Welcome, welcome to Aachen, Germany: the site of a special edition of the FEI World Championships, which unite nearly all FEI disciplines for the first time since the 2018 World Equestrian Games at the site of the 2006 Games.
We’re eager to get underway with competition as, oddly, it feels as if we’ve already been in residence here for two weeks versus two days. Aachen does that to you: sucks you in, whirls you around for 12-14 hours, and spits you back out, bewildered on a trudging media shuttle while you contemplate/question/celebrate your life decisions that led you to this point. It’s the best kind of show that both asks for and takes everything from you, but rewards you with the reminder of the privilege we all have to call this sport our livelihood.
And so it’s a special week. While we’re approaching it with awareness and reflection of recent tragic events in the weeks preceding this event, we also want to celebrate this pinnacle of equestrian sport and honor those who have contributed to it in the service of making it a better, safer world for us all.
This week’s Form Guide takes on a slightly different flavor. We’ve honed in on each nation for this go-round, diving into their current state of affairs, what their week hinges on, and who they’ve got in their corners. If you scroll to the lower part of this Guide, you’ll see we’ve also ticked through the nations who’ve sent individuals.
The countries are listed in draw order and separated by those fielding teams and those sending individual riders.
Tilly Berendt and Sally Spickard contributed to this Form Guide.
Click on the nation below to jump to their section:
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
China
Czech Republic
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Great Britain
Hungary
India
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Morocco
Netherlands
New Zealand
Poland
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
Türkiye
United States of America
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THE TEAMS
* = Individual Rider
Chef d’equipe: Stuart Tinney
The lineup:
- Oliver Barrett and Sandhills Briar
- Sophia Hill and Humble Glory
- Andrew Hoy and Vassily de Lassos
- Sam Woods and SS Eight Count
- Olivia Barton and APH Sodoku*
What’s the vibe? While previous Aussie teams have leaned heavily on experience, this year’s line-up features one rider who’s done more championships than the rest of us have had hot dinners – that’s Andrew Hoy, of course, who makes his 16th championship start here – and then, a very up-and-coming set of younger riders. Notable, too, is the prevalence of Aussie-based competitors here, including 22-year-old Oliver Barrett, who won Adelaide CCI5* this spring. It’s clear that Australia is aiming to create strength in depth, home and away.
Previous form: Australia had a slightly turbulent time at the 2022 World Championships in Pratoni del Vivaro, finishing tenth of sixteen teams. Just Tokyo individual bronze medalists Andrew Hoy and Vassily de Lassos reappear this year from that line-up, and while they had a couple of uncharacteristic issues on course that year, they’re generally very consistent and will be the stabilising central point of this squad. In Paris, the Australian team finished fourteenth, though with an individual medal for Chris Burton and Shadow Man, and so this sea change in strategy looks designed, in part, to shake up this more recent run of form. Australia’s last team medal was silver at Tokyo in 2021 – five years on, they’ll want to show they’ve still got it.
Last medal: At Worlds level, that bronze at Aachen in 2006 was both their first and their last team medal. They tend to excel more at the Olympic, and won silver in Tokyo.
The secret weapons: Time is always a major factor at Aachen, but Sophia Hill and Humble Glory represent one of the fastest combinations in the field over long-format courses. They’ve romped home inside the time four times at five-star level.
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Chef d’equipe: Thomas Tesch
The lineup:
- Harald Ambros and Vitorio du Montet
- Daniel Dunst and Chevalier 97
- Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati and Renegade
- Lea Siegl and Watermill Giorgio RS
What’s the vibe? Austria doesn’t have the structural support or sheer number of riders that we see in western Europe, but that does mean that these four riders know each other very, very well – through good and bad times, and at championships around the world, they’ve ridden together and learned to understand one another whatever comes their way. Austria has always been in the tricky position of having to field a three-rider team, so while they don’t have the extra bods to spring to an additional individual rider, they’re here with a full berth of four riders for the first time this year, and that’s not worth nothing. For what it’s worth, just 96 horses were registered for eventing with the FEI in Austria this year; with that sort of context, Austria’s presence on the world stage is an impressive accomplishment.
Previous form: Foundational, largely. Led by their youngest rider, Lea Siegl, the Austrians have been largely trailblazing, forming a pathway that the federation can follow in years to come. In real-world terms, that looks like 15th of 16th at the 2022 World Championships, where they had the tricky situation of fielding just three riders – something that haunted them when Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati was eliminated with Oklahoma 2, and they were forced to carry the 1000-point penalty. They were on the up and up last year, finishing fifth of nine teams at the European championships, ahead of global superpower Great Britain – again with just three riders. Lea, for her part, finished in the top ten individually there. At the 2023 Europeans none of their three riders completed. Austria last fielded a full team at the Olympics in 2004, and getting back there by hook or by crook has to be at the forefront of their minds.
Last medal: Never at Worlds, Olympics, or Europeans.
The secret weapons: Lea Siegl is hardly a secret – she was fifteenth at Tokyo when barely even into her twenties. Harald Ambros’s partnership with the former Maxime Livio ride Vitorio du Montet, a FOD king at five-star when with the Frenchman, doesn’t feel very secret either – they were at Badminton last year, after all. So perhaps we’ll give the nod here to one of the team coaches, a former Badminton runner-up and a top-ten finisher in the 2014 World Equestrian Games, Germany’s Andreas Ostholt. Building a nation’s sporting profile takes time, and this is not a bad man to have involved.
