The competition across three disciplines was as hot at the weather on day four at the FEI World Championships in Aachen, Germany. A full day of vaulting, the conclusion of the dressage phase in eventing and a Grand Prix Special for the first individual medals in dressage was on the roster, with the latter resulting in a historic gold for Britain’s Lottie Fry when she successfully defended her title with Glamourdale.
Dressage – Grand Prix Special for individual medals
With the team medal honours and Olympic qualification decided on Wednesday afternoon, today’s action turned to the first individual podium of the FEI Dressage World Championships 2026. The Organising Committee and FEI had made extreme weather mitigations by moving the start time to earlier in the morning and having a longer lunchtime break in the hope of escaping the highest temperatures.
This brought forward the first British combination, Becky Moody and Jagerbomb, who she jointly owns with Jo Cooper.
Becky Moody and Jagerbomb
After a heroic ride on Monday, when a very sprightly ‘Bomb’ gave Becky a tricky few moments through the Grand Prix test, the Yorkshire-based rider perhaps felt she had a point to prove today – despite receiving universal praise for helping the British team take silver a few days previously. With the team pressure removed and safe in the knowledge that the Grand Prix Special is a test they both enjoy, it was a chance to show once again what the world knows they can do.
They came into the cauldron-like arena – which was at around three-quarters of its 40,000 seat capacity – to polite applause, which faded to silence as the bell was rung by the judge at C, Kurt Christensen of Denmark. Becky managed a brief halt and was off into her first extended trot across the diagonal, which she played safe after a loss of balance on Monday cost them. However, with that out of the way, she could really begin to ask more of the Dante Weltino-sired gelding.
Bomb’s passage and piaffe was impressive, with great rhythm and consistency. Through the canter work, the marks really began to rise, with the lines of two- and one-time flying changes really being a highlight. Both canter pirouettes were well-placed and in good rhythm, with the judges awarding eights regularly. The final centre line of piaffe and passage was super, before a final halt brought an enormous cheer from the knowledgeable crowd. The commentator encouraged the praise for the horse and rider who’ve captured so many fans with their story and clear bond. The final score came over the speaker as 77.660%, which put them comfortably into the lead.
After a cool down for both horse and rider, Becky revealed during her media interviews that Bomb had actually pulled off a front shoe in the final warm up. A quick check-over from farrier Mark Watson and vet Andre Buthe showed Bomb was feeling no ill effect, but there just wasn’t enough time to nail the shoe back on, so they’d have to do their test without – making her performance and end score even more remarkable.
“That was much better today. I’m kind of a little frustrated I didn’t manage to do that on Tuesday, but super pleased with how he went in,” Becky stated.
“He was just a little bit more relaxed, a little bit more at ease, and more confident when he went in there. I was careful at the beginning, but as soon as I stopped for that first halt, I didn’t have any of that nervous anticipation I had on Tuesday. I was a little cautious to begin with, but was then able to really build on that as we went through and both of us got a little bit more confident,” she said.
Carl Hester and Fame
Aachen marks Carl Hester’s 25th championship appearance for his country. He claims that these are what keeps him competing because he doesn’t actually enjoy going to shows all that much – he prefers training horses and riders at home, but the chance to represent his country and the adrenaline buzz at a championship lure him back each year. He had a spectacular ride on Wednesday with Fiona Bigwood, Mette Dahl and his own Fame to be instrumental in securing team gold for Britain, so he almost seemed excited for the Grand Prix Special.
He was drawn to go at 15:22, by which the air temperature was due to be about 36oC, so Carl and the British Equestrian support team carefully worked out his pre-test strategy to mitigate the heat but still ensure Fame was prepared to ride in the expansive arena. He chose to school in the covered arena, so they could keep the sun off their backs, and do only a short spell in the final arena before entering for his test.
The seven minutes of the Grand Prix Special was another masterclass from Carl in how to present a test and earn every mark possible. Vitally, it was mistake-free – the canter work was a real highlight, with most of the marks averaging over eight. The final score was 78.298%, which was not quite a personal best, but took the lead as we headed into the last seven combinations.
A delighted Carl said; “It’s one of the highest scores I’ve ever had in the Special. He’s had an 80%, but one wonderful judge gave me an 80% today, so it feels just as good. But what a horse to do that in this weather! Conditions affect how you warm up and because it’s so hot and very close, I warmed up just in the covered arena to keep the sun off his back for half an hour today.
“I made the decision to take his ear bonnet off, which could have gone either way. Normally it helps him with the sound, but I thought it was too hot for that – he needs to be able to get air around him and enjoy the atmosphere as I do.
“It just shows how far he’s come because he lights up in it now rather than running from it. I think that’s the difference between now and a few years ago – he was frightened of atmosphere and frightened of noise, and now I feel he has grown to it,” he explained.
