Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle, pictured here competing at the 2025 FEI Dressage European Championship in Crozet. Image by FEI/Leanjo de Koster.
With less than a week to go until the 2026 FEI World Championships get underway in Aachen, anticipation is building for one of the strongest dressage fields in recent history. Equestrian Life has all your insights on the leading medal contenders, Australia’s team, and the battle for the coveted team title.
Dressage at the FEI World Championships takes place in the Main Stadium and begins with the Grand Prix test, which runs across two days (11-12 August) and decides both the team medals and who qualifies individually for the Grand Prix Special (top 30 combinations, including those tied for 30th place).
The Grand Prix Special takes place 14 August and the Grand Prix Freestyle will be held 15 August, with individual medals awarded for both tests. The top 18 combinations (including any tied for 18th place) in the Grand Prix Special advance to the Grand Prix Freestyle.
JUSTIN VERBOOMEN & ZONIK PLUS
Belgium’s Justin Verboomen and his 12-year-old stallion, Zonik Plus (Glocks Zonik N.O.P. x Hohenstein) will be aiming for a World Championship gold medal. This combination burst into the spotlight last year after completing the hat-trick at CHIO Aachen and have risen in popularity since. The pair is known for their textbook accurate performance of the movements and Zonik Plus’ relaxation and trust in Verboomen. The current personal best CDI scores for this combination are:
Grand Prix – 83.500% (received at Fontainebleau, 18/04/26)
Grand Prix Special – 82.371% (received at Crozet, 29/08/26)
Grand Prix Freestyle – 91.855% (received at Fontainebleau, 19/04/26)
Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus will have their eyes on gold. Image by FEI/Leanjo de Koster.
CATHRINE LAUDRUP-DUFOUR & MOUNT ST JOHN FREESTYLE
Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle will be another combination looking to secure the individual gold. The 17-year-old mare (Fidermark x Donnerhall) is well established at Grand Prix, claiming an individual bronze at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon with her previous rider, Charlotte Dujardin, and an individual gold (Grand Prix Special) and team silver (second individually in the Grand Prix) with Laudrup-Dufour at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
This elastic and harmonious combination have gone head-to-head with Zonik Plus and Verboomen once, at the FEI European Championships, where they won the Grand Prix and were very closely second to the Belgian combination in the Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle.
In the Grand Prix, the Danish combination’s personal best score is higher than Zonik Plus, while the Belgian combination has scored higher in the Grand Prix Freestyle and Grand Prix Special. However, MSJ Freestyle actually holds a higher mark in the Grand Prix Special with Dujardin; the combination achieved 84.149% together in 2020.
MSJ Freestyle’s personal best scores with Laudrup-Dufour are:
Grand Prix: 84.174% (Herning, 06/03/26)
Grand Prix Special: 81.979% (Paris, 03/08/24)
Grand Prix Freestyle: 91.140% (Göteborg, 22/02/25)
Lottie Fry and Glamourdale, pictured here competing at the 2022 FEI World Championships in Herning where they were crowned champions. Image by FEI/Leanjo De Koster.
LOTTIE FRY & GLAMOURDALE
The most decorated combination in the field is Charlotte ‘Lottie’ Fry and Glamourdale. The 15-year-old stallion (Lord Leatherdale x Negro) is the reigning champion after winning at Herning in 2022 in the Grand Prix Special and Freestyle. Whilst they have not produced their strongest results recently, if the pair ride the tests that we all know they can, they will definitely be keeping everyone on their toes. Their personal best scores in the Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle are higher than both Zonik Plus with Verboomen and MSJ Freestyle with Laudrup-Dufour:
Grand Prix: 81.258% (Riesenbeck, 06/09/23)
Grand Prix Special: 82.508% (Herning, 08/08/22)
Grand Prix Freestyle: 92.379% (Riesenbeck, 10/09/23)
Isabell Werth and Wendy de Fontaine, pictured here competing at the FEI Dressage World Cup Qualifier in Stuttgart. Image by FEI/Leanjo de Koster.
