Harry Charles delivered a remarkable comeback to win individual bronze at the FEI Jumping World Championship in Aachen, adding to Great Britain’s team bronze from two days earlier.
Great Britain concluded the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026 with 13 medals across four disciplines, highlighted by Harry Charles and his recent mount, LT Holst Freda, during the final weekend.
The British combination dropped to 59th after Thursday’s competition but recovered to qualify for Sunday’s individual final in 23rd place, delivering an outstanding performance before 40,000 spectators.
Charles and the 12-year-old grey mare jumped clear in both rounds of the 1.65m final, maintaining their score of 7.17 penalties while others ahead lost medal opportunities.
Belgium’s Thibeau Spits and Impress-K van’t Kattenheye Z also produced two clear rounds, adding nothing to their score of 5.60 penalties to take silver.
Only Steve Guerdat and Dynamix de Belheme remained ahead of them. The Swiss partnership completed both rounds without adding to the 0.86 penalties carried forward from the opening speed competition, securing the one major title that had previously been missing from Guerdat’s extraordinary career.
FEI Jumping World Championship, Individual Final at the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026. Photo Credit: FEI/Benjamin Clark
For Charles, bronze represented his first individual medal at a senior championship. It was also Great Britain’s first individual World Championship jumping medal since John Whitaker and Milton won silver in Stockholm in 1990.
The result was made even more impressive by Charles’ short partnership with Freda. Bred and produced in New Zealand, the mare only joined him in May.
“The aim was to put two zeros on the board and see where we ended up,” Charles said. “My horse is just a machine, and she ate up those courses.”
Ben Maher and Point Break had begun the final in third place following three faultless rounds earlier in the week, but a refusal at the planks and subsequent time penalties ended their medal challenge.
Scott Brash and Hello Mango reached the second round in 12th place. Their championship came to an unfortunate end when Brash fell at the treble.
The final individual podium was:
- Gold: Steve Guerdat and Dynamix de Belheme, Switzerland, 0.86 penalties
- Silver: Thibeau Spits and Impress-K van’t Kattenheye Z, Belgium, 5.60 penalties
- Bronze: Harry Charles and LT Holst Freda, Great Britain, 7.17 penalties
Germany takes home gold as Britain secures bronze
Germany delivered a commanding performance to win team gold on home soil, while Great Britain fought its way onto the podium and secured qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Despite heavy rain, 40,000 spectators remained inside Aachen’s Main Stadium to watch the championship reach its conclusion under the floodlights.
Germany began the deciding round in front and never loosened its grip on the title. Marcus Ehning and Coolio 42, Sophie Hinners and Iron Dames Singclair, Daniel Deusser and Otello de Guldenboom, and Richard Vogel with United Touch S completed both days of the team final without lowering a single rail. Germany was the only nation to achieve that feat.
Ehning opened Friday’s round with a clear inside the time before Hinners left every fence standing and added one time penalty. Deusser then delivered the clear round that guaranteed Germany the title before Vogel had even entered the arena.
Vogel completed another faultless jumping round, adding two time penalties. His result became Germany’s discard score as the host nation finished on 4.48 penalties.
Belgium took silver on 11.69, with Great Britain collecting bronze on 12.98.
Photo Credit: FEI/Benjamin Clark
Ben Maher and Point Break and Harry Charles with LT Holst Freda both produced important clear rounds for Britain. It was a particularly significant result for Charles following a difficult round the previous day.
“Yesterday was a pretty low day,” Charles said. “I’m very happy to get a clear finally. There was a lot of relief after the finish line, and the feeling was incredible.”
Adrian Whiteway and Chacco Volo finished on 15 penalties, which became Britain’s discard score.
That left Scott Brash and Hello Mango as the final British combination. One fence down kept Britain behind Belgium, whose anchor rider Abdel Saïd and Wathnan Quaker Brimbelles Z secured silver with a decisive clear.
