Aachen, Germany – Day one of dressage kicked off for the Defender U.S. Eventing Squad at the 2026 FEI Eventing World Championships Aachen, hosted in Aachen, Germany, from August 13-16, 2026. Two U.S. combinations rode down the centerline to officially begin the competition. The team currently sits in sixth place overnight with its two final combinations to complete their dressage tests on Friday. Boyd Martin and Cooley Nutcracker will head down the centerline mid-morning, followed by anchor combination Will Coleman and Diabolo rounding out the team combinations later in the afternoon. Tamie Smith and Lillet 3 will represent the U.S. as an individual combination and enter the ring for their test just ahead of Coleman and Diabolo.
“I thought Phillip did a great job. He put in a really solid test, and that mark right now is looking like a really good team dressage score,” said Chef d’Equipe Leslie Law. “Caroline used all her experience to save that test and then get the best marks frm her horse. Going into tomorrow, we should have a very good day.”
Seven-time Olympian Phillip Dutton (West Grove, Pa.) was first in the arena for the U.S. with Denim, a 2015 Holsteiner gelding (Dinken x Ibisco), owned by Ann Jones, Ann Lapides, Caroline Moran, and Neill Sites and cared for by Emma Yanek. The pair earned a score of 32.6 and currently sit in 15th place.
Later in the afternoon, Caroline Pamukcu (Springfield, Pa.) and HSH Blake, a 2015 Irish Sport Horse gelding (BMC Tolan R x Kannan), owned by Mollie Hoff, Sherrie Martin, Caroline Pamukcu, and Deniz Pamukcu and cared for by Chloe Teahan, earned a 32.3 to move just ahead of Dutton and Denim into 14th place.
Competition at the 2026 FEI Eventing World Championships Aachen continues on August 14 with the second day of dressage. The remaining U.S. combinations will compete as follows:
10:50 a.m. GMT+2 / 4:50 a.m. ET: Boyd Martin (Cochranville, Pa.) and Cooley Nutcracker, a 2014 Irish Sport Horse gelding (BMC Tolan R. x Cobra), owned by Liz’s Nutcrackers and cared for by Stephanie Simpson
2:51 p.m. GMT+2 / 8:51 a.m. ET: Tamie Smith (Murietta, Calif.) and Lillet 3, a 2016 Holsteiner mare (SIEC Livello x Calido I), owned by Molly and Jennifer Duda and cared for by Savannah Gwin
3:12 p.m. GMT+2 / 9:12 a.m. ET: Will Coleman (Free Union, Va.) and Diabolo, a 2012 Holsteiner gelding (Diarado x Aljano 2), owned by the Diabolo Group and cared for by Erin Jarboe
Results
Dressage Results | Standings
Competition Information
The 2026 FEI Eventing World Championships Aachen will be the highlight of international eventing competition on this year’s calendar and will be hosted during the first week of the 2026 FEI World Championships Aachen. Competition will begin on Thursday, August 13, with the first day of dressage beginning at 9:30 a.m. GMT+2/3:30 a.m. ET, followed by the second day of dressage on Friday, August 14, also beginning at 9:30 a.m. GMT+2/3:30 a.m. ET. Cross-country will begin at 9:15 a.m. GMT+2/3:15 a.m. ET on Saturday, August 15, before competition concludes on August 16, awarding both team and individual medals following show jumping, which will begin at 12:30 p.m. GMT+2/6:30 a.m. ET.
Schedule | Watch | Results | US Equestrian’s Content Hub
The 2026 U.S. FEI Eventing World Championship Squad is generously supported by the Jacqueline B. Mars International Training & Competition Grant, awarded by the United States Equestrian Team Foundation.
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