ISABELL WERTH & WENDY DE FONTAINE
A combination not to be discounted is Germany’s Isabell Werth and Wendy de Fontaine. The 12-year-old mare (Sezuan x Blue Hors Soprano) did not finish off the podium at the Paris Olympics and Werth is one of the most renowned dressage riders in history. Their scores have been fairly consistent this year, with their main downfall being tension at times in the walk. Werth will undoubtedly be looking to add to her medal collection, but they will potentially need to receive personal bests in all tests to achieve this – if any rider can pull it off, it is Isabell Werth. This combination’s current personal bests are:
Grand Prix: 81.913% (Hamburg, 15/05/26)
Grand Prix Special: 82.426% (Hagen, 05/07/26)
Grand Prix Freestyle: 90.080% (Herning, 07/03/26)
BECKY MOODY & JAGERBOMB
A crowd favourite following their FEI World Cup Final win in Texas earlier this year is the British combination of Becky Moody and Jagerbomb. The 12-year-old gelding (Dante Weltino x Broere Jazz) was bred by Moody and whilst she says he doesn’t have the fanciest movement, he is truly correct in everything that he does. They share a wonderful partnership and show great promise for finishing in the top ten and keeping the top combinations on their toes, and will most likely be a combination to watch at the Los Angeles Olympic Games 2028 as well.
Grand Prix: 77.236% (Amsterdam, 23/01/26)
Grand Prix Special: 77.796% (Crozet, 29/08/25)
Grand Prix Freestyle: 88.330% (Texas, 11/04/26)
Becky Moody and Jagerbomb are a crowd favourite and set to produce a quality test. Image by FEI/Benjamin Clark.
Marieke van der Putten and Zantana RS2 OLD N.O.P. Image by Hippo Foto/Sharon Vandeput.
MARIEKE VAN DER PUTTEN & ZANTANA RS2 OLD N.O.P.
Another combination that will be keeping riders on their toes is Marieke van der Putten and Zantana RS2 OLD N.O.P of the Netherlands. The 12-year-old mare (Glock’s Zonik x Sir Donnerhall) has had just over 12 months competing at CDI Grand Prix now and is continuing to improve at almost every competition. Their current personal best scores are unlikely to result in a podium finish, but they will certainly be strong for the team placing and also looking ahead to LA 28.
Grand Prix: 77.977% (Rotterdam, 18/06/26)
Grand Prix Special: 76.146% (Exloo, 01/05/26)
Grand Prix Freestyle: 84.580% (Rotterdam, 20/06/26)
Dinja van Liere and Mauro Turfhorst N.O.P. Image by Dirk Caremans/Hippo Foto.
DINJA VAN LIERE & MAURO TURFHORST N.O.P.
A personal favourite and an exciting new combination to watch is the Netherlands’ Dinja van Liere and Mauro Turfhorst N.O.P. The nine-year-old stallion (Glock’s Zonik x Negro) has only had two CDI debuts and shows enormous potential for such a young age.
Similar to Van der Putten and Zantana, this combination is improving with every test and will definitely be one to watch at LA 28. For Aachen, if the combination continues to perform the way they have been, they should comfortably sit inside the top end of the field and go on to debut their first Freestyle test together.
With the Glock’s Zonik progeny shining at the moment, breeders will be interested to see how this young stallion performs on the big stage.
Grand Prix: 75.000% (Rotterdam, 18/06/26)
Grand Prix Special: 74.064% (Rotterdam, 20/06/26)
AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE, OI OI OI
The Australian team was announced in July, with our four combinations fielding a team of established Grand Prix horses and exciting newer combinations. A surprise turn saw Australia’s leading combination, Jayden Brown and WillingaPark Quincy B, being withdrawn from selection by the owners just days before the team announcement. Brown and Quincy had the highest score average at Grand Prix coming into Aachen and it will be a shame to not see them compete.
Simone Pearce and Will Marq. Image by Stefan Lafrentz.