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Chef d’equipe: Kai Steffen-Meier
The lineup:
- Maarten Boon and Gravin van Cantos
- Wouter de Cleene and Ragdoll de Tamise
- Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Kiarado d’Arville
- Karin Donckers and Leipheimer Van’t Verahof
- Senne Vervaecke and Google van Alsingen
What’s the vibe? We’ll tackle the elephant in the room straight off the bat here: it feels strange not to see an in-form Tine Magnus and Dia van het Lichterveld Z on this line-up, particularly after they were crowned Vice Belgian National Champions at Arville last month and looked better than ever in doing so. Belgium, whose hard-won upward trajectory hit a thrilling peak at the Paris Olympics, where the team finished fourth, has struggled since with the extraordinary blow of being subsequently eliminated for a positive doping test for Dia van het Lichterveld. While the FEI Tribunal found that Tine bore “no significant fault or negligence” for the presence of trazodone, which was traced back to a supplement, that moment has felt like a dark cloud over Belgium ever since. That they want to get back to the trajectory they were on is clear – that they’re doing it without one of the country’s best competitors feels odd.
Previous form: Fourth at Paris, of course, was their best appearance and no fluke: Belgium has been on the up and up over the last six years or so. In Tokyo they didn’t field a team at all, which really demonstrates how decisively they turned things around, especially as the two Olympics had just a three-year cycle, rather than the usual four. The team was eighth and thus middle-of-the-pack at the 2022 World Championships, and 13th of 16 in Tryon in 2018. They were seventh of nine at last year’s Europeans.
Last medal: Never at a Worlds. They took team bronze at the European Championships at Luhmühlen in 1999, and the same again at Punchestown in 2003 and Fontainebleau in 2009. Oh, and they won bronze at the Olympics in 1920 on home soil in Antwerp. It’s been a minute, basically.
The secret weapons: Coach Kai Steffen-Meier’s recent strategy of taking his riders to tackle big, bold five-star competitions like Badminton — a tactic that he hopes will get them comfortable at a level above championship level, so they can ‘punch down’ when they come to these competitions, rather than ‘punching up.’ It’s certainly something we’re seeing pay off for the team’s five-star winner, Lara — now, we’ll see the impact on teammates Wouter and Senne.
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Chef d’equipe: Leonardo Vani Fernandes
The lineup:
- Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Royal Encounter
- Rafael Mamprin Losano and Withington
- Carlos Parro and Safira
What’s the vibe? Under pressure, as three-berth teams are, because there’s no such thing as a drop score and everyone needs to deliver – or, at least, make it home. Fortunately, these three have a lot of mileage together, and that takes out a lot of the guesswork that can be a part of forming a team dynamic. Their major goal? That’ll be to earn one of the first qualification slots for the LA Olympics, which will go to the top seven countries (excluding the USA) in the final standings. Yes, it’s a lofty aim for a country that often secures their spot via the Pan-Ams. Yes, it’s nonetheless achievable. What’s eventing without its gutsy underdog teams?
Previous form: Thirteenth of sixteen at the 2022 World Championships, where they had a four-berth team but a fairly unlucky day on that volcanic cross-country course. 11th of sixteen at the Paris Olympics, and 15th of 16 at the Tryon WEG in 2018, which does demonstrate a conservative upward trajectory that shouldn’t be ignored.
Last medal: Never at Worlds or Olympic level, but consistently at Pan-American Games, which tends to be their pathway to qualification for the Olympics. They were silver medallists in Santiago in 2023, which got them into Paris.
The secret weapons: Royal Encounter may well become the shining star of the Brazilian line-up this week. The eleven-year-old was impressive at Badminton this spring, scoring a sub-30 on the flat and pressing onward on cross-country despite tiring in the final stages. He may well find himself best suited to these shorter ten-minute cross-country tracks – the excellent JL Dublin for Team GB is similarly better equipped for these rather than long five-star tracks, which takes nothing away from his quality – and could even be a dark horse top ten finisher individually. In any case, it’s heartening to see a very good three-phase athlete coming up to this level for the nation.
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Chef d’equipe: Adela Svobodova
The lineup:
- Pavel Brezina and Turin
- Matej Sukdolak and Qaid
- Miroslav Trunda and Mellevue van Rechteren
What’s the vibe? Really delighted to be here, we imagine – the Czech Republic hasn’t had a team at the World Championships since at least 1986. There’s every chance this is their first one ever, and it’s certainly their first as the Czech Republic – as most of us know (except, perhaps, the announcers at last year’s European Championships), the Czech Republic as a country was formed in 1993 following its dissolution with Slovakia. The more you know, eh! Anyway, the Czechs have a small pool of riders, but nevertheless have pulled together teams for European Championships and have sent individuals to the Worlds and Olympics, too. But getting together even a three-berth team on the world stage has been a challenge and now represents a huge accomplishment.
Previous form: Foundational, really. We don’t have world stage team form to work with here, so we have to look at Europeans: the first and last time they fielded a team was at Avenches in 2021, and despite only having three partnerships to bring forward, they all completed and logged a tenth place finish out of thirteen teams.
Last medal: None yet.
The secret weapons: They know they’re not here to try to win, but instead to bring their three combinations home safely and show the small pool of aspiring eventers back home that it can be done. That sort of trailblazing is so crucial to our sport; one only has to look to Turkish individual rider Kumru Say, the first FEI eventer of her nation, who has inspired the launch of grassroots events in Turkey thanks to her presence at these major events. Similarly, interest in equestrianism in Morocco has been bolstered by the successes of Noor Slaoui, also here this week. Everything starts somewhere, and that somewhere is simply pure interest and passion. There are just three FEI events in the Czech Republic, but this year there are 61 registered athletes – sixteen more than the last year we had a World Championships. Baby steps.
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Chef d’equipe: Jean-Luc Force
The lineup:
- Alexis Goury and Je’Vall
- Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza
- Benjamin Massie and Figaro Fonroy
- Nicolas Touzaint and Diabolo Menthe
- Astier Nicolas and Alertamalib’or*
What’s the vibe? Beyond pure Gallic testosterone and the feeling that nearby, someone is making one of those reels about how to find a French boyfriend in your summer abroad, this is a team that feels pretty gutsy. There’s a beyond-the-barricade scrappiness to the French team that can see them log incredibly competitive results or languish well out of the medals, without much in-between, but you could make a realistic case for any of these combinations to finish in the top ten individually, and that feels like a compelling enough case for the team on the whole. Allez les bleus and all that.
