Stefan Ulrich (SUI) and Bombardier won their first Individual gold medal and world title, while Switzerland secured Team gold at the FEI Driving World Championship for Single Horses in Munich (GER).
Defending champions Mario Gandolfo (SUI) and Favela had to settle for Individual silver, while Anne Unzeitig (GER) and De Niro 29 put Germany on the podium with bronze.
Switzerland’s Team gold was their first at a Single Horse World Championship since the inaugural event in Austria in 1998. The Netherlands won Team silver, while defending champions France took bronze – both nations have previously won Team gold twice.
A champion who led from the start
Sunday’s final phase, the cones competition, was run in reverse order of the standings. As the overnight leaders, Ulrich and Bombardier were the last combination to enter the hushed arena. The pressure was on, as their teammate and defending champion Gandolfo had just gone double clear.
Ulrich judged his round perfectly. He had 6.13 penalties in hand – approximately two cones or 12 seconds. As he cleared the final oxer and crossed the line, he and the crowd knew he had won a medal. But the clock was still ticking because he had exceeded the allowed time of 173 seconds. The 4.77 time penalties he accrued remained within his advantage, making him world champion by 1.36 penalties on a final total of 127.57.
An emotional Ulrich said: “I am super happy with my horse – he was so good all week. He made it easy for me to keep to my strategy. Everyone was delighted for me, especially after the dressage, and along with my family, they gave me the right advice and support.”
Looking ahead, Ulrich confirmed that he is already focusing on the 2027 FEI World Championship for Horse Pairs. The Ulrich horses are famed for their versatility and feature in all combinations at the top level, which is unusual. Bombardier, and perhaps Ulrich’s double bronze medal-winning horse from 2024, Samito, could therefore appear in a different guise next season.
Silver medallist Gandolfo’s double-clear cones round was one of only six on Sunday. The penultimate combination to tackle Michael Mayer’s (SUI) difficult course, Gandolfo and Favela were assured of a medal as they crossed the line. Only Ulrich and Bombardier stood between them and another Individual world title. In the end, they took silver on 128.93 after finishing fourth in the cones.
Gandolfo said: “It was exciting. The Dutch hadn’t dropped many points, and I knew I also had to go clear for my medal. It was tense, but the best moment was the finish.”
Switzerland win first Team gold
Switzerland’s victory was built across all three phases. Long-term Team member Michael Barbey (SUI) – a double silver medallist in 2012 – and Maelyce des Arreneys contributed one of the nation’s two counting dressage scores with 43.12, helping the trio finish on 251.97.
Swiss Chef d’Equipe Daniel Wütrich said: “I am very happy. They were such a good team and they are great drivers, who have trained well. We hoped that we would win here in Munich – and we did!”
The Netherlands’ Cindy Benschop, Eline Houterman and Larissa Jansma took Team silver on 258.09. France – the only nation with all three Team members, Clement Deschamps, Tony Ecalle and Fabrice Martin, in the top 10 – claimed bronze on 266.99. Martin and Idromel Noir were the highest-placed French combination, finishing fifth on 134.64.
Ladies lead in the cones
Sweden’s Linnea Kristiansen and Lady Lexington won Sunday’s cones competition with a clear round in the fastest time of 168.74 seconds. They flew the flag for Sweden, a nation that won three consecutive Team gold medals between 1998 and 2004. Kristiansen’s round saw her rise to sixth place on 137.55.
Second in the cones, Germany’s Unzeitig clinched Individual bronze on 131.19, just 0.19 penalties ahead of the Netherlands’ Benschop, who was fourth on 131.38. Benschop stated after her impressive dressage test that she was most concerned about the cones, but she went clear with only 0.70 time penalties. It was nevertheless enough to prevent her from winning a second medal.
There was more Swiss success as Lea Spring (SUI) and her Freiberger mare Lia finished third in the cones.
Alexia Guillemette and Vito and Kelly Bruder with Backstage CQ. (Melanie Guillamot / MGPY France)
A historic championship
Course designer Mayer was credited with much of the championship’s success, despite the challenges presented by the undulating marathon terrain.
At the end of the event, he said with relief: “Now I feel good because before the start, I was a bit nervous. The marathon was incredible yesterday – the horses and the drivers did a great job, like they did today in the cones.
“I built some of the obstacles at home then when I arrived here a week ago, we had to change some of them again, with a combination of fixed and mobile elements. I looked at them like the drivers do, working out where to go from A, and then I changed some of the lines again. But I was pleased yesterday and we saw a good mix of technical questions and speed.”
Canada had two competitors in this World Championship; Kelly Bruder and Backstage CQ finished 30th and Alexia Guillemette placed 58th with Vito. As a team, Canada placed 12th overall.
Results here.
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