2026 FEI World Championships: Julien Épaillard Claims Speed Class Victory

A Masterclass by Julien Épaillard and Fringan de Vesquerie

Riding near the end of the class as pressure mounted for the French team, Julien Épaillard put on a display of agility and speed aboard Fringan de Vesquerie. Stopping the clock at 70.60 seconds without a single fault, the French rider took the lead of the championship with over a second to spare over his closest competitors.

Despite this top-tier performance, the French rider remained pragmatic about the technical adjustments made on course to compensate for his partner's brief loss of focus:

“We came here to fight for a team medal. Today, I couldn't follow the exact plan: after a very long approach to the preceding oxer, I had to add a stride in front of the wall to get Fringan back on his haunches, which cost me a second. But he finished the course perfectly. He's a true championship horse with boundless energy for whom the word fatigue doesn't exist. He is sometimes a bit distracted by the environment, but he is gaining experience. For the rest of the competition and Friday night's final, I'm not worried; the key is to stay focused and give our best.”

Provisional Top 5 in the World Championship Speed Class

The speed class delivered tight results behind the French flyer. Time differences already translate into fractional penalty points for the rest of the competition:

France Between Joy and Close Calls

The French team experienced a mixed scenario on this demanding track. Earlier in the day, Nina Mallevaey set a strong tone by posting a very clean clear round on Dynastie de Beaufour (74.46). Olivier Perreau incurred an unfortunate fault at oxer number 10 with GL Events*Dorai d’Aiguilly, resulting in 4 seconds of time penalties. “I made a technical mistake on that oxer, where I decided to ride nine strides and found myself too far off,” the rider admitted as he left the arena.

Tension rose a notch during Antoine Ermann's trip. Confronted with an unyielding refusal from Floyd des Prés at the entrance of the double combination number 9 over a water tray, the young rider incurred a heavy penalty:

“On the double, the first water tray was particularly forward. I think arriving too close made him misunderstand. He really shut down and I couldn't jump.”

Thanks to Julien Épaillard's exceptional time, France nevertheless maintains a very favorable position for the remainder of the events.

Favorites Under Pressure and Brazilian Heartbreak

Among international contenders, alongside Sophie Hinners at the front, Germany's Daniel Deusser matched Steve Guerdat's time (72.32). European Champion Richard Vogel knocked a rail at vertical number 11, as did Sweden's Peder Fredricson, who faltered at the final double after losing a shoe in the warm-up ring.

The competition looks particularly arduous for the Brazilian team. Hit before the event by Yuri Mansur's withdrawal, the South American squad lost their drop score following the elimination of Marlon Módolo Zanotelli, whose mare Dorette drifted away in front of wall number 7. A subsequent clear round by Rodrigo Pessoa aboard Major Tom keeps the nation in the running, but without any margin for error.

Understanding the Rules: From Table C to the Medal Race

To better understand the rest of the competition in Aachen, here are the details of the official FEI regulations governing the conversion of results.

How the Speed Class (Table C) Works

The Speed class is run under Table C. Each knocked rail does not generate standard jumping penalty points, but adds 4 seconds directly to the rider's timed round.

Converting Time into Championship Points

At the end of this first class, each combination's total time (course time plus any added penalties) is converted into points for the overall standings. According to the FEI regulations for competition S1, this calculation is done by subtracting the winner's time from the rider's time and dividing the result by two. These accumulated points serve as the baseline for the rest of the competition.

The Team Standings

The team competition tallies the points earned during the Speed class and the two rounds of the Nations Cup (competition 2). For nations fielding four combinations, only the scores of the top three riders count in each round (the drop score principle). The team with the lowest total score at the end of the second round claims the gold medal.

The Individual Standings

In the individual standings, each rider carries forward all points accumulated since the start of the championship. The top 25 combinations following the team events qualify for the individual final (competition 3). This consists of a first round open to the 25 qualifiers, followed by a decisive second round reserved for the top 12 combinations. The rider with the lowest total points after these five combined rounds is crowned World Champion.