FEI Jumping World Championship Aachen 2026: Guerdat, Spits and Charles. The Medallists in Their Own Words

Gold, silver and bronze reflect on an unforgettable individual final in Aachen: Steve Guerdat on fulfilling a lifelong dream, Thibeau Spits on letting go of pressure after a tough start and Harry Charles on a medal he could hardly believe was possible.

The individual final of the FEI Jumping World Championship Aachen 2026 produced a podium combining experience, emerging talent and three very different journeys.

Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat, riding Dynamix de Belheme, was crowned World Champion, ahead of Belgium’s Thibeau Spits, silver medallist, and Great Britain’s Harry Charles, who took bronze.

After the final, the three medallists reflected on what the achievement meant to them.

Steve Guerdat, World Champion: “Winning here was one of the goals I had in my life.”

 

An emotional Steve Guerdat reflects on fulfilling a lifelong dream in Aachen, the pressure of the championship, the people behind his success and the unique feeling of riding in front of 40,000 spectators.

For Steve Guerdat, becoming World Champion in Aachen is much more than another title in an extraordinary career. Moments after his victory, the Swiss rider struggled to put into words what achieving one of his greatest ambitions meant to him.

Winning here was one of the goals I had in my life. There is not one day that it doesn’t come to my mind. I’ve had a few good results and a few good shows, but I was never able to win this one.

Guerdat said.

Aachen, he explained, had occupied a special place in his thoughts for years.

Every day I look at that wall a hundred times, and I never see my name.

This time, his name will be there.

Despite all his experience at the highest level of the sport, Guerdat admitted that the possibility of finally achieving his dream brought enormous pressure.

The World Championship itself is something I dreamed of, and I was extremely nervous. This week everything goes your way and you know that you have a chance to get it, but when you see the results, you see how tough it is to get it. There are so many good riders and everything is so tight.

“The week has been very, very long,” he added.

After finally securing the title, the emotion was difficult to describe.

I have no words right now to say what it means. I have what I wanted, and I am so happy. It’s what I’ve dreamed of.

A victory shared with the people behind him

Guerdat also paid tribute to Dynamix de Belheme, his family and the many people behind the achievement.

It takes so many people to bring us here. I’m the one who is lucky enough to be on the podium, but I wish I could take a few other people with me up there and share that with them.

He also paid tribute to Aachen and to everyone involved in creating a championship atmosphere unlike almost anything else in equestrian sport.

I think that one week in the year in Aachen, probably most football players or tennis players wish they could live something like this. 

And, for a rider who has always spoken about the importance of atmosphere, winning in front of the Aachen crowd made the moment even more significant.

I want to go where there is an atmosphere, because this is what makes me want to get up in the morning and give these people something back. I want to feel it. I want to share my round with them and have the feeling that they are with me.

Asked whether he could hear and feel the 40,000 spectators cheering inside the Aachen stadium while he was riding, Guerdat’s answer was immediate.

I feel it. I like to feel it. I want to share my round with them and have the feeling that they are with me when I do the round. I’ve said many times that this is the thing that motivates me. 

For him, that connection with the crowd is one of the main reasons he continues to compete at the highest level.

With the title finally his, Guerdat described a mixture of happiness and almost disbelief.

There are so many mixed feelings in my head, but so much pride and so much happiness. I don’t really want to come down from my cloud.

Aachen: a dream fulfilled

Guerdat had already spoken earlier in the week about what Aachen represents to him. Now, as World Champion, he could finally reflect on achieving something he had wanted for so long.

I don’t think it gets bigger than Aachen. To be honest, I’ve probably thought more about winning Aachen than winning the World Championship.

And after becoming World Champion in this particular arena, there was only one possible way he could imagine making the experience even greater.

I don’t think there is anything better than winning the World Championship here. Maybe they can organise the Olympic Games in Aachen one day but otherwise, I don’t think there is anything better to go for than what we had this year.

His final reflection perhaps summed up the magnitude of the achievement best:

My life is different now because I have what I wanted. I don't really want to come down from my cloud.

Thibeau Spits, Silver medal: “This medal is just unbelievable”

For Thibeau Spits, the silver medal came after a championship in which his emotions had changed dramatically from one day to the next.

After a rail earlier in the week, the Belgian admitted that he had felt his individual ambitions slipping away. But that disappointment ultimately allowed him to approach the final with a different mindset.

After the team medal on Friday, I entered without pressure and just tried to enjoy the day and give it my best. This medal is just unbelievable.

His confidence was also built on the feeling that his horse was improving throughout the championship.

Day by day he started to feel better. I felt he was ready for it. I just needed to give him the right ride, and he gave me a lot of confidence for this day.

The result was a World Championship silver medal an achievement that, only days earlier, had seemed far away.

Harry Charles, Bronze medal: “I can't believe it”

For Harry Charles, Aachen was a place that had captured his imagination since childhood, and the emotion of the final reflected just how unlikely his podium finish had seemed.

This place is so special. As a kid growing up, this was the place everyone talked about. You saw all the titles and the people winning here.

His route to the podium had been anything but predictable. Even going into the final day, Charles admitted that a medal seemed unlikely.

Even today, starting in 22nd, I was thinking: do I even jump?

What followed transformed the championship for the British rider.

Basically, two double clears today and I ended up with a medal. I can't believe it.

Charles was quick to credit the horse and the team around him for making the result possible.

I'm very lucky to have an incredible horse and an incredible team. To end up here with these two guys is just amazing.

A podium with strong IJRC connections

The Aachen podium also carries particular significance for the International Jumping Riders Club.

New World Champion Steve Guerdat is a member of the IJRC Board, while silver medallist Thibeau Spits and bronze medallist Harry Charles have both been part of the Young Riders Academy, the programme supported by the IJRC and Rolex to develop the next generation of international jumping athletes.

One lifelong ambition finally realised, two young riders on their first individual World Championship podium: Aachen produced three distinct paths to the same result, each carrying its own weight for the sport.