Previous form: Silver medallists at last year’s Europeans, where young gun Alexis and the then-eleven-year-old Je’Vall were best of the bunch and sixth individually. Astier and Alertamalib’or were also part of that line-up. They were bronze at the Europeans on home soil in Normandy in 2023 and had a disastrous trip to the 2022 World Championships, finishing 14th of 16 but securing a top ten placing individually thanks to sixth-placed Gaspard and Zaragoza. In Paris, they were silver medallists, in Tokyo bronze, at Tryon in 2018, bronze again. Very strong medal contenders here, if you hadn’t worked that one out.
Last medal: At Worlds, that was bronze in Tryon. They were Olympic gold medallists at Rio in 2016 so you can never take your eyes off the French.
The secret weapons: Leaving strides out in order to make the time? Just kidding! Sort of!
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Chef d’equipe: Dickie Waygood
The lineup:
- Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo
- Laura Collett and London 52
- Tom McEwen and JL Dublin
- Gemma Stevens and Flash Cooley
- Caroline Harris and D. Day*
What’s the vibe? Down, but not out. Once again, the Brits come forward with an eye-wateringly strong team, but also with a bit of a demon on their shoulders: as hosts of last year’s European Championships they were roundly expected to storm to the team gold, but in the end, just two riders made it to showjumping. Both finished in the individual medals, with Laura Collett and London 52 taking the individual title, so all was not lost – but it was absolutely a wake-up call and a wound that runs deep. It proved that even the best team in the world (arguably, anyway) isn’t infallible, and the Brits are hungrier than ever to return to form here. That can go one of two ways: the hunger can bring out the best in riders, or it can fuel a desperation that makes the system unravel under pressure.
Previous form: Further back than that tough Blenheim last year, it’s pretty excellent: team gold at Paris, team gold at Tokyo, team gold at the 2023 European Championships. 2022’s World Championships at Pratoni saw them finish a frustrating fourth as a team after some little wobbles (though they did take individual gold that year, too, thanks to Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir), but they did take team and individual gold at the 2018 World Championships. Ros Canter, who won on that occasion with Allstar B, will be a hot favourite to take that title again after excusing herself from selection for last year’s Europeans due to her pregnancy.
Last medal: Team gold at the 2018 Worlds and the same at the Paris Olympics.
The secret weapon: Sheer bravado. Great Britain is by far the most successful nation at World Championships, with 87 total medals – 42 of which are gold. To contextualise that, the second-most successful nation, Germany, has 42 all-time medals, 12 of which are gold. Their all-time medal count matches the Brits’ gold medal count. That’s wild, and that will give them confidence – and, okay, yes, a bit more pressure to deliver, too.
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Chef d’equipe: Andreas Dibowski
The lineup:
- Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Carlitos Quidditch K
- Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH
- Julia Krajewski and Uelzener’s Nickel
- Libussa Lübbeke and Caramia FRH
- Christoph Wahler and D’Accord FRH*
What’s the vibe? Safe. This isn’t a line-up that takes risks and adds new faces into the mix, but rather sticks with a formula that’s paid off previously. Which is fair enough: all these riders have been part of medal-winning teams, and even the youngest in the line-up, Libussa Lübbeke, was part of the gold medal at last year’s European Championships and has finished top ten at five-star, so it hardly feels as though she’s here for the experience. As always, Germany will come in as one of the major contenders for gold, even if their bid for it seems somehow quieter this year. Don’t be lulled into complacency (and don’t be surprised if Julia Krajewski and Uelzener’s Nickel become your new World Champions, either).
Previous form: They’re on super form, and come in as reigning European Champions after a gold at Blenheim last year. They also took gold at the last Worlds, at Pratoni in 2022, and at Normandy in 2014. Oh, and they won the gold last time the Worlds was at Aachen, back in 2006, which will not be at all far from their minds – how can it be, when they’ll see those medal-winning horses’ shoes inlaid into the walk of fame at the venue every day?
Last medal: Gold at the 2022 Worlds and at last year’s European Championships.
The secret weapons: Home-side support. Aachen always attracts a very enthusiastic, hugely knowledgeable audience, and they’ll make their support known. They’re so loud and proud, in fact, that they nearly changed the course of the individual competition twenty years ago: final rider in the ring Zara Tindall (then Phillips) didn’t hear the bell go, because the rider before her had secured the gold for the German team and the audience was in such raptures. Fortunately, she got going and made it happen, but the fact remains that the Germans at Aachen will pick you up on the take-off side and set you down on the landing side if you’re one of their own. That has power that can’t be quantified.
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Chef d’equipe: Sam Griffiths
The lineup:
- Ian Cassells and Millridge Atlantis
- Aoife Clark and Full Monty de Lacense
- Padraig McCarthy and MGH Zabaione
- Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue
- Georgie Goss and Kojak*
What’s the vibe? Bolstered and ready to carry on last year’s successes. It’s no secret that things have been a bit… complicated at Horse Sport Ireland, with riders and owners feeling far from robustly supported as they tackle international competition goals for the nation. An open letter signed by many of the country’s top eventing riders expressed fears that mismanagement and lack of infrastructure would leave owners and investors to defect; in a country in which retaining good horsepower has always been a primary struggle, that has been no small worry. We’ve seen changes since: in January, Australian Badminton winner Sam Griffiths was announced as the new chef d’equipe, replacing Dag Albert and departing from his own former role with team New Zealand. It’ll be interesting to see how his appointment plays into the team’s performances this year, but in any case, it’s evidence that change of some sort is happening in the HSI camp. Will it be enough?
Previous form: The Irish were silver medallists at last year’s European Championships, and fourth in 2023 at Haras du Pin. They were fifth and qualified for the Paris Olympics at the 2022 World Championships; at Paris, they had a bit of a mixed bag and were eighth. Individually, they bring a lot of exceptional form to the table, particularly in the case of five-star winners Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue, one of the field’s fastest, most reliable cross-country partnerships.
