Podium of the Team competition at the FEI Driving European Championships for Youth 2026 with Team Netherlands (Silver), Team Great Britain (Gold) and Team France (Bronze) © FEI / Jagoda Karpinska

An abundance of individual medals was contested as 110 young athletes with 127 horses and ponies from 17 nations competed across seven classes in three age categories during five hot and dusty days of competition in Osorhei (ROU). 

In the team event, the top two nations tied on points, but it was Germany who triumphed ahead of The Netherlands.

Early Winners

The first class to crown a winner was the Children (12-14 years) Pony Single, the largest of the event with 27 entries. Noemie Ghesquiere (FRA) driving De Kuilen’s Brody produced a smooth Cones round and incurred only 1.19 time penalties to total 95.88. Dressage winner Kamilla Penzer (HUN) and Beniamin retained their overnight second position to finish on 96.82 and Bryan Limpens (NED) and Bruintje rose a place for third on 98.94. 

Next was the Juniors (14-18 years) Pony Single class which saw Leo Cordes (SUI) and Eshet Bretz Edacurly rise from fourth to win the class on 128.57. Marathon winner Leo added only 2.10 in time penalties, which was a Cones win too, and moved comfortably ahead of overnight leader Ella Thorén (SWE) and Flash who finished on 131.44. Sophia Ihnen (GER) and Reitland’s Feenzauber climbed two places for third on 135.47.

Germany took their first individual title in the Juniors Pony Pair division when Dressage winner Nele Englemann (GER) retained the lead by winning the Cones to score 140.54. Gábor Márk Varga (HUN) rose three places for second on 159.01, ahead of Bice Castelli (ITA) who stayed in third place on 162.00.

The Junior Horse Single win went to Prins Lejeune (BEL) and Hector who crept up the order after each phase, and won the Cones, to finish on 133.82. Overnight leader and Marathon winner Marvin Schildt (GER) slipped to second after a costly Cones round which added 11.76 to his final score of 139.72. Afonso Ribeiro (POR) dropped a place to third on 148.57.

Challenging Conditions

As U25 Single Pony winner Sophia Routledge (GBR) and Mister Dream VD Achterhoeve entered the arena for their Cones, a whirlwind started to swirl, whipping up the dusty surface and upending the course. The event was briefly halted to allow the weather to settle and Sophia returned to the rebuilt course with her aunt, former Pony Pair World Champion Anna Grayston, on the carriage as groom. Sitting in fourth after two phases, Sophia’s total of 129.46 put her ahead of Cones winner Renate Provoost (NED) and Quibus’s 129.75 by only 0.29 to clinch the title. Francesca Consolini (ITA) and Minerva Lamborghini stayed in third on 133.67.

With four entries in the U25 Pony Pairs, the positions stayed the same after each phase and Dressage leader Dániel Saru (HUN) kept ahead on 139.51. Jonathan Grüber (GER) was next on 143.72, and Marathon winner Michele Schildt (GER) was third on 152.12.

The last individual title to settle was in the well supported U25 Horse Singles class. Come Boisteau (FRA) and Drole De Dame D’Aury were the penultimate combination to enter the arena and in winning the Cones clinched the title on 133.57. Gábor Görög (HUN) and Johny rose a place to finish second on 142.56 while overnight leaders and the final athlete to tackle Johan Jacobs’ (NED) testing course, Daphne Pouwels (NED) with Frido, dropped to third on 142.99.

Tight Teams Contest 

The nations’ event had ten teams vying for podium places. Two athletes from the three age sections made up the teams of six, with one score per ‘pair’ dropped in each phase. Although Germany maintained their lead throughout, strong Cones performances from The Netherlands meant that both nations ended on 364.63. But because Germany had the better Marathon result, they took the gold. 

The showdown for bronze was also close as Come Boisteau’s Cones round gave France the final podium place on 366.92, consigning the British to another fourth on 369.95.

FULL RESULTS