“That horse always, and has done for the past four years given me everything at a championship,” he said proudly.
Lottie Fry and Glamourdale
To come to any championship as the defending title holder brings added pressure and, in the four years since the 2022 World Championships in Herning, Denmark, the sport of dressage and its leading combinations have evolved a great deal. This meant that Lottie Fry and Glamourdale, owned by Van Olst Horses and herself, had to prove that they too had evolved. At 15 years old, the black stallion is in his prime, and Lottie and Anne Van Olst have managed his season – both in terms of competition and breeding – to allow for training and down time, so that he peaked for Aachen. Their careful planning paid off with his superb test in the Grand Prix to clinch the silver for the British team.
However, could they keep the momentum up today? As the penultimate combination to go, the score to beat was that of 80.927% from Danish rider Catherine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle. With a personal best of over 82%, it was certainly in reach for Lottie and Glammy. The combination before them was Germany’s Isabell Werth and Wendy de Fontaine and, as Isabell is the ‘Queen of Aachen’, the home crowd went wild when they finished. Far from putting Glammy off, though, he seemed to feel that the cheers were for him and grew a few inches as he came down the chute to the Main Stadium.
The pair’s trot work was athletic, supple and energetic, with the judges eagerly awarding a large number of eights, but the canter is their strongest pace and they were in the zone. Faultless two-time changes and spectacular one-time changes brought gasps from the crowd and, when they set sail in their trademark extended canter, the crowd stirred even more. When an average mark of 9.9 flashed up on the running scoreboard, the excitement hit fever pitch – every one of the 35,000-strong crowd knew they were watching something special. The final passage-piaffe-passage on the centre line was ridden to a slow handclap by many in the crowd, before a square halt lead to a cacophony of noise and praise for the duo.
It felt like a long wait before the final score was revealed as 82.295% – a shade below their personal best, but that was no matter because the lead was theirs. With one more combination to come, they were guaranteed at least a silver.
The final combination, Katharina Hemmer and Deniox PCH for Germany, impressed in the Grand Prix with their harmonious way of going, but they are relative new comers to this level so it would be a huge test. Their test was again a pleasure to watch, but there were a few errors, which prevented the top marks. The final total was 80.866%, which meant Lottie and Glamourdale had retained their title and, in doing so, written themselves into the history books. Catherine Laudrup-Dufour held onto silver, while it was a bronze for Katherina on her World Championship debut.
“I really haven’t taken it in yet, it was just the most incredible test. Glamourdale knew how important it was and he loved that arena. He did the most amazing test. I think I’m a bit emotional still – it’s still sinking in. It was an amazing feeling. We’ve been really working to this point and hoping we would peak at the right time – for it all just to come together is like a dream,” Lottie declared once she knew the final result.
“I cried my eyes out the whole way out of the test because I was in such shock at how amazing that horse is, and I’ve just been shaking for the last 10 minutes waiting for the final score to go up,” she said.
“I knew what amazing competition we have and how much the sport is improving all the time,” she said. “There are so many incredible horses and riders now. I knew it was going to be really tough, so we’ve just focused on ourselves and didn’t think too much about anyone else. I knew that if it was going to be my time, it was going to be now,” she declared.
Carl Hester finished in sixth – his best Grand Prix Special placing at a World Championship – and Becky Moody was just behind in seventh, meaning all three British riders will progress to the Freestyle under the lights, in front of a capacity 40,000 crowd from 19:00 (16:00 BST) on Saturday. It promises to be a night of dressage action not seen for a long time and more history could be made as Lottie and Glammy attempt to do the double-double.
Eventing – dressage phase complete with Britain in pole position
Strong tests from Gemma Stevens with Flash Cooley and Tom McEwen with JL Dublin on day one put Britain in joint leader position with the Kiwis overnight in the team contest, which gave the perfect platform for the remaining two team riders, Laura Collett and Ros Canter, to build on. The fifth rider, Caroline Harris, was the nominated individual on her World Championship debut.
Laura Collett and London 52
Laura Collett and Karen Bartlett, Keith Scott and her own London 52 have certainly earned themselves a place in the eventing history books with their championship record. With Aachen being their seventh straight championship appearance, there was the chance that a few more pages could be added.
Their test had beautiful flow and presence and, as ever, Laura rode for every mark with the elegant bay ‘Dan’. There was a good number of nines awarded for the judges, with the athletic extended trot and halts pulling the marks. Only a small mistake in the medium walk marred what was a delightful performance. The final score was 22.8.
A delighted Laura commented; “I was really pleased with him. He felt really with me and on the aids, so I was delighted with him. He just had one little jog in the medium walk, which was a shame because he actually felt relaxed up until that point. He knows it’s coming and just slightly anticipated, but once he got into canter, he felt lovely.”