Last medal: At a Worlds, that was team silver in 2018 at Tryon. Padraig McCarthy was also individual silver medallist on that occasion.
The secret weapons: It’s hard to call Padraig McCarthy a secret weapon with his back catalogue of performances, but maybe it’s fairer to call his MGH Zabaione one. The ten-year-old won Blenheim’s eight- and nine-year-old class in 2024 and took his debut CCI4*-L at Ballindenisk in early 2025 before coming achingly close to another victory in the CCIO4*-L at Boekelo last autumn. He comes into this week off the back of a fifth place finish out of over 100 starters in the CCI4*-S at Aston, where he put up a 26.1 in the first phase. This feels like a week in which the world beyond the UK and Ireland will learn his name.
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Chef d’equipe: Zilla Pearse
The lineup:
- Andrea Cincinnati and Cecelia Lad
- Vittoria Panizzon and DHI Jackpot
- Paolo Torlonia and Zinny
- Giovanni Ugolotti and Duke of Champions
- Francesco Aondio Bertero and It’s Athene*
What’s the vibe? Better now that Vittoria Panizzon, stalwart of the Italian team, is back in business. She returned last year after missing out on the 2024 season due to a contentious suspension from the national anti-doping organisation, in which she was deemed to have missed a dope test while on holiday, and while she was originally handed a four-year ban, after a year of fighting her corner the ruling was overturned. That’s a huge boost to Italy, who have been so well-represented by Vittoria on the world stage, and who were unable to use her for the Paris Olympics two years ago. Now, their team of three British-based riders and two continental ones feels ready to chip away at their bigger goals again.
Previous form: Italy’s a nation that still feels as though its figuring out its tactics and strategies in team competition. They were ninth in 2022’s World Championships and 12th in 2018; at last year’s Europeans they were eighth of nine teams and at Haras du Pin in 2023 they were ninth of ten. They did qualify for the Paris Olympics through the Nations Cup pathway, and finished 12th there; in Tokyo they found some better form and were seventh of 15.
Last medal: None at a Worlds. They did win team bronze at the 2017 Europeans, though, and a silver medal at the 1980 Olympics.
The secret weapons: A new commitment to funding education and preparation. The Italian federation has brought in grant allocations to allow its riders to maximise their access to training, which will no doubt be a boon to a group of competitors scattered around the continent. The Italian front hasn’t always felt the most cohesive, and in recognising the geographical spread of its riders and bolstering individual systems, rather than trying to force a more conjoined training regime, we could see an uptick in performances.
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Chef d’equipe: Atsushi Negishi
The lineup:
- Ryuzo Kitajima and Feroza Nieuwmoed
- Kento Nagura and Vinci de la Vigne JRA
- Toshiyuki Tanaka and Jefferson JRA
What’s the vibe? Strangely… embryonic, considering the extraordinary efforts of the Japanese team over the last decade and a half or so. They pulled themselves up from ‘who dat?’ nation to Olympic medallists through a combination of enormous hard work, huge personal sacrifice and global relocation – plus, savvy horse-purchasing, too. But now, after taking bronze at the Paris Olympics and so nearly putting an individual rider on the podium at Tokyo, too, they’re back down to just three competitors, and only two with any significant team experience. After Paris, the Japanese federation opted to send Kazuma Tomoto back to Japan to take on a teaching role, and reallocated his horse, Vinci de la Vigne, to young up-and-comer Kento Nagura, and Kazu’s absence feels – look, we’ve got to say it – pretty sad and strange. This is a hugely exciting opportunity for Kento who, at 27, is in just his third season of international eventing, but it also feels like we’re operating on a basis of unknowns again with Japan, and that hasn’t been the case for a while.
Previous form: Bronze, of course, at Paris; 11th of 15 at Tokyo (and fourth individually for Kazu); 11th of 16 at the 2022 World Championships; fourth of 16 at Tryon in 2018.
Last medal: Never at a Worlds; just the once at the Olympics.
The secret weapons: Kento Nagura remains a bit of an unknown quantity, so it could be him, and it certainly could be the stalwart, evergreen Vinci de la Vigne, who’s been a World Championship partner for two previous riders – Astier Nicolas, of course, had him first. It’s also a really exciting moment for Ryuzo Kitajima and Toshiyuki Tanaka to take on the A-team mantle, which had previously been jointly held by Kazu and Yoshiaki Oiwa.
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Chef d’equipe: Andy Heffernan
The lineup:
- Splinter Bergsma and Vigo Key SR Z
- Jillian Giessen and Seattle Park
- Florinoor Hoogland and Hontoni
- Sterre van Houte and Crossborder Radar Love
- Sanne de Jong and Enjoy*
What’s the vibe? Largely newcomers to team Orange. The “elder statesman” of this lineup is Sanne de Jong who, at 31, has already done two European Championships, the 2022 World Championships, and the Paris Olympics, all with Enjoy. Ordinarily, she’s the young gun of squads that have included the likes of Merel Blom, but now, she’s the head honcho. It’s unusual not to see Janneke Boonzaaijer, who has been on roughly the same trajectory as Sanne, in this line-up – but keeping horsepower in the country has long been tricky for the Dutch, and omissions from line-ups often come down to being underhorsed. In any case, it’s an exciting chance for the next-gen of the Netherlands to gain serious mileage on the world stage.
Previous form: Admittedly shaky. The Netherlands has had – and continues to have – some really excellent competitors, but making it happen as a team hasn’t always been the most straightforward process. At the 2022 World Championships they didn’t field a team at all; in Paris, they were ninth of fifteen. At the 2023 European Championships in Haras du Pin they were eighth of ten and at last year’s Europeans at Blenheim, they were once again teamless, though individually, they were twice represented in the top ten, by Janneke Boonzaaijer and by Florinoor Hoogland, who returns with the exciting Hontoni for this week’s competition. If this young, fresh line-up can hold their nerve and fight for what’s theirs, perhaps we could see a Dutch renaissance this week – not in the medals, perhaps, but closer to them than we’ve seen in a long time. The last Dutch team medal came at the World Championships back in 2014, when they won bronze in unbelievably tricky conditions in Normandy.
