German Show Jumping Championships 2026: Laura Klaphake wins ahead of Britt Roth and Justine Tebbel

Two qualifiers, three rounds, one jump-off, one winner: Laura Klaphake and Quizano van’t Merelsnest left no doubt in the jump-off that they were in it to win the title. Nine years after her first victory at the German Championships, show jumping rider Laura Klaphake once again went home with a gold medal.

Four in the jump-off, three medals

After two competition rounds, four riders made it through to the deciding jump-off because they remained clear in every jumping competition. The jump-off course, described by the new German champion Laura Klaphake as “technical and demanding”, decided the medals. Laura Klaphake and Quizano, a ten-year-old son of Diamond de Semilly, did the best job: penalty-free, 38.8 4 seconds – that was the victory. None of the three competitors even came close to this time.

Laura Klaphake, a member of the World Championship team that won the bronze medal in Tryon in the USA in 2018, got a few tips from Mario Stevens shortly before the jump-off. Stevens, “still reigning” champion, last year he won the title for the third time with Starissa, seems to have given the 34-year-old the right tips along the way.

Britt Roth – silver at her first attempt in the senior women’s camp

Second place went to one of the youngest starters in the field: Britt Roth, who comes from Rhineland-Palatinate and whose mother Barbara was a successful rider. Roth, who is actually still in the U25 camp, has a horse that “loves competition” in the nine-year-old Jeffrey, a Holsteiner by Comme il faut. As national coach Peter Teuwen explained, the gelding completed his first 1.50 m jumping competitions at the end of last year. And after the young but already very experienced rider competed successfully in Mannheim, the Senior Ladies Championships in Balve was set as the next goal for the 2026 season.

For the Roth family, taking part in the final was a logistical challenge. Britt and her mother Barbara were there in Balve right from the start. When it became clear that she would make it to the final, first her boyfriend, then her brother and finally her father set off bit by bit to cross their fingers together in the stadium at Schloss Wocklum in Balve. The crossing paid off – a silver medal for Britt Roth at her first start in this age group.

Bought as a foal 14 years ago

Justine Tebbel is more experienced. She rode Cote de Pablo into the final for the third time in a row. Last year, the combination finished in fourth place. “He has remained clear in all three rounds of the German Championships for the third year in a row.” The year before, it was silver medal. The 14-year-old gelding, who is registered with the Oldenburg International Jumper Breeding Association, was first brought into the sport by Justine’s brother Maurice.

As a seven-year-old, he had given the son of his championship horse Chacco’s Son to his sister. She rode a jump-off to safety. A concept that was to pay off: At 44.55 seconds, she was significantly slower than the two riders in front of her, but remained penalty-free and thus secured the bronze medal.

The unfortunate fourth place went to the fourth rider in the jump-off, Sara Nagel-Tornau with Balisto. Her time would have been good enough for a bronze medal, but there was a knockdown.

Results of the German Show Jumping Championships Balve 2026