The Live Ticker
12/16/
Rodolphe Scherer, cross-country coach and interim coach for Peter Thomsen—who is still in rehab following his riding accident—draws his own conclusions. “No one will have tears in their eyes tonight, and that’s good for the coach. Team Germany didn’t lose a single rider; everyone did a great job—that’s a very satisfying feeling for the coach. Peter called me. And I said, ‘Everything’s fine.’ He said, ‘Yeah, you guys are good, but only second…’”
3:59
p.m.
Sorry! With all the excitement, even the internet went down. Here are the latest updates for everyone who didn’t have the pleasure of watching the event at the Soers today (though it feels like there couldn’t have been many people who missed it, because the cross-country course has never been this crowded!):
Rosalind Canter and Lordships Graffalo were lightning fast: six seconds under the record time. With that performance, they moved into second place behind Michael Jung and extended the British team’s lead over Germany.
At the Tückisch Airlines Complex, Vittoria Panizzon fell into the course designer’s trap—she was eliminated due to a “missed jump.”
15:43
Lara de Liederkerke-Meier and Kiarado d’Arville (we’ll count again to see how many of Diarado’s offspring were on the course today!) were the last Belgian pair to cross the finish line. They didn’t always take the most direct route and accepted a few time penalties in order to avoid any jumping faults.
Vittoria Panizzon is currently struggling with the complicated course layout at Obstacle 9—actually the Turkish Airlines Complex, though you could just as easily call it the Treacherous Airlines Complex.
3:40
p.m.
: The final pair is out on the course—Vittoria Panizzon of Italy riding DHI Jackpot. Sanne de Jong (NED) and Enjoy finished safely but looked a bit tired at the finish, while Lordships Graffalo didn’t put a foot wrong on the course and proved that he’s not one of the world’s best eventing horses for nothing.
3:36
p.m.
It’s crunch time. Ros Canter and Lordships’ Graffalo, the record-holding Badminton champions, have set off.
3:30 p.m.
MICHI JUNG AND CHIPMUNK CROSS THE FINISH LINE FIVE SECONDS SHORTER THAN THE BEST TIME, WITHOUT ANY MISTAKES, AND TAKE THE LEAD!!!
15:26
Felix Vogg and Frieda delivered a strong performance for Switzerland. The 13-year-old Holsteiner, a daughter of Casalito, incurred only 5.2 time penalty points.
Michael Jung and Chipmunk continued at full speed and without any problems, except for a brief scare at the entry to the Coffin, where the 18-year-old son of Contendro stumbled. But nothing happened!
15:18
The last pair representing France has crossed the finish line: Nicolas Touzaint and his 13-year-old Selle Français gray, Diabolo Menthe. A minor blemish on their round: At the SAP complex (jump 24), they had a MIM on the final element. That means eleven fence faults for them and the team.
Currently on the road: Michael Jung and Chipmunk.
3:15
p.m.
: The last Irish team rider has crossed the finish line—Padraigh McCarthy. Just 7.6 time penalties for the 10-year-old Irish Zavall son, MGH Zabaione.
12/15/
The last pair representing France is on the course: Nicolas Touzaint and Diabolo Menthe. With many time faults, but very satisfied at the finish: Brazil’s Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Royal Encounter.
July 15,
Australia’s living legend Andrew Hoy has crossed the finish line—and fast! He and his wonderful Selle Français gelding, Vassily de Lassos, had just 4.8 time penalties. Hoy’s wife, Steffi, is in tears as she leads the 17-year-old son of Jaguar Mail at a walk to the grooming station. Andrew Hoy gestures to the spectators to indicate that the applause isn’t for him, but for the chestnut horse that carried him to silver and bronze at the 2021 Olympics. Is this his last championship? Probably.
3:00 p
.m.
Aachen is his home turf! A near-perfect performance by U.S. rider Will Coleman—the 2021 Aachen champion—on his Diarado son, Diabolo. Here, too, a flag that was taken down is still being examined.
2:57
p.m.
While the ride has just begun for 67-year-old (!) Andrew Hoy and Vassily des Lassos, that of Japan’s Toshiyuki Tanaka and Jefferson came to an end at obstacle 11 with an involuntary dip in the water. But all’s well!