Last medal: Bronze at the Normandy WEG in 2014. That’s their only team medal at a Worlds. Otherwise, it’s back to 1989 for silver at the Europeans, or back to 1932 for their silver at the Olympics.
The secret weapons: Championship debutante Jillian Giessen, who just a few years ago was grinding away to try to get rides at 2* and 3* level, selling the good ones as they came along and wondering if she’d ever make it further up the levels. One, two, skip a few, and after a stint in the UK working for Andrew Downes, who let her gain mileage on his former top level horse Gold Nugget, she returned to her long-time base at Tim Lips’s yard in Breda in mid-2024, found herself some new rides, and, following Tim’s car accident that sidelined him for an extensive period, found herself as the stable’s head rider. She and Seattle Park are incredibly swift across country without even trying: the former ride of Sophia Hill of Australia made the time by an almost ludicrous margin at Strzegom CCI4*-L this spring, and even Jillian herself couldn’t fathom how they’d been that quick. Keep an eye on them, and add Jillian to your list of rise-and-grind heroes to cheer on throughout the week.
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Chef d’equipe: Jock Paget
The lineup:
- Clarke Johnstone and Rocket Man
- Jonelle Price and Senor Crocodillo
- Tim Price and Falco
- Monica Spencer and Artist
- Sam Lissington and Lucas Stone*
What’s the vibe? Confident. New Zealand doesn’t always have as much strength in depth as it might appear, because when push comes to shove, you really can only put Tim and Jonelle on a team on one horse apiece. But this year, there was a wealth of talent to choose from, and if there’s any pressure on the Kiwi powers-that-be at all, it’s the pressure of proving that they made the right choices. We could easily have seen a very different line-up for this squad and it would still be just as compelling. In any case, this looks not just like a very obvious medal contention team, but one that wants to go for the jugular and take the gold.
Previous form: They were bronze medallists at Pratoni in 2022, with a team that featured four of our five riders named this year (just Sam was absent from that line-up) and two of the same horses, too, in Falco and Artist. Tim and Falco, for their part, also took individual bronze. Their Paris was a touch out of form after that, though, and they finished seventh in the team competition, which is also, coincidentally, where they finished at the 2018 World Championships, which feels like ancient history right now.
Last medal: Bronze at Pratoni in 2022.
The secret weapons: Frankly, all the Kiwi team’s weapons are pretty loud and proud. You’d hardly call Tim and Jonelle ‘secret weapons’ – they’re valuable lynchpins, and Clarke and Monica alike both have team experience behind them, though Artist’s showjumping form will always make for a nailbiter of a finish on Sunday. Perhaps Sam Lissington then, somehow, becomes a secret weapon, although can we call someone who’s had the run of form she’s had over the last couple of seasons a secret? Hardly: she made history in the CCI4*-L at Royal Jump last year by taking every single podium place, and her ‘side hustle’ with EquiRatings means she has access to data analytics that must surely help with the marginal gains. Maybe the secret weapon is her husband Brayden Lissington, host of Eventing Weekly and consummate hypebeast of the sport, for no reason other than that we’ve seen him on the dance floor and can confirm he is a weapon of some sort, anyway.
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Chef d’equipe: Dominic Berger
The lineup:
- Robin Godel and Grandeur de Lully CH
- Mélody Johner and Erin
- Nadja Minder and Top Job’s Jalisco
- Felix Vogg and Frieda
- Angelika Dubach and Felin de Chignan*
What’s the vibe? Hungry. We’ve watched the Swiss go from a ‘yeah, they were there I guess’ nation to serious contenders over the better part of the last decade, and none of their successes have come about by coincidence. Rather, it’s all been strategic: the introduction of tough-love trainers such as Andrew Nicholson, for example, has taken the Swiss riders out of the mentality of riding to complete, and instead shifted them into the calculated-risk territory of riding to compete. They know that they can push for a medal, and they know they can do it now. It’ll be a huge moment when it comes off for them.
Previous form: Switzerland is arguably at the highest peak of their steady upward trajectory so far, after a fourth place finish at last year’s European Championships at Blenheim. Prior to that, they’d been fifth at the 2023 Europeans and fourth at the Paris Olympics (upgraded by one spot after the post-Games disqualification of Belgium). Compare that to the prior four-year cycle, where they were at the beginning of that upward climb: 7th of 16 at the 2022 World Championships, 10th of 15 at the Tokyo Olympics, 16th of 16 at the 2018 World Championships. A fourth place finish at the 2021 European Championships on home soil at Avenches gave some inkling of what was to come, at a venue at which all team members had plenty of course form. In the last four years, Switzerland has also banked two five-star victories, both thanks to Felix Vogg, the sole team member who largely trains outside of the Swiss team mechanism.
Last medal: Never at a Worlds. At a Europeans, you’re going all the way back to team silver at Horsens in 1981, and there’s a couple of Olympic medals in the trophy cabinet, too, but that really pushes you back into the first epoch of Swiss competitive excellence in 1960, when the team won silver in Rome. Like those five-star wins – the first since Badminton was won by a Swiss rider back in 1951.
The secret weapons: Proximity, and also cohesiveness. Sometimes upward trajectories span a very long period of time with a sort of one-step-forward-two-steps-back thing going on. For Switzerland, the progression has been clear and nearly linear in its decisiveness. There’s a pattern that’s been established that sees the Swiss elbowing their way into Big Six nations’ territory, and they know it. They’re also largely the same riders, time and time again, so there’s a real sense of understanding and often camaraderie that permeates the whole endeavour. That means that they have a system that works and that they can stick to, even as they bring new horses into the fold or, as in the case of Angelika Dubach, new riders.
