The FEI World Championships in Aachen, Germany, have concluded, and senior horses proved their mettle in multiple events.

This article highlights the results of senior horses (age 15 and older) in eventing, driving, jumping, dressage (Grand Prix and Special), and para dressage (levels 1-5).

Eventing

Michael Jung of Germany took the individual eventing title aboard 18-year-old fischerChipmunk FRH.

Rosalind Canter of Great Britain took the Silver aboard 14-year-old Lordships Graffalo. Laura Collett of Great Britian took the Bronze aboard 17-year-old London 52.

Britain earned Gold in team eventing with Canter and Collett on their previously named mounts, as well as Tom McEwen aboard 15-year-old JL Dublin and Gemma Stevens aboard 14-year-old Flash Cooley.

Germany’s eventing team took the Silver with Jung on his senior horse, Malin Hansen-Hotopp aboard 14-year-old Carlitos Quidditch K, Julia Krajewski aboard 12-year-old Uelzener’s Nickel, and Libussa Lübbeke on 16-year-old Caramia FRH.

The eventing team Bronze went to the United States. The team consisted of William Coleman on 14-year-old Diabolo, Boyd Martin on 12-year-old Cooley Nutcracker, Phillip Dutton on 11-year-old Denim, and Caroline Pamukcu on 11-year-old HSH Blake.

Individual Driving

Seniors were in abundance in the driving championships. Drivers have five horses from which to choose the four-horse teams they will compete in the dressage, marathon, and cones courses.

Australian Boyd Excell won individual Gold. According to FEI, this was his eighth consecutive FEI Driving World Championship individual title in Aachen.

His driving team consisted of Checkmate, a 19-year-old gelding; Daan 8, an 18-year-old gelding; Hero, a 14-year-old gelding; Mad Max, a 13-year-old stallion; and Mister Bono Van ‘T Hooge, a 9-year-old stallion.

FEI quoted Excell as saying, “I’d like to pay tribute to a horse called Celviro who was injured at Royal Windsor this year and wasn’t able to come. He was a three-day leader for me so there was a bit of a change around for the rest of the season. But I brought my favorite old horse Checkmate, and he’s so good in dressage and cones, and he’s 19, so he gave me a lot of confidence to be strong for the Aachen World Championship. Daan, who is 18 now and has won medals before, was brought in this year because he’s renowned as a fast cones and marathon horse.”

Dries Degieck of Belgium won the individual Silver Medal with a driving team that had no senior horses.

Chester Weber of the United States took the idividual Bronze Medal with a team that had a 21-year-old gelding, a 17-year-old gelding, a 12-year-old gelding, an 11-year-old gelding, and an 8-year-old gelding.

Team Driving

The Netherlands claimed a record 13th team driving Gold, according to the FEI. They had three teams finish. Bram Chardon’s team had a 15 year old, two 13-year-olds, a 12-year-old, and a 9-year-old. Ijsbrand Chardon’s team had a 17-year-old, a 14-year-old, a 12-year-old, and two 8-year-olds. Koos de Ronde’s team had a 21-year-old, an 18-year-old, a 17-year-old, a 13-year-old, and a 9-year-old.

The German team finished fourth. Their three teams included six senior horses.

Show Jumping

Twenty-four of the 138 competitors in individual jumping were 15 years of age or older. The highest placing for a senior (15 or older) was 18-year-old Dez’ Ooktoff in fifth place. Hantano, who finished fourth, was 14 years old.

The German team took Gold in jumping, with no seniors on the roster. Their horses were 11, 12, 13, and 14 years old.

The Belgium team took Silver. The team consisted of Katanga v/h Dingeshof, age 16, and three 11-year-old competitors.

Great Britian’s Bronze Medal team had no senior horses.

The United States team finished fourth, with two 16-year-olds, a 13-year-old, and a 12-year-old.

Dressage Individual Freestyle

Senior horses claimed the top two spots in the individual dressage freestyle. Charlotte Fry of Great Britain took Gold aboard 15-year-old Glamourdale. Catherine Laudrup-Dufour of Denmark took Silver on 17-year-old Mount St John Freestyle.

Isabell Werth of Germany took Bronze on 12-year-old Wendy de Fontaine.

The 16-year-old stallion Fame took seventh, and 15-year-old Great Escape Camelot took eighth to round out the seniors placing in the top 10.

Six of the 18 competitors were 15 or older.

Dressage Individual Grand Prix Special

Fry on Glamourdale took the Gold in this event. Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle took Silver. Katharina Hemmer of Germany took Bronze. She rode 14-year-old Denoix PCH.

Fame took sixth, and Great Escape Camelot took 10th to round out the seniors placing in the top 10.

Eleven of the 30 competitors were 15 or older.

Para Dressage

The para events are graded 1-5 based on rider ability. Following are the results.

Para Grand Prix Grade 1 Results: Four of the eight competitors were seniors, including Fashion Girl (18), El Colorado (17), Doo Schufro (17), and Athene Lindebjerg (19).

Para Grand Prix Grade 2 Results: Two of eight equine competitors in the Grade 2 Para results were senior horses. One finished fourth (Goerklintgaards Quarter, 18) and the other finished eighth (Merlin, 19). The other seven competitors ranged from 8-13 years old.

Para Grand Prix Grade 3 Results: Only one of the eight competitors in the Grade 3 Para results was a senior. Floratina, 18, finished seventh.

The other seven competitors ranged from 9-14 years old.

Para Grand Prix Grade 4 Results: None of the eight competitors in the Grade 4 Para division was a senior. The horses ranged from 8-14 years old. The oldest competitor was 14-year-old Humberto L, who finished fourth.

Para Grand Prix Grade 5 Results: Seniors or near-seniors finished in the top three of the eight competitors in the Grade 5 Para division. Gold Medal winner Fabulous Fidelie and Silver Medal winner Highlander Delight’s were both 14. The 19-year-old Caramba N.O.P. took home the Bronze Medal. The other seven competitors ranged from 10-14 years old.

Final Words

This is not a comprehensive list of every senior horse that competed in the 2026 FEI World Championship in Aachen. You can learn more about the other competitors here.

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  • Kimberly S. Brown and Jewell

    Kimberly S. Brown is an award-winning writer and publisher. She founded My Senior Horse for Equine Network and Linda Mars in her retirement, and now she is an editor of the brand. Brown previously had spent 10 years at Equine Network. Prior to that she worked for three years in equine nutrition after she retired from nearly 30 years working at The Blood-Horse. Brown spent the last 15 years of her time at that organization creating and developing the award-winning The Horse and TheHorse.com.

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