Kiichi Harada Wins the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix Championships

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2026 Japanese Grand Prix Championships

Japanese Grand Prix rider Kiichi Harada has won the 2026 Japanese Dressage Championships at Grand Prix level. The nationals traditionally take place in Gotemba at the foot of Fuji mountain and this year they were held on 6 - 8 November 2026.

Two tests counted for the overall ranking: the Grand Prix and Kur to Music. Ten combinations competed in both rounds, 18 started in the Grand Prix in these "All Japan Dressage Championships."

For the fourth time international Grand Prix rider Kiichi Harada captured the national title, this year aboard Masahiro Kosaka's 17-year old KWPN bred Eddieni (by Johnson x Negro). The chestnut gelding has a long illustrious career competing with five different European riders (Theo Hanzon, Agusti Elias, Malin Nilsson, Patrik Kittel and Christoph Koschel) and Kosaka riding him in between, before the chestnut got shipped to Japan and allocated to Koschel's long- time student Harada.

At the 2026 Japanese Championships the pair was in control of the field of competitors and topped the Grand Prix with 68.674% and the Kur with 72.645%. He totalled 141.319 points for the win. For Harada this is his fourth title after having previously won in 2015 and 2019 (on Egistar) and in 2021 (on Fairy Tale).

"Frankly I'm really happy and grateful to have been able to ride such a good horse. Eddieni was the international horse my trainer rode, and I knew the quality would be a bit different, but it was definitely different. Feels good and great to be on. It was nice to show you all the good performances, and I enjoyed it too," said Kiichi.

The silver medal went to multi-titleist Shingo Hayashi aboard Havana II after totalling 136.839 points. The bronze was for Yusuke Hasegawa on the Oldenburg bred Denksport (by de Niro x Rubinstein) with 136.811 points.

Photo © courtesy Japan Equestrian Federation

Results - 2026 Japan Grand Prix Championships - Gotemba

Grand Prix

1. Kiichi Harada - Eddieni - 68.674
2. Naoko Hieda - Fantastico - 66.217
3. Yusuke Hasegawa - Denksport - 66.174
4. Shingo Hayashi - Havana II - 65.979
5. Shingo Hayashi - Fernando - 65.587
6. Masayoshi Yoshida - Satono Homage - 64.696
7. Kazuya Tsuge - Bonjour - 63.696
8. Kazumasa Okada - Rochee K - 63.565
9. Kazuhiko Miyagawa - Broadway - 62.369
10. Yurie Yoshida - Dark Diamond - 62.000
11. Kazuji Sado - TS Neo - 61.826
12. Keisuke Saito - Absinthe - 61.457
13. Toshimi Yasuda - Bernardo U - 60.761
14. Naoko Hieda - Candore - 60.674
15. Masako Morioka - Leon Victor - 60.630
16. Yukako Takigawa - Indurain - 59.304
17. Manabu Ikezu - Furst Amante - 57.435
18. Hirohiko Koyanagi - Floris - 52.587

Grand Prix Kur to Music

1. Kiichi Harada - Eddieni - 72.645
2. Shingo Hayashi - Havana II - 70.910
3. Yusuke Hasegawa - Denksport - 70.640
4. Naoko Hieda - Fantastico - 68.790
5. Masayoshi Yoshida - Satono Homage - 68;545
6. Kazuya Tsuge - Bonjour - 66.690
7. Kazuki Sado - TS Neo - 66.135
8. Kazumasa Okada - Rochee K - 66.080
9. Kazuhiko Miyagawa - Broadway - 64.370
10. Yurie Yoshida - Dark Diamond - 64.185