VideoThe FEI Eventing World Championships in Aachen, Germany, came down to the final fence in the historic main stadium today, closing out four days of competition with team medals, individual honors and Olympic qualification all on the line.
Fifty-nine combinations came forward for the final jumping phase, facing a 13-obstacle, 16-effort track set by German course designer Frank Rothenberger. Clear rounds were hard to come by: Only 13 combinations, 22% of the field, left every fence standing and finished inside the 91-second time allowed.
Great Britain finished on top with 84.0 penalties, followed by host nation Germany with 95.6 for silver. The United States, fifth after yesterday’s cross country, earned bronze with 113.5 after two riders—Will Coleman (Diabolo) and Boyd Martin (Cooley Nutcracker)—put in double-clear rounds. Phillip Dutton and Demin added just 1.2 time penalties to their score.
Individually, Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH went last into the arena and delivered a clear round to win the title on a score of 23.0. Rosalind Canter and Lordships Graffalo took individual silver on 23.4, with fellow Brit Laura Collett and London 52 rounding out the podium on 28.0. Coleman finished just off the podium in fourth (30.0).
Great Britain’s Record-Setting Team Win
Collett, Canter, Gemma Stevens and Tom McEwen combined for Great Britain’s team gold, capping a week the British squad led from start to finish.
Their final score of 84.0 penalties is the best team finishing score in the history of the Olympic Games and FEI World Championships, breaking Great Britain’s own record of 86.3 set at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games.
McEwen and JL Dublin opened the team’s final-phase effort with one rail down, and Collett and London 52 added 4.4 penalties. Anchor pair Canter and Lordships Graffalo then went clear to secure the title.
“We came here to win a team gold medal, and we’ve done that and added a couple of extras just for a bonus,” Collett said. “All the horses, all the people and all the team have been phenomenal all week, and we’re just very lucky to be part of one hell of a team.”
The win extends Great Britain’s recent run at the top of team eventing: The squad has now won team gold at four of the last five Olympic Games and World Championships, following victories at Tryon (North Carolina) 2018, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. Their only finish off the podium during that stretch came at Pratoni (Italy) 2022, where the team placed fourth.
Jung Makes History on Home Soil
The individual title came down to a battle between two of the sport’s most decorated competitors. Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH had two rails in question early but kept both fences up, then produced a clear round to hold their dressage score of 23.0 and secure the win as the stadium rose for a standing ovation.
“He was jumping amazingly,” Jung said. “Normally a double of verticals at the end of the course is not Chipmunk’s favorite thing, but he was super. And you need luck on your side.”
The winning score of 23.0 is the lowest at an Eventing World Championship since 1980. It’s also Jung’s fifth individual gold medal at an Olympic Games or World Championship—a record. Since first winning a world title in Kentucky in 2010, Jung has won five of the nine global championships held.
For the 18-year-old fischerChipmunk FRH, the win adds to an already deep résumé: The gelding is the reigning Olympic champion and a two-time European individual silver medalist, in 2019 and 2025. The Aachen win also settled unfinished business from Pratoni 2022, where the pair led into the final horse inspection before finishing off the podium.
“I’m speechless. Chipmunk is unbelievable,” Jung said. “He’s doing great dressage, running fast cross country and jumping like a jumping horse: careful, powerful and athletic. It’s a dream to ride him.
“Aachen is always very special. It’s a big thing being in your home country,” he added. “To have all the disciplines together makes it much more special, so much adrenaline, and the stadium has such a cool atmosphere. I was definitely emotional at the end.”
US Riders Climb Leaderboard
Throughout the week, Will Coleman and Diabolo, owned by the Diabolo Group and cared for by Erin Jarboe, added nothing to their original dressage score of 30.0.
“He was just himself all week,” Coleman said. “He is such a star. He is incredible. He knows the job, and I knew he was going to do everything in his power to leave the rails up.”
This was the team’s second-consecutive FEI Eventing World Championships podium finish.
“We were quietly confident we could pull it off today,” chef d’equipe Leslie Law said. “All three boys rode to the standard we know they can ride to. They are all phenomenal riders in the show jumping phase.”
Coleman went on to express gratitude for his teammates after they moved up from sixth after dressage to land on the podium at the end of three intense phases.
“All four of us didn’t get off to the greatest start, but everybody kept a really cool head,” he said. “We kept chipping away throughout the course of the weekend. Our management, Leslie and Karyn [Schuter], exuded a certain amount of confidence, and we fed off that. We made each day count as best we could.”
“It was an emotional week to win a medal here in Aachen,” added Martin, who also contributed a double-clear round to the team’s score today with Liz’s Nutcrackers’ Cooley Nutcracker.
Phillip Dutton made his return to Aachen 20 years after he competed at the 2006 World Equestrian Games at the same facility, where he represented Australia at the time. Aboard Denim, owned by Ann Jones, Ann Lapides, Caroline Moran and Neill Sites and cared for by Emma Yanek. Dutton showcased his experience and consistency as the trailblazer for the team.
“It was a tough track, and the hardest thing is you want to be precise, but then you also have to think about the time allowed,” Dutton said. “My mindset is obviously I want to be clear for the team, but then at the end of the day try not to overanalyze my round and then hopefully celebrate afterwards.”
The fourth team member, Caroline Pamukcu on HSH Blake, was eliminated after a fall on cross country yesterday and praised her teammates today. “They carried the team,” she said. “They’re unbelievable horsemen, and it’s great to watch them and everything they did this week.”
Tamie Smith, who was riding Lillet 3 as an individual, withdrew ahead of the second horse inspection. Lillet 3 finished with a badly placed overreach, with Smith and team making the decision to save her for another day.
Seven Nations Qualify for Los Angeles
The final standings also determined qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The seven highest-placed teams, excluding host nation USA, earned their spots: Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, New Zealand, Sweden and Belgium.
For Belgium, qualification came with relief after the team’s Olympic hopes stayed in question until the final phase. Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Kiarado d’Arville delivered a clear round when it mattered most.
“We were under a lot of pressure for the Olympic ticket, and nothing was going our way from the beginning,” de Liedekerke-Meier said. “You have to ride for the fun, but at the end you ride for your country. I’m so relieved.”
See team and individual results here.
For More:
- See results, orders of go, and more.
- Read more of our coverage from the 2026 FEI World Championships held in Aachen, Germany, from Aug. 11–23, here.