The New Zealand eventing team for the Aachen 2026 World Championships has been confirmed, featuring the four Kiwi riders who won medals at the last worlds.
Five-star winners Tim Price and Falco spearheaded the New Zealand team to bronze four years ago, when they claimed an individual medal of the same colour – recording the same finishing score as Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo, who came fourth. Falco is 17 years old now and a seasoned warhorse, so another brace of medals will likely be the aim again.
Falco has been a great friend to Tim over their decade of international competition together. He was hardly an ingénu at Pratoni 2022; he had already won Pau CCI5* and had a wealth of four-star form. Since those medals in Italy, he has come through an operation to remove a tumour, was sixth at the Paris Olympics, had his front teeth removed and finished second at two five-stars – most recently at Badminton 2026.
Tim has said he wants to be a “heavy contributor” to New Zealand’s quest for a team medal; an individual one would go nicely with that.
Monica Spencer and 15-year-old thoroughbred Artist were also on the bronze medal-winning squad in Italy and have contested seven CCI5*s since then, finishing in the top 10 at five including second at Maryland 2025. They have experience at Aachen, should be in the mix after the first phase and have a superb cross-country record. The final phase can be costly, but they can jump clear.
Clarke Johnstone and Jonelle Price were also on the team podium at Pratoni and are back again for Aachen with a pair of greys who look to be coming into their prime. Clarke is named with Rocket Man, an 11-year-old with solid four-star form, Jonelle with 12-year-old Senor Crocodillo, who has impressed at CCI4*-S and at Luhmühlen five-star in recent years.
Samantha Lissington will make her senior championship debut at the Aachen World Championships aboard the promising Lucas Stone, with whom she won a CCI4*-L at Strzegom in October. Samantha shared on Sunday that her top horse, Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ, was out of contention for the squad owing to injury. Lucas Stone joined Sam’s string as a three-star horse with a view to his being a potential back-up ride for LA28 and Aachen will be the biggest stage the 10-year-old has experienced in his career. But his results at both long- and short-format four-star are excellent and he will be one to watch with interest both at these championships and beyond.
All riders, with the exception of Monica, also have horses on the reserve list.
It’s a strong squad, backed up by an impressive list of reserves – choosing who to leave on the bench will have been no easy task for selectors.
Could the New Zealand challenge for team gold? On paper, that tussle is likely to be between home side Germany and the Brits, neither of which have named their teams yet. At this stage of crystal ball gazing, they should start as favourites for a spot on the team podium, probably silver or bronze, and have some live individual chances for a medal of any colour. The countdown is on…
New Zealand eventing squad for the 2026 Aachen World Championships
The full squad, in alphabetical order by athlete surname, is:
Clarke Johnstone with 11-year-old gelding Rocket Man
Owner: Jean and Rob Johnstone
Breeder: Nicole Nehm
Breeding: by Diacontinus, out of a mare by For Pleasure
Samantha Lissington with 10-year-old Lucas Stone
Owner: Fiona Edwards, Neil Robertson, David Taylor, Claire and Andrew Dubowski, rider and her husband Brayden Lissington
Breeder: Kaisa Kiviniitty
Breeding: by Concreto
Jonelle Price with 12-year-old gelding Senor Crocodillo
Owner: Joe and Alexander Giannamore and Jonelle Price
Breeder: Utersum/Foehr
Breeding: by Connor 48, out of a mare by Exorbitant XX
Tim Price with 17-year-old gelding Falco
Owner: Sue Benson and rider
Breeder: Norbert Nowak
Breeding: by Cardenio 2, out of a mare by Weinberg
Monica Spencer with 15-year-old gelding Artist
Owner: Spencer Eventing
Breeder: Windsor Park Stud Ltd
Breeding: by Guillotine, out of a mare by Volksraad
New Zealand eventing squad reserves for Aachen 2026 World Championships:
James Avery with 12-year-old Dallas 13
Owner: David and Karie Thomson
Breeder: Amy Woodhouse
Breeding: by Dimaggio
Jesse Campbell with 12-year-old gelding Speedwell
Owner: Karen Marguerutte Coumbe, Hannah Caven, Colin Graves, Deborah Strang and rider
Breeder: Ronan Tynan
Breeding: by Cobra, out of a mare by Warrenstown You 2
Clarke Johnstone with 12-year-old gelding Sparky Lad
Owner: Waratah Equestrian PTY Ltd
Breeding: by Smart Missile
Caroline Powell with 14-year-old gelding High Time
Owner: Ruth Armstrong, Serena Greenwell, Jo West and rider
Breeder: Annie Allen
Breeding: by Hemmingway
Samantha Lissington with 12-year-old mare Delarado
Owner: Kate Maitland, Rachel Bessell, rider and her husband Brayden Lissington
Breeder: Kate Maitland
Breeding: by Diarado, out of a mare by Handsome Stranger
Tayla Mason with 15-year-old Centennial
Owner: Sue Rutter and Sonya, Kyle and Tayla Mason
Breeder: Sonya Mason
Breeding: by Euro Sport Centavos, out of a mare by Moonwalker
Jonelle Price with 14-year-old gelding Capitaine De Hus Z
Owner: David and Karie Thomson
Breeder: Haras de Hus
Breeding: by Cosinhus, out of a mare by Fergar Mail
Jonelle Price with 12-year-old gelding Chilli’s Midnight Star
Owner: Nikki Axon and Merrill Halstead
Breeder: Mrs N E Axon
Breeding: by Chilli Morning, out of a mare by Laban
Tim Price with 12-year-old Jarillo
Owner: Lucy Allison, Frances Stead, James and Rachel Good
Breeder: R.Vriend
Breeding: by Dantos, out of a mare by Alicante
Tim Price with 16-year-old Vitali
Owner: Alexander and Joe Giannamore and Tim Price
Breeder: Fielmann Guenther
Breeding: by Contender, out of a mare by Heraldik
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