Team PracAfter two days of competition, the FEI Para Dressage World Championships team final concluded in Aachen, Germany, on Saturday, with the U.S. squad reigning supreme.
It came down to the final rotation of Grade IV riders to decide the silver medal, with home nation Germany edging the Netherlands, who took bronze.
The top seven teams behind host nation USA also confirmed qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Great Britain, Italy, France and Sweden can all plan for LA28.
Team USA Proves Unbeatable
FEI Para Dressage team champions Marie Vonderheyden (Fan Tastico H), Fiona Howard (Diamond Dunes), Rebecca Hart (Floratina) and Kate Shoemaker (Vianne) proved an unbeatable squad. The 2024 Paris Paralympic champions posted an unassailable, record-setting score of 236.13 across the two days of competition to capture gold in Aachen.
“We all have high expectations of ourselves, and we know that they don’t always come to fruition, but to come here at the World Championship and for the team to produce a record for the highest-ever team score is just incredible,” chef d’equipe Michel Assouline said of his team’s performance.
The gold-medal total was built over both days of competition. On the opening day, Friday, Vonderheyden set the tone in Grade I aboard Fan Tastico H, posting a personal-best score of 76.37%.
“I’m so happy and proud of him, but I love that I gave a good score for the team. We’re in a place where it’s important to be there for your teammates and help each other,” Vonderheyden said of the effort.
Howard followed in Grade II with Diamond Dunes, posting an unassailable 79.30% to give the U.S. an early edge.
“He felt great today, even from the first trot around the arena, and he really put his whole heart in there today,” Howard said on Friday. “I’m just so proud of him and so happy that we could do this for the team. As a team, we’re all competitive, but we also really want each other to succeed, and we really support each other. We put so much work into this that we all want to fight for those medals.”
Last to go for the team on Friday, five-time U.S. Paralympian Rebecca Hart tallied a 73.53% for Grade III. She rode her Paralympic mount from Paris, the 18-year-old Hanoverian mare Floratina.
Today, Shoemaker closed out the team’s tally, becoming the first rider to break the 80% barrier at this championship with an 80.46% aboard the 10-year-old Hanoverian mare Vianne.
“I’m completely thrilled with that,” Shoemaker said. “For me, the thing that was most important to me coming into Aachen was the team result. This is really special to me because being in Paris as an individual rider, watching my teammates go up on the podium was a really proud moment, but this time I get the chance to stand on the podium with them.”
Germany Takes Silver on Home Soil
Germany secured another podium finish in Aachen, with Heidemarie Dresing (Poesie 143), Helen Brandt (Vulkan Vegas IB), Anna-Lena Niehues (Vive l’Amour) and Regine Mispelkamp (Highlander Delight’s) totaling 229.87 for silver.
“I’m completely thrilled and super pleased with everyone — they all delivered a truly mega performance,” chef d’equipe Silke Fütterer-Sommer said.
Germany’s tally began on Day 1, when Dresing and the 11-year-old mare Poesie 143 finished second in Grade II with a score of 77.73%—in the mare’s first World Championship start.
“She was amazing; she listened to me and was less nervous today, so I am very happy with this test,” Dresing said of Poesie 143.
Niehues added to the total in Grade IV with a personal-best 76.40% aboard the 9-year-old Westphalian mare Vive l’Amour, and Mispelkamp closed out Germany’s score in Grade V with a 75.73% aboard Highlander Delight’s, competing through a broken foot sustained in an unrelated fall at home.
“It’s sore, but it is better now than it was on the first day of competition,” Mispelkamp said. Of her horse, she added: “He felt like he was flying in there. He was so super and focused on me, and in the canter section he felt like he had grown wings. It was so light and balanced.”
Dutch Riders Round Out the Podium
Bronze went to the Dutch team of Annemarieke Nobel (Doo Schufro), Tessa Baaijens-Van de Vrie (Happy Grace), Rixt van der Horst (Eisma’s Royal Fonq N.O.P.) and Britney de Jong (Caramba N.O.P.), who totaled 227.63.
“I’m very proud of the team to be up on the podium, but I am most proud of the fact that each of the riders could ride the test they had in their mind,” chef d’equipe Noortje Radstake said. “We’re also very happy that we secured our ticket to the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics; if that is all we had achieved this week, I would have been delighted.”
Van der Horst set the pace on the opening day, winning the Grade III Grand Prix B test with the 11-year-old stallion Eisma’s Royal Fonq N.O.P. on a score of 78.46%.
“He was on fire today! We had a really nice, constant and harmonious test. I’m so happy,” van der Horst said. “I’m pleased we could set a good score for the Dutch team. It was really important to, because there are a lot of nations who have a chance of a medal. So we really wanted to do our best, and I was feeling the responsibility with my score for the team today.”
De Jong closed out the Dutch total in Grade V, finishing on 74.60% aboard the 19-year-old gelding Caramba N.O.P. despite an uncharacteristic break to canter during the medium trot.
“It felt fantastic. We don’t normally have that mistake, but I put it to the back of my mind and was so happy with how the test went after that,” de Jong said. “It felt great to be able to put in a good score for the team today, although the pressure was off me a bit thanks to my teammates producing such great results.”
Looking Ahead
The freestyle competition for all five grades begins Sunday at 8:15 a.m. (2:15 a.m. Eastern) local time with Grade III, followed by Grade II, Grade I, Grade IV and then Grade V.
All four U.S. riders are scheduled to compete. See start lists here.
