Aachen, Germany – The Defender U.S. Eventing Team secured team bronze at the 2026 FEI Eventing World Championship in Aachen, Germany, completing all three phases with a final team total of 113.5. The team saw all three combinations who advanced from cross country produce stellar clear show jumping rounds in the main stadium at Aachen. Great Britain finished with team gold on a score of 84, followed by Germany who earned silver on 95.6 total penalties.
Ensuring the team's second-consecutive FEI Eventing World Championships podium finish, Will Coleman (Free Union, Va.) and Diabolo (Diarado x
Aljano 2), owned by the Diabolo Group and cared for by Erin Jarboe, also finished the championships as the highest-placed U.S. combination. The impressive pair locked up fourth place overall in the final individual standings and added nothing to their original dressage score of 30.0.
Under the leadership of Chef d’Equipe Leslie Law, the team stayed composed and focused on the technical show jumping course designed by Frank Rothenberger (GER), which would prove to be an influential conclusion to the competition. The winding track had a time allowed of 91 seconds and utilized much of the large grass arena of the main stadium, ultimately shaking up both the team and individual standings.
“We were quietly confident we could pull it off today,” Law commented, regarding the team’s bronze medal performance on the final day of competition. “All three boys rode to the standard we know they can ride to. They are all phenomenal riders in the show jumping phase.”
Coleman commented on the consistent performances of Diabolo, “Dabs”, a 2012 Holsteiner gelding, across all three days of competition, saying, “He was just himself all week—he is such a star. He is incredible. He knows the job and I knew he was going to do everything in his power to leave the rails up.”
Coleman went on to express gratitude for his teammates after they moved up from sixth-place after dressage to land on the podium at the end of three intense phases.
“I think it's a testament to the team. All four of us didn't get off to the greatest start, but everybody kept a really cool head,” he said. “We kept chipping away throughout the course of the weekend. Our management, Leslie and Karyn [Schuter], exuded a certain amount of confidence and we fed off that. We made each day count as best we could.”
Coleman and Diabolo weren’t the only combination to secure a double-clear round for the Defender U.S. Eventing Team. Boyd Martin (Cochranville, Pa.) and Liz’s Nutcrackers’ Cooley Nutcracker, a 2014 Irish Sport Horse gelding (BMC Tolan R. x Cobra), cared for by Stephanie Simpson, also posted a double clear round in the main stadium to keep the team well in the hunt for a podium finish. Martin and Cooley Nutcracker produced a dressage test which placed them in the middle of the standings at the start of the week, but their clear cross-country performance, and double clear show jumping round proved to be influential in the rankings. The pair ultimately finished in 13th place, with only added time from their cross-country trip influencing the pair’s original dressage score.
“It was an emotional week to win a medal here in Aachen,” reflected Martin, who has a special connection to Aachen through his wife, Silva, a fellow equestrian athlete hailing from Germany, as well as a nod to Cooley Nutcracker’s former rider, Liz Halliday, who was his teammate in Paris.
Phillip Dutton (West Grove, Pa.) made his return to Aachen 20 years after he competed at the 2006 World Equestrian Games, where he represented Australia at the time. Aboard the 2015 Holsteiner gelding Denim (Dinken x Ibisco) owned by Ann Jones, Ann Lapides, Caroline Moran, and Neill Sites and cared for by Emma Yanek; Dutton showcased his experience and consistency. As the first combination in the order for the team, the pair played a critical role as they entered the electric stadium for their show jumping round, where all three scores produced by the team would count towards the final team score.
“It was a tough track, and the hardest thing is you want to be precise, but then you also have to think about the time allowed,” Dutton explained. “My mindset is obviously I want to be clear for the team, but then at the end of the day try not to overanalyze my round and then hopefully celebrate afterwards.”
Team member Caroline Pamukcu (Springfield, Pa.) and HSH Blake, the 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, did not compete following their unfortunate elimination on cross-country. She praised her teammates, “they carried the team. They're unbelievable horsemen and it's great to watch them and everything they did this week.”
Tamie Smith and Lillet 3 withdrew ahead of the second horse inspection following an impressive trip across the country yesterday. Lillet 3 finished with a badly placed overreach, with Smith and team making the decision to save her for another day.
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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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