Boekelo Nations Cup in Eventing: Preview – Teams, German Riders, Cross-Country Course, and Schedule

Nations Cup Series in Eventing: Final in Boekelo with a New Format and a Star-Studded Lineup

Eventing 29.09.2026

from Jan Tönjes

Dutch rider Sterre van Houte became the Dutch champion in Boekelo in 2025 riding Crossborder Radar Love. Photo: Ashley Claus

Boekelo in the Netherlands is a must-see for eventing fans. The final of the Eventing Nations Cup series will be held in 2026 under a new format. Information on the schedule, the German riders, their competitors, and the cross-country course.

83 athletes with 103 horses from 15 countries—Boekelo is one of the classic events on the eventing calendar. The town is located near Enschede, not far from the German border. The city of Gronau in the district of Borken is just a few kilometers away.

Boekelo is notorious for the fact that it can definitely get rainy at times. This year, the weather forecast looks good. Currently, the probability of rain for the cross-country day is estimated at nine percent—ideal conditions for the final of the Federation of Equestrian Sports (FEI) Nations Cup series.

New: All nations start from zero

The final will be held under a new format: Nations will no longer benefit from the results of the qualifying tournaments as they did in the past. Everyone starts from zero. The teams’ on-site performance will determine which team can celebrate victory in the Nations Cup Eventing series on Sunday.

A Star-Studded Field

As befits the occasion, the master list of potential starters features many big names. Among them are several riders who have already won in Boekelo. From Germany, the field includes Olympic champion Julia Krajewski (2018 and 2024), the current world No. 1 Tim Price (NZL) (2017 and 2022), and defending champion Lara de Liedekerke-Meier (BEL). She is traveling to the Netherlands with three horses, including the four-star winner La La Land d’Arville.

Great Britain has a whole host of stars: team world champion Tom McEwen, 2022 world champion Yasmin Ingham, the experienced Izzy Taylor, and Zara Tindall, the 2006 world champion. Also joining them is Gemma Stevens, winner at Blenheim a few weeks ago, who will ride the 2024 Young Horse World Champion, Chilli Morning IV, in Boekelo.

Ten Germans Set to Compete in Boekelo

Seasoned veterans and promising young horses are traveling to Boekelo as part of the German delegation.

Antonia Baumgart with Ris de Talm

Arne Bergendahl with Bronco NRW

Ann-Catrin Bierlein with Sir Scotty

Rebecca-Juana Gerken with Fame 227

Ingrid Klimke with Kallista

Pauline Knorr with Aevolet M-A-F

Julia Krajewski with Ero de Cantraie

Nadine Marzahl with Victoria 108

Brandon Schäfer-Gehrau with Very Special

Christoph Wahler with Gainsbourg de Bedon

The cross-country course

at

in Boekelo was designed by Adrian Ditcham. He and his team have set up 26 obstacles with 42 jumps. Ditcham, a British national, has been involved in Boekelo for some time. As co-course designer, he assisted Derek de Grazia in building this year’s course at Burghley.

Andrew Ditcham, from the U.K., is the course designer in Boekelo.

A key difference from previous years is that the more challenging of the two water complexes must now be navigated early in the course. According to Ditcham, a key aspect of his concept is that the Nations Cup series also features rider-horse combinations who don’t have the same level of experience as the top stars. “That means there are also riders who haven’t quite reached that level yet. Of course, we want a good competition, but as a course designer, it’s most important that everyone—riders and horses alike—makes it home safely.” Click here for the cross-country course map.

Fame, glory, and 49

600 euros

. While the show jumpers in Barcelona are competing for 1.6 million euros in the Nations Cup Series final, the eventing riders must make do with 3.1 percent of that amount. The CCIO4*-NC-L has a prize purse of 49,600.00 euros. 39,390 euros are earmarked for the individual competition and 10,210 euros for the teams.

The winner receives 13,000 euros; the second through fourth-place finishers receive 8,250 euros, 5,750 euros, and 3,750 euros, respectively. The riders on the winning team each receive 1,135 euros.