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Chef d’equipe: Fred Bergendorff
The lineup:
- Frida Andersen and Box Leo
- Louise Romeike and Caspian 15
- Sofia Sjöborg and Bryjamolga van het Marienshof Z
- Amanda Staam and Corpoubet AT
- Christoffer Forsberg and Hippo’s Sapporo TSF*
What’s the vibe? Bolstered, definitely, by the return of Louise Romeike and Caspian 15. They sat out last year’s European Championships due to Louise’s pregnancy, and had a generally fairly tricky week there – just Amanda Staam and Corpoubet AT completed, which meant the team finished ninth of nine. They, like the Swiss, have been working on a multi-cycle upward trajectory; they, unlike the Swiss, haven’t totally locked in on the secret sauce to make it really decisive, despite all of their riders demonstrating considerable talent. This time, though, the A-team is back, with Frida Andersen back on her Olympic mount – she rode the much less experienced Stonehavens Baby Blue at Blenheim – and Sofia Sjoborg similarly returning to her Olympic ride, Belle, to rewrite the story this week.
Previous form: Let’s shelve Blenheim last year for a moment, because god knows the Swedes will want to. In 2023 at the Europeans they were sixth of ten, at the 2022 World Championships they were sixth of sixteen, and at the Paris Olympics they were fifth of sixteen, and actually just a frustrating and uncharacteristic flag for Sofia kept them out of the medals. Yes, yes, we know that sport is no place for ‘couldas’ and ‘wouldas’, but in terms of contextualising how strong they can be on their day, you don’t get much more solid than that. That three-berth team is here in full this week, with the addition of Amanda and Christoffer, and in terms of Swedes getting the band back together, ABBA Voyage is pretty much keeping the London economy afloat, so a similarly hotly-anticipated reunion here feels set to be fairly fortuitous, too.
Last medal: They’ve never won a team medal at a Worlds, though they did take individual bronze in 1998, thanks to Paula Törnqvist. At the European Championships in 2019 and 2021 they were bronze medallists, and silver at Strzegom in 2017. That last period of very competitive form had some crossover, rider-wise, with this generation’s team, so they just need to refind that magic.
The secret weapons: In a funny sort of way, the disaster of Blenheim could be it. When you hit rock bottom there’s only one way up, and it’s clear that there’s been some serious strategizing about horses and tactics in the lead-up to this event. The return of perennially sunny Louise, who crucially didn’t have the Blenheim experience to bring her vibe down, will also add a certain je ne sais quois to the mix. Helpfully, Caspian has also spent the last year or so showing that he is actually very capable of mid-20s scores, and that’ll be a great boon for a team that’s often forced to climb after the first phase. (This journalist personally thinks he’s one of the greatest horses in the sport, and will be rooting for the pair as individual medal contenders.)
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Chef d’equipe: Leslie Law
The lineup:
- Will Coleman and Diabolo
- Phillip Dutton and Denim
- Boyd Martin and Cooley Nutcracker
- Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake
- Tamie Smith and Lillet 3*
What’s the vibe? Confident after the 2022 World Championships, which saw them take a silver medal to Germany’s gold at the end of an excellent week. But also, arguably, a fairly classic US team: there are, of course, no reserved spots for riders in the line-up, but sometimes it can feel like it. This is a very competitive roster of horses and riders, but it has also eschewed some considerable talent based outside the USA, which can sometimes feel like a bit of the party line for these teams. It’s interesting, really, to look at the broader conversation around US teams: twenty years ago after Aachen, there was much discussion about the idea that, in order to raise standards and be truly competitive on the world stage, US riders needed to travel to Europe more than once a year for shows, and would be best served making the sacrifices that come with relocating for a season or more. Twenty years later, it can sometimes feel that those who follow that pathway are benched for their efforts. Without the necessity of achieving a qualifying result for the LA Olympics on the table (the US will have earned an automatic berth as the host nation), one side of the coin would argue that this year’s World Championship would be an ample opportunity to test lesser experienced team riders in the pressure cooker that is this level of competition. As we’ve said here on EN recently, equally the argument to build off of the Pratoni silver medal and make a real threat for the gold is strong. The US development pipeline continues to churn out a greater amount of depth than the country had seen in recent cycles, and that luxury of choice now deepens the conversation.
Previous form: Variable, but generally pretty good – silver at Pratoni in 2022 was a considerable uptick on eighth of 16 on home soil at Tryon in 2018. At the Paris Olympics they were sixth of 16, and at Tokyo they were also sixth of fifteen.
Last medal: Silver at Pratoni in 2022, which was their first team medal since winning gold at Jerez in 2002, the Worlds’ last hurrah at long-format. They were sixth of fifteen in Paris – seventh of sixteen, originally, before for the subsequent disqualification of Belgium – and sixth of fifteen again at Tokyo. They are, of course, very strong at the Pan-American Games, held a level down.
The secret weapons: Karyn Shuter, who stepped in to be the USEF Eventing High Performance Advisor when Leslie Law took over the Chef d’equipe gig in 2025. Since Karyn has been involved with the Americans, the riders have been vocal about how instrumental she’s been as support for them. She’s unafraid to call bullshit on bullshit, but she’s also always ready with a shrewd observation or a moment of validation when it’s needed. Her influence on a squad that has performed strongly in the lead-up to this week is palpable. Leslie Law, of course, has also had a positive impact on the team since he stepped up from Development Coach to High Performance. Leslie’s got experience in spades, and combined with Karyn’s strategic skills, the support duo have got the squad humming right along so far.
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THE INDIVIDUALS
Of course, while these teams duke it out for the honors and the Olympic qualification spots like it was the last vote on Love Island, 11 additional nations stand poised to make statements of their own, albeit without a team. Countries who are unable to field a team may send up to two individuals as representing athletes. For many of these countries, the pathway to the Olympics looks a bit different: they’ll be vying to qualify an individual for the Olympics via FEI points and rankings in their respective groups, they’ll look to build up a team for the future and fit younger horses and riders with the experience that’s so foundational to future international success, and some are making history one ride at a time.
