The 2026 Para Dressage World Championships have taken place in Aachen, Germany as part of the FEI World Championships (11-23 August). There were five grades of competition, with two sets of individual medals for each grade, plus the overall team medals.
Horse & Hound brought you all the news in the run-up to the event, as well as in-depth reports on the action as it took place. The para dressage competition was held during the second week of the event, starting on Wednesday 19 August and finishing on Sunday 23 August.
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Mari Durward-Akhurst and Athene Lindebjerg (Grade I)
Jemima Green and Fantabulous (Grade II)
Nicola Naylor and Humberto L (Grade IV)
Team
USA
Germany
Netherlands
Freestyle
Row 2 - Cell 1
Jemima Green and Fantabulous (Grade II)
Row 2 - Cell 3
Para Dressage World Championships timetable
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Date
Para dressage
Medal ceremonies
Wednesday 19 August
Individual grade I, II, III
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Thursday 20 August
Individual grade IV, V
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Friday 21 August
Team test grade I, II, III
Row 2 - Cell 2
Saturday 22 August
Team test grade VI, V
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Sunday 23 August
Individual freestyle grade I, II, III, VI, V
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Para dressage World Championships format
Para riders are grouped into five grades according to how their impairment affects their riding.
Grade I is for the most severely impaired athletes (tests are ridden in walk), while grade V is for the least (walk, trot, canter and lateral work). Grades II and III compete in walk and trot, and grade IV includes all three paces plus lateral work.
Riders in grades I to III compete in the short arena, while riders in grades IV and V ride in the long arena.
Nations can send either two individuals or one team of three or four. Every team must include at least one rider from grades I to III, and no more than two from the same grade.
Individual medals
The championships open with the para grand prix A (individual test), held on Wednesday, 19 August for grades I, II and III, and Thursday, 20 August for grades IV and V. Every rider competes in this round and medals are awarded in each of the five grades.
Team medals
Next comes the para grand prix B (team test) – Friday, 21 August for grades I, II and III, Saturday, 22 August for grades IV and V. All team members ride, but only the best three scores count and at least one of those must come from grades I to III. Team medals are based solely on the team test – results from the individual test don’t carry over.
Freestyle medals
Finally, the freestyle – on 23 August – is reserved for the top eight riders in each grade, based on their combined results from the grand prix A and B tests. To qualify, riders must average at least 60% across the two. Each grade has its own freestyle medals too, meaning the five grades each produce two individual medal sets (grand prix A and freestyle) alongside the single team medal – 11 sets of medals in total across the championships.
Paralympic qualification
Aachen doubles as the principal qualification route for the LA28 Paralympics. The seven highest-placed teams, hosts USA aside, secure their team quota places here.
Aachen world championships officials
Para dressage officials
Germany’s Marco Orsini presides over the para dressage judging panel in Aachen, joined by Kjell Myhre (NOR), Kristi Wysocki (USA), Marc Urban (BEL), Katherine Lucheschi (ITA) and Anne Prain (FRA). Juliet Whatley (GBR) serves as technical delegate, with Jaena Alvesparr (SWE) as chief steward. Kerri Sowers (USA) is the chief classifier, alongside Jana Kulichova (CZE).
Aachen previously hosted the FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) in 2006. WEG brought together the World Championships in multiple different equestrian sports every four years between 1990 and 2018. Financial challenges associated with hosting so many disciplines at a single venue proved prohibitive and so since 2022 each of the disciplines have have their own World Championships. For 2026, Aachen was granted the World Championships for six disciplines, so is running a two-week combined World Championships – but it is not a WEG.
‘It is what it is’: Sophie Wells falls agonisingly short of a second individual medal in Aachen
‘He’s extraordinary – like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’: Nicola Naylor and Humberto L sign off from Aachen with brave and demanding freestyle
‘She’s made my dreams come true’: 19-year-old mare bows out after a career like no other
‘I was expecting some massive scores – I didn’t think I’d be one of them’: Brit Jemima Green’s shock freestyle silver
How to watch the FEI World Championships live from anywhere in the world
‘It takes a village’: The US beat their own Paralympic record to win team gold in Aachen
Britain secure Los Angeles 2028 spot despite missing out on the team podium at World Championships
FEI admits rules error and rider taken to hospital in separate Aachen dramas
Spook leaves British rider wondering ‘where are we going?’ as para squad gets team competition under way
‘Dad would be down the pub telling everybody’: Sophie Wells returns to the top with an emotional gold
British World Championship bronze vindicates late horse swap, as Team US cruises to another gold medal
Meet the para dressage riders carrying British hopes at the World Championships
Jemima Green stuns herself with career-best bronze at World Para Dressage Championships
‘This is our story’: Mari Durward-Akhurst’s emotional silver on Britain’s opening day
How to watch the para dressage World Championships live from anywhere in the world
Can anyone beat the USA to the top of the para dressage podium at the Aachen World Championships?
‘No such thing as it can’t be done’: 71-year-old World Championships rider hopes to inspire others – and win medals
Paralympic champions among British para dressage entries for 2026 World Championship
