New Zealand’s jumpers are primed and ready to compete at the 2026 FEI World Championships, which got underway this evening in Aachen, Germany.

Chef d’equipe Tom Tarver says the team has been inspired by the efforts of the eventers who successfully ticked off their LA Olympic Games qualification. “That team qualification is our target,” says Tom. “To get that would be amazing.”

The team riders – Olympians Katie Laurie with Django II and Uma O’Neill with Luigi d’Eclipse, along with Luke Dee and Gangster WW and Sophie Scott with Normandy GHP – have all passed the first horse inspection. “They’ve all settled in well and there’s a good vibe in the camp. We are all very excited for the week ahead. We just need to keep our feet on the ground, the horses healthy and the athletes focussed.”

The Championships are the first opportunity for nations to secure their team slot at the Los Angeles Olympic Games. The seven top teams, excluding host nation the United States, get their tickets to ride. There are 146 athletes representing 51 nations chasing all sorts of glory. For some it is gold or bust, while others making it to the hallowed grounds of Aachen for the 2026 World Championships is their medal.

Sweden are defending both the team and individual gold, but they’ll be expecting some fierce competition in the teams’ competition from Germany, the United States, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Great Britain. The Brits are already riding a high after securing the eventing medal on Sunday and come to Aachen with a very talented team that includes the New Zealand bred mare LT Holst Freda who is now with Harry Charles.

Whatever way the medals fall, one thing is for certain – it is going to be some super, world-class jumping before a packed 40,000 strong crowd in the main arena. The jumping competition starts on Wednesday, with team medals decided on Friday and the individual final on Sunday.

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By Diana Dobson – HP Media Liaison
Photos by Libby Law/ESNZ