Top Dressage Riders Prepare for Season Kick-Off as FEI World Cup™ heads to Denmark
Herning, Denmark – The 2025/2026 FEI dressage World Cup™ season is set to launch October 17th in Herning, Denmark, with a strong field of European competitors poised to vie for coveted qualifying spots for the Final in Fort Worth, Texas, in April 2026. The event marks the beginning of the 39th season of the prestigious series.
The opening leg in Herning will feature a Grand Prix on October 17th at 14:00 (local time), followed by the Freestyle to Music on october 18th at 12:00 (local time).
Germany arrives with a powerful team including Isabell Werth and her mare, Headline, who also competed at the 2025 FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final in Basel, Switzerland. Werth and Headline recently secured a World Cup qualifier win in Dunajský Klátov, Slovakia, as part of the Central European League. Additional German entries include Dorothee Schneider with First Romance 2, Raphael Netz (2024 Finalist) with Great Escape camelot, Fabienne Müller-Lütkemeier with Valencia AS, and Moritz Treffinger with Cadeau Noir.
Belgium will be represented by Isabel Cool riding Herr Charmeur Coolhorses and Alexa Fairchild with Fairplay. The Netherlands will send Rowena Weggelaar, 21, a member of the Dutch European Championship team, with Don Quichot, alongside compatriots Geert Jan Raateland (Gladiator) and Jonna Schelstraete (Ironman).
The FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final will return to the United States for the seventh time, and for the first time ever will be held in Fort Worth, Texas, from april 8-12, 2026 – three years after the Finals in Omaha. The series has a rich history in North America, but it’s been 17 years since an American athlete last won the title: Steffen peters and ravel in Las Vegas (2009). Debbie McDonald with Brentina remains the only other U.S. champion, winning in Gothenburg (2003).
The North American League (NAL) began its 2025/2026 campaign last month in Devon, USA, with a victory by Benjamin Ebeling and Bellena (owned by Ann Romney).The NAL calendar includes further qualifiers in Canada, Mexico, and across the United States.
This year’s Western European League consists of ten qualifiers, following the cancellation of Madrid horse Week. The schedule includes Lyon (FRA) and Stuttgart (GER) in November, London (GBR) and Mechelen (BEL) in december, Basel (SUI) and Amsterdam (NED) in January, Neumünster (GER) and Gothenburg (SWE) in February, and concluding in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NED).
The top nine combinations from the Western european league will qualify for the 2026 Final in Fort Worth. Defending champion Charlotte Fry (GBR) automatically qualifies, provided she competes in at least two qualifiers this season, after winning the 2025 title in Basel with Glamourdale.
Fans can find the latest information, results, and standings throughout the 2025/2026 season at https://inside.fei.org/fei/disc/dressage/main-events/world-cup-dressage.
