Major changes have been made by the ground jury, veterinarians and the FEI to the start list for the Grand Prix Special. The changes affect the first half of the program to accommodate weather. The new starting times.
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
AACHEN, Germany, Aug. 13, 2026–Competition for individual medals leading to the naming of the dressage World Champion for the next four years begins with the Grand Prix Special Friday in which 30 rider and horse combinations from 17 nations will start.
The event starts at 10:50 Central European Time/4:50am US Eastern with the 21-year-old Austrian Felecita Simoncic on Four Legends the first to start. Six hours later the ride by Germany’s Katharina Hemmer on the American-owned Denoix PCH will complete the event
Both Denmark including with Grand Prix individually top placed Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour on Mount St. John Freestyle and Germany with 2024 Olympic gold medalists Isabell Werth on Wendy de Fontaine and Frederic Wandres on Bluetooth OLD qualified all four of their gold medal team riders for the Special in Aachen’s Main Stadium where the Grand Prix team contest was staged. .
Great Britain with Charlotte “Lottie” Fry on Glamourdale, reigning champions from 2022, Carl Hester on Fame and 2026 World Cup title winner Becky Moody on Jagerbomb are in the Special lineup as are Sweden’s Therese Nilshagen on Navarro, Patrik Kittel on Touchdown and Maria von Essene with Invoice.
Belgium led by Justin Verboomen on Zonik Plus, as well as Portugal and the Netherlands each have two starting combinations.
Christian Simonson on Fleau de Baian is the sole American though standing by in case there is a scratch is Kasey Perry-Glass and Heartbeat W.P. who placed 31st individually in the Grand Prix.
Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu on Jaccardo is only Canadian to have made it into the Special.
So, too, did Julio Mendoza Loor on Jewel’s Goldstrike who rides for his native Ecuador but is based in North Carolina.
Medals will be awarded for the Special.
The top 18–but no more than three from any country–will qualify for the Freestyle to be held under lights Saturday night and expected to draw a capacity crowd to fill the 40,000 seats, the largest dressage platform in the world.
World Championship Grand Prix Special Individual Final
Time Rider/Horse/Nation (all times Central European–US Eastern)
08:30-02:30–Felicita Simoncic/Four Legends Austria
08:41-02.41–Maria Caetano/Hit Plus Portugal
08:52-02:52–Julio Mendoza Loor/Jewel’s Goldstrike Ecuador
09:03-03:03–João Victor Marcari Oliva/Feel Good Vo NRW Brazil
09:14-03:14–Christian Simonson/Fleau de Baian USA
09:25-03:25–José Antonio Garcia Mena/Gladiador Do Lis Spain
09:36-03:36–Nadja Aaboe Sloth/Favour Gersdorf Denmark
09:47-03:47–João Miguel Torrao/Lirio MVL Portugal
09:58-03:58–Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu/Jaccardo Canada
10:09-04:09–Henri Ruoste/Tiffanys Diamond Finland
10:40-04:40–Carina Cassøe Krüth/Heiline’s Danciera Denmark
10:51-04:51–Therese Nilshagen/Navarro Sweden
11:02:05:02–Simone Pearce/Will Marq Australia
11:13-05:13–Patrik Kittel/Touchdown Sweden
11:24-05:24–Maria von Essen/Invoice Sweden
11::35-05:35–Sandra Sysojeva/Maxima Bella Poland
11:46-05:46–Becky Moody/Jagerbomb Great Britain
11:57-05:57–Dinja van Liere/Mauro Turfhorst N.O.P. Netherland
12:08-06:08–Raphael Netz/Great Escape Camelot Germany
12:19-06:19–Larissa Pauluis/Flambeau Belgium
15:00-09:00–Frederic Wandres/Bluetooth OLD Germany
15:11-09:11–Marieke van der Putten/Zantana RS2 OLD N.O.P. Netherlands
15:22-09:22 Carl Hester/Fame Great Britain
15:33-09:33–Isabel Freese/Total Hope OLD Norway
15:44-09:44–Daniel Bachmann Andersen/Flash Gordon 37 Denmark
15:55-09:55–Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour/Mount St John Freestyle Denmark
16:06-10:06–Justin Verboomen/Zonik Plus Belgium
16:17-10:17–Isabell WerthWendy de Fontaine Germany
16:28-10:28–Charlotte Fry/Glamourdale Great Britain
16:39-10:39–Katharina Hemmer/Denoix PCH Germany