14:50
Tim Price and Falco have crossed the finish line. Their time: 10:11 minutes; there’s still a question mark at jump 27, where the two took a flag.
14:49
Christoph Wahler – how was his ride? “Unbelievable! I’ve had good days here in Aachen before, and not-so-good ones too, and this was definitely the best. The horse performed INCREDIBLY. I was actually thinking the whole time, ‘Man, this is really going well—stay focused, keep it all together, don’t let him go too hard.’ Because, as I think you could see, he was still so fresh at the end—he just wanted to keep going so badly.”
There was a close call when, on their way to the last water station, the next competitor came toward them. “All of a sudden, he lost his focus, and I let myself get a little distracted by that, too. Then we had a bad entry, and I barely managed to make it to the cutout. That annoyed me because it didn’t really do justice to the rest of the course.”
14:43
Tamie Smith can thank Andreas Dibowski again later for the excellent training her horse Lillet has received. The mare finished her first championship course with 8 time penalty points—though she also received two question marks for knocking down flags at the final combination.
The last Kiwi team—Tim Price and Falco—is now on the road as well.
14:39
Astier Nicolas and Alertamalib’Or also had a MEGA round with just 0.8 time penalties, moving them up from 23rd to 5th place.
14:35
SENSATIONAL! Christoph Wahler and D’Accord crossed the finish line nine seconds under (!) the allowed time and are currently in third place.
14:33
: Tamie Smith (USA) and the Holsteiner mare Lillet by Livello, a familiar face to Germany’s coach Andreas Dibowski. He rode the mare to the title at the Bundeschampionat when she was six years old and presented her twice at the World Championships for Young Eventing Horses.
2:30
p.m.
. Now things are happening one after another. Nicolas Astier and Alertamalib’Or are on the course for France—the men’s doubles pair.
14:27
A dream run by Caroline Harris and D.Day, who cross the finish line in 9:53 and are greeted by their enthusiastic team.
14:25
The next singles pair has taken the court—this time representing Germany: Christoph Wahler and his partner D’Accord.
2:22
p.m.
: The British five-star champions from Luhmühlen have taken to the course. Next up are Caroline Harris and D.Day, who are competing as a single pair with no pressure—just as Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir did in 2022, when they became world champions.
September 14,
Julia Krajewski after her ride: “I’m just so proud of Nickel—once again. He’s just so honest. It always looks so easy, but it’s not quite that easy. The course is very, very challenging. He handled it very, very honestly once again.”
On the timing: “The time errors—yes, I’m a little disappointed. But not with the horse, rather with the result. He’s just not a speedster. He’s not the fastest racehorse, and he has a hard time making up time anywhere. I tried to ride as consistently as possible to save some energy for the final meters, because we’ve seen that a lot can still happen there.”
There was one instance where she didn’t quite take the direct route—at obstacle 9. “We’d said at 9 AB to take the slightly longer route, so that’s what I did.” One reason for this was that, after the first few pairs, it became clear that the horses didn’t immediately understand the task on the direct line.
June 14,
Laura Collett and London nearly pulled off a perfect run for the British team! Finishing just four seconds over the time limit, they took the lead in the individual standings and kept the British team at the top.
March 14,
Karen Donckers’ 15-year-old Vigo D’Arsouilles son, Leipheimer van’t Verahof, powered through the cross-country course like a little bulldozer and secured a clear round for Belgium.
13:57
Laura Collett and London have started. After the dressage, the British European champions were in second place behind Nickel and Krajewski. Their time penalties have now paved the way for her to win another title—not to mention that her result is crucial for the team following Gemma Stevens’ withdrawal.
13:54
Olympic champion Hinrich Romeike had predicted this spring that his Swedish daughter-in-law, Louise Romeike, would become the 2026 world champion riding the Holsteiner gray Caspian. Their cross-country round was indeed world-class. The 12-year-old son of Crumble crossed the finish line with just 2.8 time penalties—though there was some uncertainty at the penultimate obstacle as to whether there might have been a flag fault after all. Currently, they have 9 penalty points here.
