STEVE GUERDAT & DYNAMIX DE BELHÈME CROWNED SHOWJUMPING WORLD CHAMPIONS - FEI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AACHEN 2026
Five clear rounds, 145 horse-and-rider combinations, and one exceptional mare: the Individual Final of the FEI Jumping World Championships became the ultimate test of quality, resilience, and trust.
In a two-round format and in a course designed by Frank Rothenberger, both rounds proved highly compelling. In the first round, several riders had the last fence down, denying them a clear round, while all four German riders who have been very consistent and have won a Team Gold medal, collected four faults.
The drama intensified when the crowd and home favourite United Touch S ridden by Richard Vogel, refused to jump the wall. Ben Maher’s Point Break also refused a fence, underscoring the immense pressure on both horses and riders.
In the second round, a serious miscommunication between Scott Brash and his horse Hello Mango led Brash falling right under the rails - a stark reminder of just how much these combinations were wanted to make their mark in this Final, however anything is expected in showjumping.
The competition as whole was an outstanding showcase of elite talent with 24 starters in this Final. Jordan’s Ibrahim Bisharat and Lesther were starters number 25, but have elected to withdraw. The 18-year-old Dez’Ooktoff (Colandro – Mazzeltoff Boogie Woogie x Lys Rouge, breeder: C. Steggink), ridden by Colombia’s Roberto Terán Tafur, finished fifth from the original field of 145 combinations; it was a remarkable performance by an exceptional partnership.
THE TOP THREE
One horse stood above the rest: a very special mare who gave her whole heart and was the only horse to produce five clear rounds during the Championships. That horse was the 13-year-old Selle Français mare Dynamix de Belhème (Snaike de Blondel – Soudaine de Montet x Cornet Obolensky, breeder: Frédéric Aimez), ridden by the outstanding Swiss Olympic medallist Steve Guerdat. After becoming European Champions in 2023, and having won an Individual Bronze medal at the 2018 World Equestrian Games, they have now added Individual Gold to their list of achievements.
Breeder Frédéric Aimez shared: “Dynamix de Belhème comes from the same damline as Nino des Buissonnets. They share the fifth dam, Ma Pomme, a daughter of Furioso xx and a full sister to the world champion Pomone B. I bought Dynamix de Belhème’s dam, Soudaine du Montet, as a four-year-old from my friends Hubert and Brigitte Mazeaud. I bred from Soudaine du Montet straight away, and on the advice of my friend Michel Ruel of Haras de Blondel, we decided to use Snaike de Blondel, also known as Grafton. He is a son of Calvaro Z and seemed to suit Soudaine du Montet well. She is a very pretty, tall, and fairly light bay mare, so we wanted to add strength and bone. Dynamix de Belhème was already a very attractive foal, with a great deal of suppleness and a good character. She was easy and intelligent. I believe Cornet Obolensky brought the intelligence and energy needed to succeed in this very good Selle Français family.”
The 12-year-old NZWB mare LT Holst Freda reached an entirely new level this week under Great Britain’s Harry Charles. He noted: “It is so special to be here. Growing up as a child, Aachen was the place everyone talked about. It does not get any better than this. Back in May, I thought I might as well go on holiday this week because it didn't look likely that I'd be competing here. Then Freda came along and changed everything for me. I made quite a few silly mistakes from a rider’s perspective, but she just kept getting better and better throughout the week. Today, she felt incredible. I have an amazing horse and an amazing team. Her breeder even came all the way from New Zealand to be here today.”
The magnificent 11-year-old Zangersheide-bred stallion Impress-K van ’t Kattenheye Z (Indoktro K van ’t Kattenheye Z – Julia van de Donkhoeve x Vagabond de la Pomme, breeders: Annemarie Strobbe and Tony Raman, Laarne) delivered an outstanding clear round with his 25-year-old Belgian rider, Thibeau Spits. He rode superbly throughout the Championships, bolstered by the support of his grandfather, Jos Ceulemans - himself a breeder and a constant presence at every major show.
Spits reflected: “I never dared to dream of this. It is unbelievable. I never expected to arrive at a Championships in such good form. I felt he was ready; I just needed to give him the right ride. He gave me a great deal of confidence today. I have ridden Impress-K van ’t Kattenheye Z since he was three years old, so it has been quite a journey.”
This Championships began with 145 carefully selected horse-and-rider combinations and ended with three winners only. Behind those horses stand 118 breeders who share the same passion: delivering a foal in the middle of the night, sometimes losing the mare, the foal, or even both, watching a foal grow and flourish, and taking quiet pride in what they have produced.
Dynamix de Belhème’s breeder used embryo transfer to secure offspring from her, and she already has daughters and grandchildren. Breeding is pure passion, and today we saw that passion reflected on the greatest stage imaginable.
--ENDS--
Photo by Louise Dahlstrom
Full results here