SIMONE PEARCE & WILL MARQ
Dual Olympian Simone Pearce and rising star Will Marq look to be Australian’s strongest combination coming into the Championships. Whilst only ten years old, Will Marq (Rio Marq x Lanciano), owned by Pearce’s fiancé Martin Fuchs, has performed incredibly consistently since debuting at CDI Grand Prix last year. The pair produced two scores of 69% in 2025 and have not scored below 70% in 2026. This young stallion has already proven strength in big atmospheres and will not only be looking to shine at Aachen but will also be a strong contender for LA 28. Their personal best scores are:
Grand Prix: 72.087% (Mannheim 01/05/26)
Grand Prix Special: 71.340% (Munchen-Riem 15/05/26)
Grand Prix Freestyle: 74.830% (Bordeaux, 06/02/26)
Mary Hanna and Ivanhoe. Image by DigiShots.
MARY HANNA & IVANHOE
A six-time Olympian and soon to be seven-time World Championship rider, Mary Hanna is the most experienced on the team and has proven time and time again that she is reliable at Olympic and World Championship level. Mary will be riding her 13-year-old gelding Ivanhoe (Desperados x Broere Jazz), who was selected as the reserve combination for 2024 Paris Olympics and represented Australia at the 2025 World Cup Final in Basel. Whilst the combination hasn’t posted the same 70%+ consistency as Pearce this season, they are currently averaging at 69%, which will be a great score for the team and in the past they have achieved scores well into the 70% range. Their personal best scores are:
Grand Prix: 72.413% (Boneo, 13/10/23)
Grand Prix Special: 71.660% (Caboolture, 16/09/23)
Grand Prix Freestyle: 76.560% (Werribee, 07/12/24)
WILLIAM MATTHEW & FAYE 43
Olympian Will Matthew made his team debut at Paris in 2024 with Mysterious Star, and he is now selected for his first FEI World Championship on Faye 43. The 11-year-old mare (Fuerst Wilhelm x Alajano 2) debuted at CDI Grand Prix earlier this year and is growing in strength with each test.
This combination will definitely have LA 28 in their sights as they continue to gain strength at Grand Prix level. Their personal best scores are:
Grand Prix: 69.043% (Hagen, 03/07/26)
Grand Prix Special: 66.915% (Rotterdam, 20/06/26)
Will Matthew and Faye 43. Image by LL Foto.
Warwick McLean and Le Special. Image by LL Foto.
WARWICK MCLEAN & LE SPECIAL
Warwick McLean and Le Special are both making their major championship debuts. Like Faye, Le Special (Grey Flanell x Sir Oldenburg) is green at the level, only making his CDI Grand Prix debut four months ago. Whilst the ten-year-old gelding is green at the level, he shows great potential with scores increasing at every competition.
It would be no surprise if this combination also has their sights firmly set on LA 28. Their personal best scores:
Grand Prix: 68.196% (received at Lier, 23/05/26)
Grand Prix Special: 67.787% (received at, Lier 24/05/26)
TEAM MEDALS UP FOR GRABS
Aside from the individual competition, the team competition also poses great interest to spectators. Germany is typically the strongest when it comes to teams, however this year a podium finish looks up for grabs.
On the German team, Werth and Wendy have the highest score average followed by Katharina Hemmer and Denoix PCH, who have recently posted two Grand Prix scores of 77%. Frederic Wandres and Bluetooth OLD are a proven component of the German team with a slightly lower Grand Prix trending score, and Raphael Netz with Great Escape Camelot the lower-scoring combination of the team.
Great Britain poses a promisingly consistent team that could top Germany’s. Lottie Fry and Glamourdale are looking to be their high scorers, with Carl Hester and Fame and Becky Moody aboard Jagerbomb aiming to score closely behind with high 70%s likely. Both Moody and Hester are experienced team riders and are certainly able to pull off great tests under pressure; if they continue to produce scores close to the 80% mark like they are, the team gold may just be in their grasp. Ten-year-old mare Donna Bella, ridden by Fiona Bigwood, is the lower-scoring combination in the team with marks trending in the low 70%s.
Denmark and Belgium are in similar positions, with one team member capable of producing massive scores alongside three remaining team members consistently producing low 70% scores. Denmark may have the advantage with more experienced World Championship riders such as Daniel Bachmann Andersen and Carina Cassøe Krüth, who have both been part of previous teams.
The Dutch team could be a real wildcard, with their team made up primarily of promising young combinations at Grand Prix. It will be a test of atmosphere for these horses but if they continue to keep producing personal best scores, they may be able to secure bronze.
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