13:51
, Julia Krajewski, and Nickel finish with a clear round. Cross-country riding can be so beautiful! They cleared every single obstacle in perfect style, though they did pick up a few time penalties. With 35.6 penalty points, they’re now in ninth place—but it’s a solid result for Team Germany, their third so far.
1:47
p.m.
Julia Krajewski and Nickel continue to take the ideal line at every obstacle. How amazing can a ride actually be?! They’re carried along by the spectators’ applause.
1:42
p
.
m.
A really strong round by Alexis Goury and Zaragoza! They crossed the finish line with just 1.3 time penalty points. Tom McEwen’s alleged flag error has since been rescinded.
Julia Krajewski and Nickel made it to the jump without any problems, taking the direct route all the way.
1:41
p.m.
Julia Krajewski and Nickel are on their way; the Soers is buzzing with excitement as the crowd cheers on the 2024 German champions and Aachen winners. Nickel’s ears are pricked up.
13:38
: Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue have safely crossed the finish line. 10:10 minutes; currently in eighth place with 37 penalty points.
1:33
p.m.
Things are getting exciting for France! Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza are on the course.
1:28 p.m.
The top Irish pair has started: Austin O’Connor and the magnificent Jaguar Mail son Colorado Blue. After the U30 dressage, they were in 14th place. The Irish are in fourth place, within striking distance of a medal.
1:25
p.
m.
Bad luck for Australian rider Oliver Barrett and his ten-year-old, home-bred Sandhills Brian! At obstacle 17, the Longines Challenge—otherwise known as the Normandie Bank—the horse failed to clear element C. This resulted in a stumble and, subsequently, Barrett’s fall. But here, too, both rider and horse are safe and sound. Barrett led his gelding home himself.
13:20
Boyd Martin and Cooley Nutcracker also crossed the finish line safely, with 6.4 time penalty points and a question mark remaining on Jump 9A due to a flag error that is still under discussion. In any case, this is an important result for the U.S., which—following the withdrawals of Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake—now has two pairs in the finish: in addition to Martin and Nutcracker, there’s also Philipp Dutton and Denim, who were among the first pairs on the course today. After the dressage, the U.S. was in fifth place.
1:15
p.m.
‘s Monica Spencer and Artist cross the finish line after a superb round (10.2 minutes) and are currently fifth in the individual standings. This means New Zealand now has two pairs in the competition, and everything hinges on the final rider, Tim Price, who takes to the course at 2:43 p.m. New Zealand is currently in eleventh place.
August 13,
Boyd Martin takes to the course with Cooley Nutcracker, the horse on which the late Liz Halliday had represented the U.S. at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and which she—now that she is transitioning to para-equestrian sports—is making available to her longtime teammate. Riding him, the Tolan R son has already placed third in Pau and eleventh in Kentucky.
March 13,
: Alex Hua Tian and Chicko crossed the finish line safely in 10:02 minutes. There are still questions about jump 13D.
1:00
p.m.
Monica Spencer and her galloping machine, Artist, were the third pair to take to the track representing New Zealand. It’s a shame, really, that there’s no longer a racetrack. This thoroughbred would have been a sight to behold there.
12:57
: Alex Hua Tian and Chicko were riding in perfect form until obstacle 13, where they unfortunately hit the corner in the water and knocked the flag down completely. But they carried on from there and, among other things, handled the Longines Challenge superbly.
12:48
: Samantha Lissington and Lucas Stone, representing New Zealand in the individual eventing competition, crossed the finish line with several time penalties but no penalty points for obstacles. The rider said she deliberately took the longer route in many places. Her goal with her young (10-year-old) horse, Lucas Stone, is the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Denmark’s Peter T. Flarup, riding H. Carald Z, had already failed to clear the third obstacle on the long course at Obstacle 5. At Obstacle 9B, Flarup fell from the saddle and remained on the ground for a moment. But that was likely just the shock of it. Shortly afterward, he was back on his feet and struggling to free himself from his deployed airbag vest.
12.31
Tom McEwen says the course is less a matter of physical fitness than of mental fitness. However, after the first team rider, Gemma Stevens, had to withdraw, they didn’t change the team order. Nevertheless, he rode a safe round. He didn’t always go all out and made sure that “Dubs” still had enough gas in the tank to make it to the end. The last combination, in particular, just before the finish, was quite surprising and required his full concentration once again. “Normally, you expect another table or a brush toward the end.”