The final team podium was:
- Gold: Germany, 4.48 penalties
- Silver: Belgium, 11.69 penalties
- Bronze: Great Britain, 12.98 penalties
The championship also provided the first opportunity for nations to qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. With the United States already qualified as the host nation, Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland, Ireland and France secured team places.
The result gave Britain a second consecutive World Championship team bronze following its third-place finish in Herning in 2022.
Double dressage gold for Lottie Fry and Glamourdale
Charlotte “Lottie” Fry and Glamourdale successfully defended both individual World Championship titles they won in Herning four years ago.
The British combination claimed Grand Prix Special gold with 82.295%, finishing ahead of Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle on 80.927%. Germany’s Katharina Hemmer and Denoix PCH took bronze with 80.865%.
Fry and Glamourdale also won the Grand Prix Freestyle with 91.910%. Laudrup-Dufour earned her second individual silver, while Isabell Werth and Wendy de Fontaine completed the podium for Germany.
Great Britain also secured team silver and qualification for the Los Angeles Olympic Games. Fry, Carl Hester, Becky Moody, and Fiona Bigwood finished on 231.445, behind gold medallists Germany on 235.063. Denmark took bronze with 229.426.
Eventing gold for Great Britain
Britain’s eventer riders led from the opening day and completed the championship on 84.0 penalties, the lowest team score ever recorded at a senior global championship.
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo, Laura Collett and London 52, Tom McEwen and JL Dublin, and Gemma Stevens with Flash Cooley secured team gold ahead of Germany, with the United States taking bronze.
The victory also secured Great Britain’s eventing team qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH won the individual title for Germany, finishing on their dressage score of 23.0.
Canter and Lordships Graffalo finished just 0.4 penalties behind to take silver, while Collett and London 52 completed the individual podium with bronze.
The individual eventing podium was:
Gold: Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH, Germany, 23.0 penalties
Silver: Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo, Great Britain, 23.4 penalties
Bronze: Laura Collett and London 52, Great Britain, 23.6 penalties
Five para dressage medals for Britain
Great Britain added five medals during the para dressage competition.
Sophie Wells and MSJ Gold Standard became Grade V individual World Champions with 74.949%.
StädteRegion Aachen. © FEI/Leanjo de Koster
Mari Durward-Akhurst and Athene Lindebjerg earned silver in the Grade I individual championship. At the same time, Jemima Green and Fantabulous and Nicola Naylor with Humberto L secured individual bronze medals in Grades II and IV respectively.
Green and Fantabulous later added a second medal when they won silver in the Grade II freestyle.
Britain finished fifth in the para dressage team competition, securing qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games. The United States won team gold, Germany took silver, and the Netherlands claimed bronze.
Driving and vaulting complete the Aachen programme
Australia’s Boyd Exell secured an eighth consecutive individual four-in-hand driving world title.
The Netherlands won the driving team competition, with Australia taking silver and Belgium completing the podium in bronze.
Germany and France were among the leading nations in the vaulting championships, with titles awarded across the individual female, individual male, squad and nations team competitions. Great Britain did not add to its medal total in either driving or vaulting.
Great Britain finishes third in the medal table
Great Britain completed the championships with four gold, four silver and five bronze medals, placing third in the overall medal table.
Germany topped the standings with 20 medals, while the United States finished second with eight.
Britain’s 13-medal total included:
- Double dressage gold for Lottie Fry and Glamourdale
- Dressage team silver
- Eventing team gold
- Individual eventing silver and bronze
- Jumping team and individual bronze
- One gold, two silver and two bronze medals in para dressage
Alongside the medals, Britain secured team qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games in dressage, eventing and jumping, as well as qualification for the 2028 Paralympic Games in para dressage.
Featured image: Harry Charles, individual bronze medallist at the FEI Jumping World Championship, pictured with his wife, Eve Jobs, at the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026. Photo: FEI/Benjamin Clark
