-- Text and Photos © Astrid Appels - NO REPRODUCTION ALLOWED (no screenshots for social media!)
This article expresses Eurodressage's' eye-witness account and opinion about the competition.
Something special is in the air in Hagen. With fever building for the 2026 World Championships in Aachen in one month's time, the dice are about to be cast when it comes to team selection. This weekend's CDI's in Hagen, Hartpury and Macon are decisive for several nations while reigning World Champion Denmark waits until after Falsterbo next week to make their call.
The Dice Will be Cast
Traditionally the CHIO Aachen is the final team selection trial for many countries before the summer's main championship, but with Aachen hosting this year's World Championships their "Tschio" for dressage did not take place. Hof Kasselmann once again came to the rescue to close the gap and is staging the FEI Nations Cup CDIO in its stead, with two further big tour divisions (4* and 3*) to pepper the menu this weekend (2 - 5 June).
If you are addicted to the sport, your eyes should be on this competition as in Hagen the final hand of cards will be dealt. The stakes are especially high for home nation Germany as the reigning Olympic and European team champion. However four years ago they "only" got bronze at the 2022 World Championships in Herning, but seem hungry for gold again on home turf in Aachen.
Germany did not have the smoothest run towards the CDIO Aachen with several squad riders no longer on call. Ingrid Klimke's Vayron got injured and Hemmer's Denoix had a swollen leg, missing out on the first team trial in Balve which put the Germanophiles on the edge of their seat. A third rider able to score over 75% is essential to have team medal winning potential. Then shooting star Dante's Pearl OLD struggled with health issues which ended their WCH campaign, and Jessica von Bredow-Werndl decided her mare Times Kismet is not ready for a team task. There is a wide opening now for a brand new fourth team rider to claim their spot on Germany's "mannschaft".
American Thriller
This leaves Team USA in a very fragile position. The American squad came to Europe with 8 officially short-listed pairs and a few extra competing in Europe for experience and exposure. Short-listed Anna Marek dropped out two days ago as Fayvel is not fit to compete, while Christian Simonson's Indian Rock didn't even make the trek across the Atlantic. This has left US selectors with only six pairs to choose from in the end. That number could be reduced to five in the worst case scenario if LaPlaca's horse is not deemed fit here in Hagen. Two of U.S.A.'s better scoring pairs of the moment - Ellesse Gundersen (Quintessential) and Adrienne Lyle (Helix) - did not declare their horses for team consideration at the start of the year and are "legally" not eligible for team selection.
The five leftovers are then certain of a team spot, only who will be reserve will need to be decided. But let's be optimistic and hope that GoldPlay just took a bad step and is back to being a spring bunny tomorrow.
Back to Business
Hubertus Schmidt's student and assistant rider was back in business and on top of that, proved reliability under difficult circumstance. While a historic heatwave held Western Europe in a chokehold last week with 40 C temperatures, this week the thermometer dropped to more bearable summer weather, but today had something special in store: three-hours of drizzle and rain and heavy wind right during the Grand Prix class. Hemmer rode in the worst conditions of all 21 riders with a downpour soaking the pair to the bone.
The pair showed off beautiful bridle contact with a horse with a quiet, happy mouth and a rider with soft, supple and steady hands. The half passes were elastic, there could have been a bit more bending in the corners, the first two passage parts were well ridden, the first piaffe had the horse crossing behind and in the second piaffe as well but then the balance and rhythm improved. The two's were lovely, the ones needed to be more straight on the diagonal line. In the zig zag it seemed that the half passes to the left covered more ground than to the right. The pirouettes were well ridden. On the final centerline the horse lost the engagement from behind a bit in the passage before the end halt.
Judges Clive Halsall, Isobel Wessels, Cesar Torrente, Kurt Christensen, and Katrina Wüst rewarded the ride with 77.022% and were quite in unison.
Building for the Future
The 10-year old paints a gorgeous picture, but self-carriage and regularity due to lack of strength seem to be the main issues at the moment and they require time to resolve. The trot extensions are good in overtrack but slightly hurried, the left half pass was uneven in stride length but the crossing of the legs was well done. He did not halt square for the rein back, but the rein back steps were big and diagonal. In passage the stallion has a lot of lift in his legs and a hindleg that comes under but true balance and self carriage are not there. He does transition smoothly into piaffe, but then leans on the shoulders although one can see that it could become really great if he were to take more weight behind. The extended walk had huge overtrack, in the collected he became a bit prancy in front. The second piaffe-passage was the best one. The two's went well but there were issues in the ones and zig zag. In the small pirouette right he tilted to the left. Viva Gold still gapes too often with the mouth to present a willing picture but we can't wait to see what the future brings for this one .
Today they finished on a generous 76.522% with 74.674% being the low score and 77.283% the high score.
HHH
Fourth place went to Raphael Netz and his second Grand Prix horse, Sonja Krall's 13-year old Baden Wurttemberger Dieudonné (by Dante Weltino x Sir Donnerhall). The pair showed big trot extensions and a good rein back to start with. The extended walk is mediocre in the rhythm and in piaffe the horse does not truly sit behind, but Netz presented the horse is a calm and soft way, pleasing to the eye. He scored 72.283%.
Trying for the Team
American Olympian Kasey Perry-Glass and her own 12-year old KWPN gelding Heartbeat WP (by Charmeur x Ferro) have been having a bit of a roller coaster season, scoring fair consistently at the start, but not trending upward before arriving in Europe. In their first Grand Prix of the year in Wellington, they posted 72.022% but then dropped to 68.553% in the Special. In Myakka City and Ocala there was two times 69% in the Grand Prix. However at their last show, the US Championships, they dropped to 63.696%. Fortunately they build confidence today and were back at 69.848% for an 11th place in the class. The first trot extension was very carefully ridden and in the half pass left he was not entirely regular in the rhythm. The passage work needed more collection and also in piaffe one wants to see a horse taking more weight behind. However, Perry-Glass always kept her cool and piloted the horse in a very steady way through the test without major hiccups and consistant in the contact.
The final showdown is also happening for Spain this weekend, with riders spread out between the CDIO Hagen and CDI Macon in France. One Spaniard rode today, Crozet team rider Fransisco Benitez Sanchez and the 10-year old KWPN bred Lord Platinum (by Ferguson x Bretton Woods). They showed progress in the piaffe and passage work and overall the musculature of the horse has improved. They scored 67.022% for 17th place.
-- Text and Photos © Astrid Appels - NO REPRODUCTION ALLOWED (no screenshots for social media!)
Eurodressage took photos of all big and small tour riders, Under 25 and pony riders.
Related Links
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US Equestrian Names Riders for WEG Observation Event at 2026 CDIO Hagen
German Team Announced for 2026 CDIO Hagen, Final German WEG Team Selection Event