12:27
Malin Hansen-Hotopp says this round was for her friend Sefi (Josefa Sommer) and her family. And as for the rest: “It was sensational! This horse is just… a rocket! My team just said, ‘Remember, you’re riding the best horse in the world. Stick to your plan.’ All I can say is: They’re right! I have the best horse in the world.”
About the course: “I usually walk the course alone the last time. But this time I told Rodolphe (Scherrer) to come along, because all those numbers and letters were a bit much for my old brain, and I said, ‘Rodolphe, come with me—I want to explain this out loud.’”
On the team order: “I tried to ride fast but safely. At turn 9, we decided right from the start—since so many riders had taken a bad line there—that we’d take the longer route, and I think that paid off.”
12:02
: Tom McEwen and JL Dublin crossed the finish line in 9:55 minutes. They also knocked down the flag at jump 27A. A question mark currently appears there. McEwen taps the Holsteiner son of Diarado on the right shoulder with his whip to keep him on the line.
January 12,
Tom McEwen and JL Dublin are taking the long route around the SAP complex to avoid risking another failure, but they’re doing great.
11:55
a.m.
Dutch rider Sterre van Houte fell from his Crossboarder Radar Love at Jump 25, the narrow triple barre behind the DHL water jump. The gelding had gotten caught on the obstacle. The MIM system prevented the horse from falling as well. Both are doing fine.
In light of the wildfire in Hürtgenwald, about 20 kilometers away, there are repeated announcements reminding spectators in the area that they are not allowed to smoke or throw away glass bottles.
11:53
a.m.
Malin Hansen-Hotopp’s question marks have disappeared. With 31.8 penalty points, they are in second place in the individual standings and have posted a flawless performance for the team.
Tom McEwen and JL Dublin were the second pair to compete for the British team.
11:46
a.m.
‘s Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Quidditch crossed the finish line with an excellent time of 9:58 minutes. There are still some questions regarding obstacle 27A due to a “missed flag”—the gray horse knocked the flag over.
11:45
a.m.
Malin and Quidditch, with a little luck, at the SAP complex. It goes perfectly, but the gray horse slips briefly in the turn before the second corner; however, it manages to stay on its feet and clear the jump without any trouble.
11:42
a.
Swiss rider Melody Johner and the magnificent Spanish gray Erin are the second pair to cross the finish line within the time limit.
11:40
a.m.
. After 10:06 minutes, Alexis Goury and Je’Vall have crossed the finish line for France. An important result for the team and the new lead in the individual standings.
Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Quidditch made it safely across the Coffin.
11:34
a.m.
‘s Aoife Clark crossed the finish line in a lightning-fast 9:53, but there are still questions surrounding obstacle 27A, the Mercedes-Benz complex, where she knocked over the flag on her first jump.
Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Quidditch K are the second pair to take the course for Germany. Keep your fingers crossed!
11:30
a.m.
The second French team is on the course: Alexis Goury and Je’Vall. They need to finish if the team wants to hold onto its bronze medal position after Benjamin Massie was eliminated.
11:24
a.m.
, riding Aoife Clarke, and Full Monty are the second pair from the Irish team—which is currently in fourth place after the dressage—to take to the course. The first team rider, Ian Cassels, and Millridge Atlantis have already crossed the finish line without any jumping faults.
Sam Woods, the 28-year-old making his Championship debut for Australia, fell at obstacle 27—the second-to-last obstacle—on the B course. The horse didn’t clear the jump and had no chance to recover. Woods is fine.
11:13
a.m.
: US team rider Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake had a fall at obstacle 17, the Normandie Bank. Prior to that, she had already had two obstacles marked with question marks due to missed flags. The rider is fine, and her horse is happily and healthily exploring the course on his own.
11:10
a.m.
: Jonelle Price and Senor Crocodillo refused the B element of the penultimate obstacle, the Mercedes-Benz Complex. The gray horse veered away over her right shoulder before the two diagonally offset hedges. What a disappointment for the Kiwis!
July 11,
: Jonelle Price and Senor Crocodillo are back on the course. The gray horse looks as if he never took a break. The two picnic tables are a great way to get back into the swing of things.
