Welcome to Horse & Hound’s live reports from the showjumping World Championships in Aachen. We will be bringing you all the news you need to know as it happens. The competition kicks off on Wednesday 19 August with the opening speed leg, followed by two rounds of team competition on 20-21 August, with the individual final on Sunday 23 August.
Our magazine editor Pippa Roome will be in the Aachen mixed zone interviewing the riders after their rounds, so if you want to know their initial reactions to their performances at the showjumping World Championships, we are here to bring that straight to you.
Pippa will be supported by H&H team members back in the UK, including our showjumping editor Jennifer Donald, alongside Becky Murray and Eleanor Jones, who frequently report from major showjumping competitions. They will be following the live stream and sharing useful insights and analysis of the action, so we look forward to sharing the highs and lows of the 2026 FEI World Championships with you here.
The next session is about to begin where the second team riders will come forward. Sophie Hinners and Iron Dames Singclair are next up for the home side.
What a first session. 34 riders have jumped and Britain's Ben Maher and Point Break, who were fifth to go, have maintained their lead following a super speedy clear on 72.61sec.
Here's how the top 10 is looking at this stage. Times have been converted to coefficient scores, but these will change as the day goes on.
Of these 10 combinations, nine jumped clear. Abdulrahman Alrajhi had four-faults but their quick round keeps them in contention.
Ben Maher (GBR) and Point Break. Time 72.61/score 0.00
Laura Kraut (USA) and Baloutine. Time 72.72/score 0.05
Nayel Nassar (EGY) and ESI Ali. Time 73.41/score 0.40
Marcus Ehning (GER) and Coolio 42. Time 74.16/ score 0.77
Nina Mallevaey (FRA) and Dynastie De Beaufour. Time 74.46/score 0.92
Luke Dee (NZL) and Gangster WW. Time 74.66/score 1.02
Abdulramhman Alrajhi (KSA) and Ventage. Time 75.8/score 1.59
Abdel Said (BEL) and Wathnan Quaker Brimbelles Z. Time 75.85/score 1.62
Jaroslaw Skrzyczynski (POL) and Komboy. Time 76.02/score 1.70
Emanuele Camilli (ITA) and Chacereno PS. Time 76.57/score 1.98
Disappointment for Japan. The team is down to three riders following the elimination of Takasha Haase Shibayama and Karamell M&M. The pair had a sudden stop at the 3a, an oxer. They jumped it on the second attempt but it just got a little messy, the poles came down and Karamell couldn’t gather himself for part B.
First out for Ireland Darragh Kenny and the experienced Eddy Blue tap the oxer at fence 8 for four-faults. This gives them a final time of 78.02 and puts them into 14th at this stage.
A blow for Brazil. Marlon Modolo Zanotelli and Dorette OLD are eliminated after not jumping through the flags at the skinny wall, fence 7. They just veered to the left slightly, putting them outside the flag.
We have seen our quickest round so far, from Spain’s Armando Trapote and Tornado VS, who stopped the clock on 71.73. However, the pair had two poles down and so those eight-faults add eight seconds to the clock, giving them a final 79.73. This puts them down in 13th.
Petronella Andersson and Odina Van Klapscheut have got things under way for defending world champions Sweden. It was a frustrating early four-faults at the second fence, but Petronella used the 12-year-old mare’s athleticism to keep the pace up.
A reminder that a pole down equates to four seconds added to the clock. This means they finish on 76.76sec, into 10th at this stage.
A very fast looking round from Egypt's Nayel Nassar and ESI Ali. The pair were really covering the ground between the fences, and they thundered down to the last, but they slot into third on 73.41sec. It highlights just how quick Ben Maher and Point Break were with those sharp turns really paying off.
Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs had a job on his hands curbing Conner Jei’s enthusiasm, who was giving the fences plenty of air. The pair had the first part of the double 3ab down, adding a frustrating four seconds to their time to finish on 80.64. It’s a fine line between making up time when they have pole down, and giving the fences the respect needed so no more faults occur. Martin jumped the rest clear, but his teammates will be hoping to improve on this.
Ben has discussed his super opening round…
“For him that was a 10 out of 10. I don't say that very often,” aid Ben.
“We can always do things better, but it was very important for me this week to get a rolling start with him so he's really confident to put us in a good start for the team today, but also so he's confident for when the jumps get bigger and wider later on in the week.
“A key factor with him is that he's relaxed, he's very still with his head and he’s taking a great stride. That happened today, allowing me to put him exactly where I wanted to be.”
Ben said Point Break is “like a rubber ball”.
“That gives good and bad points to his jump; sometimes he can throw a very elastic jump and land further or shorter away and I still don't always know exactly where we end up,” said Ben.
“Today I was planning 10 strides to the wall, and he was travelling so relaxed that I managed to do one less and take nine. That’s all Scott (Brash) kept telling me before we went in, have a plan, but have a plan B or C. Fortunately everything went to plan A.”
Ben said it was a nice first course for the horses.
“It’s difficult for course builders here with this many horses,” he said.
“It’s very fair, not too big, but I’m sure it will get progressively difficult as the week goes on.”
Nina Mallevaey and Dynastie De Beaufour have given France a good start. The pair add nothing to their 74.46sec, the fourth fastest time at this early stage. Ben Maher and Point Break are still the quickest on 72.61sec.
A stride miscommunication between Finland's Annina Nordstrom and Fuzhou at the double at 12ab resulted in a fall for Annina at the second part. Both walked away, but this is elimination for the pair.
A pleased Marcus Ehning said Coolio “felt great”.
“Coolio is in really good shape, he gives me a lot of confidence,” said Marcus.
“I had quite a solid round. Maybe I could do one less to the last, but it’s not so easy to start first in the speed class and not see anyone jump before. But the way he jumped, I’m more than happy.”
Marcus had positive things to say about the track.
“The course felt great. We will see now over time,” he said.
“There are already a few clear rounds. I think a couple are already faster than I am, but we will see what my team members do. The pressure is on!”
Denmark’s Zascha Nygaard and Com’on Droko De Maugre were having a lovely round but parted company after a messy jump through the last. Amazingly they made it through the timer before Zascha came off and so their score counts. They had four faults to finish on 80.59.
The course is riding well, five clears from seven combinations - including Laura Kraut and Baloutine for the USA. They are just 11th hundreths of a second behind current leaders Ben Maher and Point Break.
Ben Maher and Point Break - clear on 72.61sec.
Ben Maher has got Britain’s campaign under way with the superb stallion Point Break. Ben meant business taking a strong angle to the firs, a big vertical. They got a little close to the first double and they took a bold tight turn to the wavy planks, but the fences stayed up and they shaved almost two seconds off of Marcus and Coolio 42’s time.
Check out Frank Rothenberger's track.
(Image credit: FEI)
It was a clear round from Germany's pathfinder Marcus Ehning and Coolio 42, part of the gold medal squad at the 2025 Europeans. They stopped the clock on 74.16sec.
It's all about time in this first round competition. A fence down adds four seconds, but a stop does not accrue penalties, only the extra time it takes to approach again.
Wednesday 19 August: showjumping team and individual qualifier
Good morning! This is Becky Murray, H&H senior news writer. The showjumping gets under way in Aachen today and I'll be reporting on the live action as it unfolds.
Today's opening competition is the team and individual qualifier, a speed round against the clock. 145 combinations will tackle Frank Rothenberger's track.
The first rider to go will be Germany's Marcus Ehning with Coolio 42, at 8.30am UK time (9.30am German time).