And that’s really the fascinating part of a major Championship like this or the Olympics. Yes, it’s the cream of the crop, the best of the best, duking it out for the title. And while individual athletes do rise to the top (take our reigning World Champion, Yasmin Ingham, who won as the individual for Great Britain in 2022, becoming the first individual rider in eventing’s history to accomplish the feat), it’s important to remember that the scope of impact extends far beyond just the podium and the prizegiving.
For some countries, fielding a single representative represents a huge step. As we mention in China’s write-up below, it’s thanks in many ways to Alex Hua Tian’s Olympic eventing debut in 2008 that has contributed to a larger amount of growth and investment in equestrianism in China. This year, the Czech Republic has fielded its first eventing World Championships team, after many years of sending individuals to the likes of the Olympics. Kumru Say, Türkiye’s rider this week, has been a linchpin of growth for her country — her success and visibility on the world stage has helped eventing establish itself in Türkiye, which now hosts eventing competitions.
So the ripple effect is large — and important in a sport that needs growth to survive — and we should remember that even for the riders who won’t be here to compete with the Ros Canters of the world (at least not yet!).
We’ll stick close to the same format we used for the teams above to tell you a bit about where each individual nation is aiming this week.
Chef d’equipe: Rebecca Howard
Individual Rider(s) and Horse(s):
- Jessica Phoenix and Fluorescent Adolescent
What’s the vibe? Canadian Eventing continues to make strides toward LA. The team spent much of the previous year fundraising for both these World Championships as well as 2027’s Pan American Games and 2028’s Olympics in LA. Canada’s led by the ever-steady Olympic rider Rebecca Howard, and while the country hasn’t sent a full team as they’d initially hoped, they’ve rested their hopes on the very experienced Jessica Phoenix with the splashily colorful Fluorescent Adolescent for the task at hand. British-based Canadian Mike Winter was meant to make the trek down with the veteran El Mundo, however an injury in training has sidelined El Mundo for the timing being.
Now, Canada truly did intend to send a full team to these Championships; in fact, the objective of their High Performance program was to qualify for the LA Olympics by earning a top-seven team finish this week. However, after the leadership opted to ask for just a slightly more difficult qualification criteria to be met for the 15 declared pairs, just two (Jessica and Mike) earned those qualifications. This, an effort to up the quality ante on the squad, could be seen as a backfire, but we see both sides of the coin: on one hand, to beat the world, you’ve got to be the best you can be, and raising standards for performance tends to raise all ships. On the other, it could have also been useful to send a full team to see if the ultimate finish could be pulled off (stranger things have happened).
That said, though, a very clear pathway to Olympic qualification still exists for the Canadians. With the U.S. already securing their berth as the host nation, the Pan American Games (which have historically yielded two qualified teams who didn’t already have one) loom large next summer. Canada should have no trouble picking up a top-two placing in Lima — and the other extra boost here is they have a number of quality younger horses paired with experienced riders who are just slightly off that peak of being ready for a World Championship, but who could likely compete at the Pan Ams level tomorrow, if needed.
With LA qualification not in the cards with just one individual this weekend, Canada’s success here at Aachen will come down to how well Jessie and “Lacey” can finish — and they’ve definitely got a strong shot at a good finish here as the mare has proven herself to be an all-out jumping machine and Jessie, well, is Jessie — she knows how to get the job handled.
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Chef d’equipe: Dapeng Jia
Individual Rider(s) and Horse(s):
What’s the vibe? Four-time Olympian and three-time World Championships rider Alex Hua Tian has embraced his role as a trailblazer for his home country — and while it’s true he hails from a country that historically hasn’t held a huge presence in the sport, he’s hardly here to solely represent. Alex is a veteran of the sport, one who with a sympathetic touch has produced many a top horse (Chicko marks his sixth horse competed at this major Championship level, not including Asian Games) capable of competing, not just completing. Chicko, for his part, comes in strong off two FEI wins and has also finished top five and top 10 at the five-star level. A top 10 individual finish for the Alex, who’s also collected four Asian Games medals throughout his career, and 16-year-old Chicko is not out of the cards this week. After fielding a team for both eventing and show jumping in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics (held in 2021) and then winning team gold at the 2023 Asian Games, China’s not quite had the athletes needed for team competition on these big stages since. This isn’t due to a lack of investment — and Alex has been a key driving force in bridging that gap in these smaller, far-reaching countries (in terms of equestrianism, at least) where the sport does not have the foothold it does in other “hub” locales. Thanks in large part to Alex’s Olympic debut in 2008 (in Beijing, no less), the sport continues to show growth. Some of Alex’s Chinese teammates still event and are producing horses for future championships, while others have branched into show jumping. It’s no mean feat to build a sport in a country where history does not yield much connection to it, but Alex’s visibility — and competitiveness — here this weekend will have a large impact that’s felt far beyond the leaderboard.
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Chef d’equipe: Kerstin Dallmann
Individual Rider(s) and Horse(s):
- Peter Flarup and H. Carald Z
What’s the vibe? Well for one, Mr. Flarup is one of our athletes here this week who also competed at the 2006. Now, Peter is here proving that longevity is a real thing in this sport. He’s a three-time Olympian who first competed at the World Championships in 1998. H. Carald Z competed at the FEI Eventing World Championships for Young Horses both as a six- and a seven-year-old and now steps up to make this debut for Denmark.
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Chef d’equipe: Pedro Rey
Individual Rider(s) and Horse(s):
- Esteban Benetiz Valle and Utrera AA 35 1
What’s the vibe? The well-traveled individual pair for Spain brings forward Olympic experience — they finished top 50 as individuals in Paris two years ago that would’ve been a shade higher had it not been for a pesky flag penalty on cross country. This year, they’re coming in to Aachen on strong form, including a podium finish at Kronenberg’s CCI4*-S earlier this season. This is a pair here to represent a country flush with blood horses but not particularly flush with top-level eventing athletes, and while they won’t be in the hunt for a title this week, they shouldn’t be counted out of the competitive mix especially if they can secure clear jumping rounds to finish off strong.