11:00
a.m.
Jonelle Price and Senor Crocodillo had to be stopped at the Farm Yard (jump 20) because a rider ahead of them triggered a MIM at another jump. A brief forced break.
10:55
a.m.
Jonelle Price and Senor Crocodillo are on the course representing New Zealand. They have to finish, since Clarke Johnstone and Rocket Man have already been eliminated.
Belgium’s individual rider Maarten Boon and Gravin van Santos fell at the DHL Water (Obstacle 25A), but both are fine.
10:47
a.
Swiss individual rider Angelika Dubach has crossed the finish line on Felix de Chignon, but has penalty points on her score for triggering two MIMs.
10:43
A sensation from Thailand: Korntawat Safran and the 14-year-old French horse Carouzo Bois Marotin, a son of Kannan, crossed the finish line with just 1.2 time penalty points.
10:32
a.m.
Libussa Lübbeke’s take on the course: “That was really fun. But the course is very intense—you don’t have a second to catch your breath or think. You have to stay focused from start to finish.”
On the missed flag: “I came in very, very well. I’d expected to cut it a bit shorter, but I came in so well that I ended up a little on the inside lane and was either way too far away or way too close to the corner, so she had no chance of not touching the flag. But you have to give the horse credit for one thing: she just wants to do well! And in that moment, one thing leads to another.”
On the current situation: “We knew from the start that it would be close. My plan was to get the best possible result across the finish line and not necessarily focus on the time, because, as everyone in Aachen knows, even riders who are really going for it can easily make a small mistake. I just rode at a steady rhythm and tried to hold the horse back as little as possible. I took a long route once, which I think was the right decision.”
10:27
a.m.
: Italian individual rider Francesco Aondio Bertero withdraws after a second refusal (obstacles 6, the Trakehner, and 11, the Coffin) with his 10-year-old Holsteiner mare It’s Athene.
10:25
a.
: Turkish individual rider Kumru Day fell at obstacle 9A (the entry to the Sunken Road) while riding her Anglo-Arabian Baladin de L’Ocean. Italy’s Francesco Aondio Bertero was stopped. But a sigh of relief: both rider and horse are fine. The competition continues.
10:15
a.m.
Libussa Lübbeke is charged with a “missed flag” at obstacle 11B, resulting in 9 penalty points in addition to the time penalties. The current score is 57.1 penalty points for the first German team rider.
10:11
a.m.
: Gemma Stevens, riding Flash Cooley, was the first rider for the leading British team to take the course. She was eliminated at obstacle 8, the Coffin, after three refusals. Now every result counts for the British team, which is in the lead after the dressage.
10:03
a.m.
: Libussa Lübbeke and Caramia have crossed the finish line: no faults at the obstacles in 10:32 minutes, resulting in 16.8 time penalty points. There’s still a question mark at obstacle 11b due to a missed flag.
09:59
In the water at the entry, Caramia jumps a corner quite far to the right. The flag bends. But there’s no indication of a “Missed Flag.” The biggest hurdle, the Longines Challenge—the deep jump with the two corners behind it, obstacle 17—was mastered perfectly on a direct course.
09.58
- Robin Godel and Grandeur de Lully finished clear for Switzerland. 10:16 minutes
- Libussa Lübbeke and Caramia are still on track for a perfect round.
09:56
Libussa Lübbeke is on the course and has masterfully navigated the first two obstacles, the Coffin and the Sunken Road.
9:50 a.m.
- Six pairs have crossed the finish line. Sophia Hill (AUS) and her former racehorse Humble Glory finished within the time limit. Her take: “Super intense course!”
- A fall at Sunken Road (Obstacle 9) by France’s team rider Benjamin Massie and Figaro Fonroy, but the horse is back on its feet.
- Clarke Johnstone’s Rocket Man was taken off the course at jump 12. The horse was visibly bleeding from its right nostril.
Key statistics for the cross-country course at the Eventing World Championships in Aachen
Length: 5,600 meters
Pace: 570 m/min
Fastest time: 9 min 50 sec
Time limit: 19 min 40 sec
Obstacles: 28
Jumps: 42
Detailed information about the course can be found here.
