A German Triumph on Home Soil
Driven by the cheers of a packed, roaring stadium, the German show jumping team put on a masterclass to claim the world team title in Aachen. Posting a final team score of 4.48 penalties after two rounds, the squad led by Otto Becker controlled the competition from start to finish. The tone was set in the first round by veteran Marcus Ehning, delivering a flawless clear round aboard Coolio 42, closely matched by Sophie Hinners, who incurred only a single time fault with Iron Dames Singclair.
The highlight of the evening came from Daniel Deusser. Aboard Otello de Guldenboom, the German rider produced a surgically precise clear round, officially locking in the gold medal for his country even before the final anchor rider entered the arena. Closing out the night, Richard Vogel and United Touch S added just two time faults, sealing the victory for the Nationalmannschaft under the Aachen floodlights.
Belgium Takes Silver, Great Britain Earns Bronze
Behind the host nation, the battle for the podium lived up to its billing. Reigning European champions Belgium captured the silver medal with a combined score of 11.69 penalties. The Belgian team showed exemplary composure in the second round thanks to clear rounds from young talent Thibeau Spits aboard Impress-K van't Kattenheye Z and Abdel Saïd riding Wathnan Quaker Brimbelles Z, offsetting the costly 8 faults incurred by Nicola Philippaerts with Katanga van het Dingeshof.
The British Olympic champions rounded out this top-tier podium with a final score of 12.98 penalties. Clean performances by Ben Maher aboard a resurgent Point Break and Harry Charles paired with LT Holst Freda allowed Great Britain to pip the United States at the wire. The American team, sitting third before the final rotation, slipped to fourth place (16.85 penalties) following two fences down by Lillie Keenan and Fasther.
France Accomplishes Mission with LA28 Qualification
For the French camp, emotions mixed relief with sporting disappointment. Aiming for a team medal, Team France finished in eighth place with a total of 24.99 penalties. Facing a selective course built by Frank Rothenberger, the French riders struggled to find the right rhythm. Nina Mallevaey (Dynastie de Beaufour) and Olivier Perreau (GL events Dorai d'Aiguilly) each knocked a rail, faults coming at the entry of the challenging double combination and the oxer, respectively. Later in the order, Antoine Ermann (Floyd des Prés) and Julien Épaillard (Fringan de Vesquerie) each added 8 penalties.
The primary goal of the week was nevertheless achieved: by finishing among the top eight nations, France secured the final direct qualifying spot for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. With the United States (fourth) automatically qualified as the host country, the eighth-place finish provided the coveted Olympic ticket. The French riders thus avoid the pressure of a late-season qualification battle at the upcoming European Championships.
Rules and Format: How the Individual Final Works
Following the conclusion of the team competition, the World Championship takes a brief pause before Sunday's individual showdown. To understand how the standings carry over, a quick format review is essential:
- Carrying Penalties: Unlike other competition formats, riders do not start from scratch. Penalties accumulated since day one (the Speed class and both rounds of the team final) are carried forward.
- The Top 25 Cut: Only the top 25 horse-and-rider combinations in the cumulative individual standings after the team final advance to Sunday's grand finale.
- Sunday's Schedule: The individual final is held over two distinct rounds. All qualifiers jump the first round set at 5.4 feet (1.65 m). Following that opening round, only the top 12 combinations return for the decisive final jump-off.
- Crowned Champion: The World Champion will be the rider who accumulates the lowest total penalties across all five courses jumped throughout the week.
Individual Standings: Nina Mallevaey Sole French Finalist, Dutch Disaster, and Notable Stories
The provisional individual leaderboard is exceptionally tight: the 25 qualified combinations are separated by less than two rails (8 faults), ensuring absolute suspense for Sunday. At the top of the standings, Switzerland's Steve Guerdat (Dynamix de Bélhème) and Germany's Daniel Deusser (Otello de Guldenboom) share first place tied with a minuscule score of 0.86 penalties, closely followed by Ben Maher (Point Break, 1.01 penalties).
For France, Nina Mallevaey will be the sole tricolor representative in Sunday's final. Sitting in 16th place with a total of 5.93 penalties, the young rider is just one rail away from the Top 5 and maintains real chances of securing a top placing. Meanwhile, the individual run ends here for Olivier Perreau, Julien Épaillard, and Antoine Ermann, falling outside the Top 25.
Another major storyline of the evening was the dramatic collapse of the Netherlands. A powerhouse in international show jumping, the Dutch squad failed to place a single rider in the individual final following costly rounds from Harrie Smolders, Bas Moerings, and Willem Greve—a historic setback for the Dutch team.
Finally, the team competitions highlighted several remarkable sporting journeys:
- The standout performance of young Emirati rider Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi, who, paired with Enjoy de la Mure, sits in a superb 11th place (5.01 penalties) after a very mature display of horsemanship.
- The remarkable longevity of Colombia's Roberto Teran Tafur, sitting 8th provisionally (3.58 penalties) with the 18-year-old stallion Dez' Ooktoff.
- The consistency of Italy's Piergiorgio Bucci aboard Hantano, holding provisional 7th place (3.57 penalties).
- Jordanian rider Ibrahim Hani Bisharat claiming the 25th and final ticket for Sunday aboard Lesther (8.66 penalties).