“The test was there or thereabouts with our test at Blenheim last year. Not quite as good as Paris but, for me, Paris was about as near-perfect as you can get and there was a moment in the walk here. This test is an awful lot harder than the one in Paris – the canter is intense, there’s nowhere they can relax and show themselves. I can’t ask any more of him,” she conclude.
Caroline Harris and D. Day
It was a huge day for the Gloucestershire rider who grew up in London, along with her devoted group of owners, Lucy Matthews, Fiona Olivier, Marie-Anne Richardson and Heather Royle, and the little horse with a huge heart who connects them, D. Day. Last year, they were called up for a first senior team appearance at the European Championships and that didn’t go to plan. However, a great 2026 campaign, including taking the win at the Luhmühlen CCI5*, gave them selection for a World Championship debut here in Aachen.
Dressage wouldn’t be D.Day’s forte but, today, he and Caroline produced a pleasing test. The trot work was regular and accurate, but a bit of tension crept in after the walk and through the canter. Caroline used her expertise to get him through safely to the end without any mistakes to score 32.6.
Caroline was delighted with him; “I’m over the moon. He doesn’t find that phase easy at all – we’re not very uphill or have big movement – but he tried really hard for me, There were little bits I definitely could have done better and he got a little bit tense in the walk when I picked him up but, otherwise, he tried really hard.”
“Blenheim was a huge disappointment and took me quite a while to get over, but we started this year with a clean slate, with no pressure. I was just going to go to Luhmühlen and enjoy that, not even thinking we want to get to the Worlds. Then after Belsay, when he went so well, I thought: ‘Oh, there’s a possibility’. Then he was foot-perfect at Luhmühlen,” she explained.
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo
With a spring season which culminated in a historic third Badminton CCI5* win, there aren’t enough superlatives to describe Ros Canter and Archie and Michele Saul’s Lordship Graffalo. Back in the British team after a year’s hiatus while Ros was pregnant, the duo were the nominated anchors for the team, which meant going in the final, uber-competitive tranche of dressage. Ros often cites that the dressage phase is her favourite but, in ‘Walter’, she has a horse who’s confirmation wouldn’t be ideal for the phase. However, Walter doesn’t do conventional – he’s an exception –vso hopes were high for a competitive score to help the team and put them in contention for individual honours.
In the adjacent stadium, the finale of the Grand Prix Special competition was building, as was the noise and atmosphere. Many horses may have been unnerved by the noise and cheering, but Walter looked as though he felt it was all for him. It was a test packed full of highlights, with horse and rider working together. A slight miscommunication meant the first flying change on the diagonal was late, which was the only notable blip in an otherwise harmonious test, with one judge giving a nine for the final harmony mark. The final score was 23.4.
A very happy Ros said; “He’s an absolute superstar. He’s just so consistent and has the most amazing temperament when you go into a place like that.
“We actually didn’t hear the roar from the crowd next door, but apparently it was fairly huge, but we were walking along, both of us so concentrated. I feel very proud that he can be so close to the top of the leaderboard because he’s quite a blood horse and naturally wants to be a little bit on his forehand, which is why he gallops so well. To allow me to ramp him up like he does is quite amazing,” she said.
At the end of the dressage, Great Britain holds top spot with a total of 72.8, with Germany hot on our heels with 73.6 and France lying third on 84.5. New Zealand, Switzerland and the USA complete the top six.
In the individual standings, a super test by Julia Krajewski and Uelzener’s Nickel for the hosts gave a final total of 22.0, which gives her a 0.8 lead over Laura Collett and London 52. Germany also sits third with Michael Jung, in search of a second World Championship title, riding fischerChipmunk FRH on 23.0. The other British placings are: Ros Canter fourth, Tom McEwen fifth, Gemma Stevens 16th and Caroline Harris =38th.
Soers Saturday
All eyes now turn to the fields of Soers, adjacent to the main showground, for tomorrow’s cross-country phase. Designer Giuseppe Della Chiesa (ITA), who also designed the cross-country at the World Championship in Pratoni del Vivaro in 2022, has produced a technical course which makes clever use of the available space, with plenty of twists and turns. The riders have unanimously declared it a true championship test.
Cross country gets underway at 09:15 (08:15 BST) and the British riders go at:
- Gemma Stevens and Flash Cooley – 10:07 (09:07 BST)
- Tom McEwen and JL Dublin – 11:47 (10:47 BST)
- Laura Collett and London 52 – 13:55 (12:55 BST)
- Caroline Harris and D.Day – 14:15 (13:15 BST)
- Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo – 15:35 (14:35 BST)