopp/Quidditch 27.0
- Julia Krajewski/Tullabeg Platinum 27.2
- Lara de Liederkerke-Meier (BEL)/Kiarado d’Arville 27.3
- Samantha Lissington (NZL)/Lucas Stoine 28.8
Interim Results: CCI4*-S German Championship, Luhmühlen 2026
CCI5*-L – Dressage Winner: Emily King Valmy Biats
Heike Jahncke and Mighty Spring FRH make their five-star debut in Luhmühlen. Photo: sportfotos-lafrentz.de
In the depleted field of the CCI5*-L, the experienced British pair of Emily King and Valmy Biats are the overnight leaders (27.0). In second place is Hallie Coon of the United States riding Kapriccio (27.8). New Zealander James Avery and Dallas are in third place (29.6). The British rider was pleased: “We know each other inside and out and are perfectly in sync. He responded beautifully to my aids, and we worked together exceptionally well. He stayed with me the whole time and was superbly balanced.”
Her assessment of the cross-country course is clear: “It’s a beautiful course with many obstacles and some challenging combinations. The difficulties are spread out across the entire course, and each obstacle requires full concentration.”
There are two German five-star debuts in Luhmühlen this year. Local favorite Katharina Meyer and Aspen T are 19th. Heike Jahncke and Mighty Spring FRH are 15th. The CCI5*-L cross-country course begins on Saturday at 10 a.m.
Preliminary Results: CCI5*-L Luhmühlen 2026
