Gold - Teresa Leowald (GER), Silver - Iliane Hannalisa Hein (GER) and Bronze - Maeve Deverell (IRL) at the FEI Eventing European Championship for Juniors - Segersjö (SWE) 2026 © FEI/Kim C Lundin

30.08.2026

Germany swept all four titles at the FEI Eventing European Championship for Young Riders and Juniors at Segersjö (SWE), with Mathies Rüder adding Young Riders gold to an already impressive youth Championship record and Teresa Leowald completing a remarkable first Junior European Championship with two gold medals.

Rüder (GER) and Hjoptimus claimed the Young Riders title on their dressage score of 23.7, ahead of Great Britain’s Elizabeth Barratt and Ride For Thais Chaman Dumontceau on 26.0. Pita Schmid (GER) and Favorita V completed the podium on 30.4.

The 21-year-old Rüder came to Segersjö with an impressive youth Championship record, including individual Junior gold in 2022 and team gold in 2023, as well as individual fifth and team bronze at Young Riders level in 2024. He arrived as the reigning German Young Riders Champion, having won the national title with Hjoptimus at Luhmühlen in July.

Final Jumping turns the tables

The individual title was decided in the final minutes of the Championship. Rüder entered the Jumping just 0.1 penalties behind overnight leader Carl Voigt (GER) and DSP Descansado and produced a composed clear round to remain on 23.7.

“For sure, he's only eight years old, so still a young horse, but he gives me the feeling that he's an experienced one. That's why I could ride so well this weekend. He makes it possible,” said Rüder about the Swedish-bred Hjoptimus.

Voigt was the last to enter the arena, but two fences down and time penalties dropped him from first to fourth on 32.8. Barratt, competing as an individual for Great Britain, touched the final fence but left it standing, adding just 0.4 time penalties to secure silver, while Schmid’s 0.8 time penalties were enough for bronze.

There was far more breathing room for Germany in the team competition. Chef d’Equipe Karl-Heinz Nothofer’s Young Riders finished on 86.9, 30.8 penalties ahead of Great Britain on 117.7. France rose from fifth after Cross-Country to take bronze on 120.1, with all three of their counting combinations clear over the fences in Jumping.

“Everything went to plan. The dressage was really good – it was actually our personal best. I wasn’t expecting such a good dressage score. The Cross-Country also went exactly to plan. After the first few fences, he gave me a brilliant rhythm,” said Rüder.

Leowald delivers under pressure

Nothofer had already overseen one German team victory earlier in the day, when his Juniors took gold on 84.8 ahead of Ireland on 94.4 and Great Britain on 104.0. There had been little time to celebrate, however, with his Young Riders still to come.

“This year, we knew we had a strong team with all here. I’m happy that we managed to keep it together until the end. The key to success is having a good team behind the Athletes and horses – the trainers, the vet, everyone working together. We also need the mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters – the whole team around the Athletes,” said Nothofer.

Leowald (GER) and DJ Continus led the Junior individual Championship from start to finish. The 17-year-old completed on her dressage score of 25.8, just ahead of teammate Iliane Hannalisa Hein and Akeby’s Quemiro Silla on 26.1 and Ireland’s Maeve Deverell and Annaharvey Dunowen on 26.8.

All three medallists finished on their dressage scores, and with only 1.0 penalty separating them before the final Jumping, none could afford a fence down.

“It was a very difficult and tricky situation for me to go as the last rider into the arena, but the conditions here are perfect, and we had a brilliant round,” said Leowald.

Segersjö was Leowald’s first Junior European Championship after competing at Pony level in 2025. DJ Continus, previously a Jumping horse, has been competing in Eventing for only around 18 months.

“It was like a dream. I never even thought about it before I came here. My first Junior European Championships – it was just incredible to be here and then to get two gold medals,” said Leowald.

A Championship setting

The Championships returned to Segersjö for the third time, following 2005 and 2021. Cross-Country Course Designer Eric Winter (GBR), who has designed Badminton since 2017 and also created the Championship track here in 2021, again made use of the estate park and woodland close to Lake Hjälmaren.

The Cross-Country played out differently across the two Championships. In the Young Riders, Germany tightened its grip as Voigt and Rüder held the top two places and Schmid climbed from ninth to fourth, all three completing without adding to their Dressage scores.

The Junior leaderboard proved even harder to shift. The five leading combinations all completed Cross-Country without adding penalties, setting up a final Jumping in which just 2.1 penalties covered the top five – and ultimately leaving the three individual medallists to finish the Championship on the same scores with which they had started it.

Nothofer, who was also at Segersjö in 2021, described it as a perfect venue for young athletes, with its welcoming, close-knit atmosphere. Germany, he noted, has often enjoyed good Championships at Segersjö – and this time his teams left Sweden with all four titles.

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