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Chef d’equipe: Elmo Jankari
Individual Rider(s) and Horse(s):
- Axel Lindburg and Quelle Bonne
- Sanna Siltakorpi and Bofey Click
What’s the vibe? After Finnish Olympic rider Elmo Jankari stepped into the Chef d’equipe role for his country (while also still actively competing himself), he’s very much taken on the coach role with aplomb. Finland continues to develop its talent for the future, and they do have some experience on their squad at this juncture. Sanna Siltakorpi, who competed in the Tokyo Olympics with the 17-year-old Bofey Click, comes forward for her third World Championship berth, is joined by senior team debutant Axel Lindburg with Quelle Bonne, representing a spread of experience to build on from here.
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Chef d’equipe: Sándor Fülöp
Individual Rider(s) and Horse(s):
- Noémi Viola Doerfer and Piltown Harry
- Balázs Kaizinger and Clover 15
What’s the vibe? Present and future are on display this week for the Hungarian contingent. On one side, we’ve got Balázs Kaizinger, an Olympian in Paris and also a Pratoni World Championships competitor in 2022. Balázs teams up once more with his Pratoni partner, Clover 15, providing a depth of experience to complement the fresh-faced Noémi Viola Doerfer, who is young in her eventing career but has already represented Hungary at the European Championships (2025). Noémi, who got her start in vaulting and eventually picked up eventing in the waning days of the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. Since then, she’s worked with the likes of Irish five-star winner Austin O’Connor and has experienced every move-up with the 11-year-old Piltown Harry. After missing out on Paris qualification, this World Championships debut surely feels sweet. Now, it’s time to bring it on.
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Chef d’equipe: Sandeep Dewan
Individual Rider(s) and Horse(s):
- Ashish Limaye and D’Avril du Pinier
- Fouaad Mirza and Mokatoo
What’s the vibe? Riding the high that comes with reaching the next rung on the developing nation ladder — a second horse and rider qualified and presenting on the world stage. For years now, the very capable German-based Fouaad has been India’s trailblazer, putting the south Asian country’s flag successfully into the mix at the Olympics and beyond. That sort of work tends to have a knock-on effect in terms of interest and support, and we’re seeing the fruits of that writ large in Ashish Limaye, who steps up to the global spotlight after winning the Asian Games last year (India’s first-ever gold medallist in the equestrian sports, no less). One champion for a nation can be dismissed as a fluke by naysayers. Two is very, very hard to argue with.
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Chef d’equipe: Deborah Fellous
Individual Rider(s) and Horse(s):
- Noor Slaoui and Legende P
What’s the vibe? Noor is another trailblazer for her home country, and a big advocate for furthering equestrian sports in Morocco. After growing up riding donkeys in the mountains and later moving to the UK to base and train (and establish a small breeding program, much of which features Moroccan breeding lines), Noor got her first call up to the Olympics with her veteran partner, Cash In Hand, in 2024. This year, Noor demonstrates her depth as well as her skill in developing horses with a new debut horse, Legende P. Noor’s impact in Morocco and beyond can’t be understated, and again: equestrian sports’ growth here can directly be attributed to the visibility of their athletes on the world stage. This matters a lot. Legende P is shorter on experience at this level, having just stepped up at the end of the 2025 season, but he’s finished in the top 10 at Strzegom’s CCI4*-L and should have an experience to build off of this week in Aachen.
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Chef d’equipe: Pawel Spisak
Individual Rider(s) and Horse(s):
- Joanna Pawlak and Armin de Monsieur
What’s the vibe? Poland is another country that has fielded teams at the major Championship level in the past, but has found themselves thinner on horse and rider power in more recent years. One veteran for the Polish is Joanna Pawlak, who got her first Olympic call for Tokyo in 2021 and who also has ridden for Poland at the European Championships as a junior and a senior rider. She brings forward a new horse for this effort in the 13-year-old Armin de Monsieur, who’s got a couple seasons of four-star experience under his girth at this stage and has really come into his own on cross country over the last season. Sometimes, the bigger the challenge, the better the step up is, and that will be Joanna’s hope this week. Even more, earning experience like this for a horse that will be 15 at the next Olympic Games will have value in spades for Poland.
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Chef d’equipe: Maxime Livio
Individual Rider(s) and Horse(s):
- Weerapat Pitakanonda and B.Grimm Chateau de Versailles M2S
- Korntawat Samran and B.Grimm Carouzo Bois Marotin
What’s the vibe? Thailand fielded their first-ever eventing team for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and they return two of those team members for this week’s action in Aachen. One of the biggest supporters of equestrian sport in Thailand is one Harald Link, CEO of B. Grimm Group. He’s supported venues like the Thai Polo & Equestrian Club in Pattaya, Thailand (site of the most recent FEI Asian Championships) and also retains ownership on the two horses paired up with the Thai riders this week. The southeast Asian community has put massive amounts of effort into growing the sport in their region, and with veteran riders such as Maxime Livio (FRA) stepping in to lend expertise as a coach and mentor, the future is bright for a region of the world that’s long gone underserved within the sport of eventing.
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Chef d’equipe: Emrah Haluk Akdere
Individual Rider(s) and Horse(s):
- Kumru Say and Baladin de l’Ocean LA
What’s the vibe? Glowy. You may recall Kumru Say from a feature we ran on her during the 2025 FEI Eventing European Championships, where she made her senior team debut just a few years into her eventing career, putting Türkiye on the European Championships roster for the first time. Originating from a show jumping background, Kumru made the transition to eventing after experiencing her first event and catching the bug. She approached India’s Fouaad Mirza after watching him ride at a show — happenstance made it so she was just a short distance from his home base in Germany — and has trained with him throughout her burgeoning career. Her success in the sport has breathed new life into her home country of Türkiye (and for our U.S. readers, a connection: Kumru spent much of her childhood living in New York), which now hosts eventing competitions of its own. This week marks the first time Türkiye has sent a rider to the World Championships, so it’s a monumental occasion for yet another country in which eventing now has a future.
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