The 2026 CDI Hagen "Horses and Dreams" competition celebrates its 20th anniversary on 22 - 26 April 2026 and in addition to top international sport, the show will once again set strong standards in national dressage arena.
With renowned series such as the Nurnberger Burgpokal and the Louisdor Cup kicking off in Hagen, the show offers a stage for today’s stars – and those of tomorrow, from Olympic champions to rising stars.
Nurnberger Burgpokal: Werth sets the bar – the others have to deliver
When Isabell Werth arrives at the Nurnberger Burgpokal, it's rarely just about participating but mainly about winning. Ten final appearances speak for themselves. Anyone who wants to win here has to get past her, and that still only happens to a select few. With Feinsten, she presents a new stallion from the Helgstrand stables she has only recently started riding, but who already impressed as a four-year-old dressage horse reserve champion.
Frederic Wandres and Benjamin Werndl are two riders who can no longer be considered mere challengers. Both have long been among the international elite, and both strategically use the Burgpokal series for 7- to 9-year-old dressage horses as part of their training strategy. Wandres has competed in three events so far with the Foundation son, Fänomen de Malleret, and the pair has won all three. A Burgpokal qualification would be the next logical step in their careers. Werndl will attempt to reach his third final with Embolo. Patrik Kittel (SWE), Katharina Hemmer, and Leonie Richter add further competitiveness to the field.
Only the winner is guaranteed a place in the prestigious 35th series final for developing PSG horses at the end of the year; the runner-up can hope to secure a spot as one of the four highest-scoring participants. A good sign: In both 2024 and 2025, the entire podium from Hagen later found itself in the final at Frankfurt's Festhalle.
Louisdor Cup: On the verge of entering the top tier
The Louisdor Prize offers a glimpse into the future of Grand Prix dressage. Designed for eight- to ten-year-old rising Grand Prix horses, it represents the final major training stage before moving up to the highest level. The path to the 2026 final leads through five stages, but for experts, the real story begins at the start of the season.
The opening leg at Horses & Dreams has been considered one of the most exciting events on the calendar for almost two decades, as spectators often get a proverbial glimpse into the crystal ball of dressage. Horses like El Santo NRW, Damon Hill NRW, Desperados FRH, Bella Rose, Weihegold OLD, Cosmo, Emilio, Duke of Britain FRH, DSP Quantaz, Bluetooth OLD, and Fendi first appeared in the placings in Hagen and subsequently went on to write international success stories.
Isabell Werth and her rider Niklaas Feilzer are among those aiming to write the next chapter in this series. Werth, who won the final last year, knows the path from promising young horse to international stardom like few others – and thus sets a clear benchmark once again. Frederic Wandres and Benjamin Werndl are two other trainers in the field whose horses are rarely presented too early, but are all the more poised and confident when they take the step into the Louisdor Prize.
Bianca Nowag-Aulenbrock will be competing with Vaida Girl OLD, a mare who, after her second-place finish in the final of the 2025 burgpokal finals, is taking the next logical step towards Grand Prix level. The performance of Maxi Kira von Platen should also be exciting; with the Lusitano Mantovani's Nuelo das Lezirias, she brings an interesting alternative to the classic dressage bloodlines to the field. Isabell Werth will be debuting a brand new horse, Landgestut Neustadt/Dosse's DSP stallion Back for Good (by Ben Benicio x Quando Quando).
Tickets
Tickets for all event days (Wednesday admission is free), the evening show “Journey Around the World” and all three HALLA Clubbing events are available in advance via Reservix.
https://horses-and-dreams.reservix.de
Related Links
Life Time and Diamante Negro Win Nurnberger Burgpokal and Louisdor Cup Qualifiers at 2025 CDI Hagen
Blog Report from the 2025 CDI Hagen: "The World is Your Oyster"
Photo Report: A Dressage Bouillabaisse at 2025 CDI Hagen
Maxi-Kira von Platen Breaks Barriers with Lusitano Mantovani’s Nuelo at 2025 CDI Hagen