Great Britain remain firmly in the medal hunt after the opening day of the FEI Dressage World Championship in Aachen, with Becky Moody and Jagerbomb holding provisional second place individually despite a difficult Grand Prix test.
The battle for the first medals of the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026 is already taking shape, with Great Britain sitting third after the opening day of Dressage competition as Germany established an early advantage on home soil.
Becky Moody and Jagerbomb headed into Aachen as one of Britain’s leading combinations following a hugely successful season, which included victory at this year’s FEI Dressage World Cup Final.
However, their opening Grand Prix did not go entirely to plan. Jagerbomb appeared excited and distracted as the pair entered the Main Stadium and several mistakes crept into their test.
Despite those errors, the quality elsewhere was enough to earn 73.820%, leaving Moody and the British-bred Jagerbomb in provisional second place individually at the end of the first day.
“Some of our test was the best we’ve done; some of it was really bad. He was a little too excited and distracted when we entered the arena, but we pulled it back and still had some really good bits,” Moody reflected.
Great Britain finished the day third in the provisional team standings on 143.168%, behind Germany and Denmark, with everything still to play for when the remaining combinations take to the arena on Wednesday.
Germany, who arrived in Aachen among the favourites for team gold, lead on 149.301% and also occupy two of the top three individual positions.
Frederic Wandres and Bluetooth OLD produced the highest score of the opening day, delivering a polished Grand Prix test for 75.963% to take the provisional individual lead.
FEI Dressage World Championship, Aachen (GER) 2026
Grand Prix Team Final & Individual Qualifier Lambertz-Prize
© FEI/Leanjo de Koster
Germany’s Raphael Netz also impressed on his World Championship debut with Great Escape Camelot. Despite an error in the one-time changes, the pair scored 73.338% and currently sit third individually.
German head coach Monica Theodorescu remained cautious despite her team’s strong start.
“Where we are now looks good. We have a clear lead. Frederic rode an amazing test, one of his best Grand Prix tests. His horse was fresh, and they were fault-free and precise. He has swing and is supple: everything we want to see. For now, it looks good, but we continue tomorrow.”
Denmark sit between Germany and Great Britain in the team standings on 144.130%.
Nadja Aaboe Sloth and Favour Gersdorf opened Denmark’s campaign with 71.956%, before the experienced Carina Cassøe Krüth and Heiline’s Danciera added 72.174%.
Behind the leading three nations, Sweden currently hold fourth on 141.087%, with Portugal fifth on 140.078% and Australia sixth with 139.658%.
Australia’s Simone Pearce and Will Marq also made their presence felt individually and currently occupy fourth place after an impressive performance from the relatively new partnership.
The opening day has left plenty still to be decided. Great Britain claimed team silver at the 2022 World Championships in Herning and will need strong scores from their remaining combinations if they are to close the gap to Germany and Denmark when competition resumes.
The Grand Prix team competition continues from 08:20 on Wednesday, 12 August, with the final combination scheduled to enter the arena at 17:50.
At the conclusion of the Grand Prix, the 2026 World Championship team medals will be decided, while the top 30 combinations will progress to the Grand Prix Special and continue the battle for individual honours.
Feature image: Becky Moody (GBR) riding JagerbombFEI Dressage World Championship, Aachen (GER) 2026Grand Prix Team Final & Individual Qualifier Lambertz-Prize© FEI/Leanjo de Koster
