US Equestrian has announced the ten athletes named to the U.S. Jumping Team Short List ahead of the 2026 FEI Jumping World Championships, set to take place in Aachen, Germany, from August 17–23, 2026. The team will be led by Chef d'Equipe Robert Ridland and Team Leader Lizzy Chesson.
There may be a stage no more fitting for the FEI World Championship than CHIO Aachen. The venue is often likened to The Championships at Wimbledon, a place where sport’s greatest stories are written, and where the grass in the Hauptstadion separates contenders from champions. Founded in 1898, the Aachen showgrounds have hosted legendary names across decades of competition. This August, they will host their seventh World Championships and welcome the best athletes and horses from around the globe.
The short list includes Karl Cook, Natalie Dean, Katie Dinan, Kent Farrington, Laura Kraut, Lillie Keenan, Marilyn Little, Callie Schott, Aaron Vale, and McLain Ward; bringing together an impressive roster of experience and emerging talent. The short-listed riders will compete across five Observation Events including CSI5* Aachen, CSIO5* Rome, CSIO5* La Baule, CSIO5* St. Gallen, and LLN CSIO5* Rotterdam before the final team selection in early July.
We sat down exclusively with Robert Ridland to get his thoughts on the road ahead and what it will take to be on the podium in Aachen.
Looking at this group of 10 riders, what stands out most to you?
"The depth and diversity of the riders. We have an experienced core of veterans from the last few Olympic and World Championship teams, plus a strong infusion of up-and-coming talent both on the horse and rider side."
With the World Championships in August, what are your expectations for the team in the months of preparation ahead?
"As we have done similarly in the past during previous lead-ups to championships, we will prioritize selection and preparation for the World Championship team in Aachen. But at the same time, these CSIO competitions will also be opportunities for newer horse and rider combinations to get valuable seasoning in advance of the next two championships down the road — specifically the 2027 Pan American Games and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles."
How do you work with riders to identify which Observation Events will suit their horses best?
"That process can best be described as a collaborative effort between the riders, their teams, and what best fits into the constraints of the existing international schedule."
There's a lot of ground to cover between now and late August, and final team selection isn't until July. How do you ensure combinations will peak at exactly the right moment?
"The schedule of observation events was created to ensure that recency of results would be a factor, while not being so close to the actual competition dates of the World Championship that the horses would not be in peak shape, which will come at the end of August during the championships."
And finally, what specifically are you looking for during those Observation Events when evaluating combinations?
"Simply a combination of body-of-work international experience along with current form to best predict a likelihood of success over the multiple days of competition at Aachen in August."
The road to Aachen is still unfolding and with team selection in July, it will be exciting to see the combinations as they prepare to take on the other nations on the worlds stage. Looking ahead, Ridland’s approach to the 2026 FEI World Championships goes beyond Aachen, and will continue to focus on building a talented pool of athletes and horses, not just for one championship, but for a sustained run of excellence as the U.S. Jumping Team points towards the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, as well as the 2028 Summer Olympics Games on home turf in Los Angeles, California.