We Speak Horses
Faultless in Aachen: Steve Guerdat and Dynamix de Belheme Finally Take World Gold
Forty thousand people in Aachen’s Main Stadium watched a career complete itself. Steve Guerdat of Switzerland and his 13-year-old mare Dynamix de Belheme won individual gold at the FEI Jumping World Championship, finishing on 0.86 penalties as the only combination to complete every round of the week without lowering a single rail.
The silver went to Belgium’s 25-year-old Thibeau Spits, who finished on 5.60 penalties with Impress-K van’t Kattenheye Z, adding individual silver to the team silver he had already secured on Friday. Great Britain’s Harry Charles took bronze aboard LT Holst Freda on 7.17, climbing from 23rd place at the start of Sunday — just three months into his partnership with the mare. Only three combinations jumped double clear across Sunday’s two rounds, and all three stood on the podium.
Guerdat’s gold is a first in Swiss history: no Swiss rider had ever won the individual jumping World Championship title, and he becomes the 19th rider ever to hold it. The final was tight from the start — course designer Frank Rothenberger’s Round A track set 13 obstacles and 16 jumping efforts for the 25 combinations who returned, less than one penalty separated the top five at the start of the day, and only the top 12 advanced to Round B.
The medal is the third straight championship podium for Guerdat and Dynamix de Belheme: European gold at Milan in 2023, Olympic silver at Paris in 2024, and now world gold. It was the one major honour missing from a record that already included Olympic gold at London 2012, three FEI Jumping World Cup Final victories and an individual World Championship bronze at Tryon in 2018. Germany, winners of the team title in the rain on Friday night, were denied a golden home sweep on Sunday.
Guerdat, 44, made no secret of the weight of the moment. “The World Championship is something I dreamed of. I was extremely nervous because I thought this might be my last shot at it,” he said. Of Aachen, he added: “It’s the history of our sport and nothing gets bigger than Aachen.”
Photo: the Aachen podium — Guerdat with Spits and Charles. © Jenny Abrahamsson / World of Showjumping.
We Speak Horses
Jordan Coyle and Cordiamo Win the $100,000 Grand Prix de Penn National in Harrisburg
Jordan Coyle closed out his week at the 80th Pennsylvania National Horse Show the way he spent it: winning. The Irish rider and Cordiamo captured the $100,000 Grand Prix de Penn National on Saturday night in the Harrisburg Coliseum.
From a starting field of 29 over a course designed by Bernardo Costa Cabral, eight pairs advanced to the jump-off. Filip de Wandel and Strongbeau set the time to beat at 38.725 seconds — and then Coyle blew it away, crossing the timers in 31.758 to win by nearly four seconds. Gustavo Xavier Cortez and Action T took second in 35.602, with de Wandel holding third.
It completed a sweep of the week’s two biggest jumper classes for Coyle, who had also won Thursday’s $30,000 1.40m Welcome with the 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding, owned by Elan Farm. Cordiamo was also named the 1.40m Jumper Champion, and Coyle received the Harrisburg Kiwanis Club Challenge Trophy.
“I know he’s a fast horse,” said Coyle, who has had Cordiamo since the gelding was 3. “He’s not going to touch them. There is a big future with him for sure. He’s very careful, he’s very competitive. If I do a good job, I think he’ll jump five-star grand prix competitively.”
The win wrapped the open jumper competition at the 80th edition of the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, held October 8-18 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex.
-
We Speak Jazz2 days agoToronto Jazz Singer Ori Dagan Announces First Live Album ‘Live in the Market’ for October 23 Release
-
We Speak Comedy3 days agoNate Bargatze Plays Rexburg Tomorrow, Then Settles Into Las Vegas on the Record-Breaking Big Dumb Eyes Tour
-
WE Speak MMA3 days agoUFC 334: Gane vs. Hokit, Harrison vs. Nunes Title Fights Set for November 14 at Madison Square Garden
-
We Speak Movies2 days agoAFI Fest 2026 Opens in Hollywood: Laika’s ‘Wildwood’ Kicks Off the Festival’s 40th Edition