Kate Shoemaker, the winner of the FEI Para Dressage World Championship Grade IV Individual Final, with fellow medallists Anna-Lena Niehues and Nicola Naylor. © FEI / Leanjo de Koster

20.08.2026

Day two of the FEI Para Dressage World Championship got underway with the Grade IV competition this morning, which saw the World No.1 crowned World champion.

Kate Shoemaker of the USA wowed the crowds with a foot-perfect test, earning 78.889% to win on the highest score of the competition so far.

As the gravity of her achievement sank in, Shoemaker was thrilled with her result and how the 10-year-old mare felt. “She was completely one with me today and I was already crying before the final halt, I was just so amazingly filled with joy,” she said.

Silver was won by Germany’s Anna-Lena Niehues on her championship debutant, Vive l’Amour, on a score of 74.639%, and the Athlete was delighted with her ride.

“Everything was very good in the test, and I was so pleased with how she felt – the medal as the end result is just a bonus really,” Niehues said of the nine-year-old mare’s performance. “What’s important is to feel like we did our best, and she really did that for me today.”

Great Britain’s Nicola Naylor claimed the bronze medal on her first FEI Para Dressage World Championship appearance with a score of 73.861% and could not have been prouder of how Humberto L performed.

“I thought he was fabulous,” Naylor said of her partner.

“When you’re first to go [into the arena for the competition] and it’s my first time at a World Championship, I can’t say that I wasn’t a bit nervous, but I was super pleased with him.

“I felt like there was a real partnership in there and he actually really trusted me, he was just on fire! I could feel that he was very happy in the canter particularly.”

Wells triumphs in Grade V

It was Great Britain’s team stalwart, Sophie Wells, who scooped the gold medal in the Grade V competition, securing a personal best and her third World title on board the championship debutant, MSJ Gold Standard, with a score of 74.949%.

“I’m really proud of her,” Wells said. “I got the ride on her in December and started competing her pretty much straight away to campaign her [for World Championship team selection].”

The loudest cheer of the day from the Jumping competition in the Aachen Main Arena erupted just as Wells was about to proceed with her second medium trot, but the 10-year-old mare was totally unfazed by the commotion. “I wasn’t particularly worried about the atmosphere here with her, she’s just so chilled, she’d probably love it if she received that level of applause as she entered the arena,” Wells added.

Britney de Jong of the Netherlands and her long-time equine partner Caramba N.O.P. scored 73.154% and clinched the silver for their first and last FEI Para Dressage World Championship Individual medal together.

“It was quite emotional when I came into the arena because this is his last championship and the reality of it kicked in as I was trotting around the edge. He’s super happy in his work, but I want him to retire at the top,” De Jong said of the 19-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding.

The German crowd got to see another of their Athletes step onto the podium on home soil as Regine Mispelkamp claimed the bronze medal on a score of 72.974% with Highlander Delight’s.

“It was so amazing what he gave me [today]. It felt so nice and we’re such a good team,” Mispelkamp said of her partnership with the 14-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding at their second FEI Para Dressage World Championship together.

“It’s fabulous being able to win a medal in Aachen – I saw the 2006 World Equestrian Games here on television and said to myself that this will be my aim to compete here one day, and today that dream came true,” she beamed.

Team competition

Tomorrow sees the start of the Team competition with all Athletes tackling the Grand Prix B test. The Grade II competition starts at 09:00 local time, with Great Britain’s Jemima Green the first to take to the centre line with Fantabulous.

The Grade I competition commences at 11:20 local time with Austria’s Julia Sciancalepore the first to go riding Heinrich IV, before the Grade III competition begins at 14:50 with Belgium’s Emma Vercammen and Odin.

With scores counting towards the FEI Para Dressage World Championship Team medals and qualification for Sunday’s Freestyle competition, and seven qualification spots for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games also up for grabs (not including hosts USA, who automatically qualify), every movement will count towards Team success, more medals and those vital Paralympic qualification spots.

FULL RESULTS