OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Germany found themselves in the unenviable position of third after the first round, knowing they would have to be flawless in the second round to catch Ireland, and that’s just what they did Saturday, March 21, 2026, at the $770,000 Longines League of Nations™ Ocala CSIO5* at the World Equestrian Center.
“What a week and what a team,” said Otto Becker, Germany’s chef d’equipe, or team manager, who thanked all those involved and complimented the course, which was very technical. “I have no words for the whole week. We had a great week. To win the Nations Cup, it means a lot to me and I’m very proud. I appreciate what we saw today and I think it was great advertising for the sport.”
After the first round, it was Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany who appeared poised to find a place on the podium. A total of 10 teams contested the first round, with the United States, who won the last year’s second leg of the Longines League of Nations™ series, with this year’s roster being virtually same, with the exception of last year’s anchor McClain Ward, who sustained a minor injury last week, however, his replacement, the rising star 25-year-old Natalie Dean, turned in the United States of America’s only fault-free performance in the first round, as the U.S. and Switzerland both found themselves not returning for the second round.
Germany knew they would have to be on their game; Belgium, who went fifth in the order, saw Roy van Beek and the 11-year-old gelding Cavoiro H OLD go clear, as well as strong performances from Nicola Philippaerts and the 16-year-old Belgian warmblood mare Katanga v/h Dingeshof and Emilie Conter and the 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare Portobello van de Fruitkorf only having one rail down.
However, that provided Germany with a target to aim for, and they were flawless, as the veteran Andre Thieme and the 16-year-old mare DSP Chakaria set the tenor for the second round as the combination went clear.
The 2024 Olympic individual gold medalist Christian Kukuk and the Westphalian gelding Checker 47 were also fault-free, having gone clear in the first round. Kukuk is no stranger to the World Equestrian Center. The 36-year-old has been to WEC several times in the last few weeks citing it is the most amazing venue to produce horses, as he has a couple of new and younger horses in his barn.
“I really like to come here to work with my horses,” said Kukuk. “It’s a really great and unbelievable place for horses and for us. I really enjoy it, and of course I was looking forward to this Longines League of Nations™ show because this is just the top level of sport we have. We are athletes and we always look forward to the best competition possible. As a team, we had an outstanding week. It proved that this format is so exciting. Anything can happen in the second round, and today it happened. It’s a great format for our sport, especially this show in Ocala, it’s a very special venue for our sport. I really hope that we’ll have the championship here one day. It felt like a championship, especially tonight, when you go under the lights in the second round. It’s such an incredible atmosphere.”
The rider who sits currently at No. 4 in the Federation Equestre Internationale standings, 28-year-old Richard Vogel, thrived under the pressure, as he and the 12-year-old Holsteiner stallion Cloudio made it three clear rounds for Germany.
Cloudio was at home, while Vogel had been competing in the winter circuit in Florida. And like the other riders, Vogel had the opportunity to get new and young horses experience at WEC during the winter circuit. Vogel and Cardentos won the $65,000 The Dutta Corp. Grand Prix, March 22, at WEC.
“Thanks to my team, they really brought Cloudio over in the best shape,” said Vogel, who was complimentary of Alan Wade’s course design. “Cloudio and me are a great team, we know each other inside out and we had some great success last year. He really stepped-up last year in some of the biggest shows against the top competition in the sport. We have a relationship and we were separated for a couple of weeks, that makes it a bit extra exciting. We both can be thankful for our team that brought our horses over in top condition and made us shine tonight.”
The team was composed of Thieme, Kukuk, Vogel and 30-year-old Rene Dittmer who was making his League of Nations debut. Dittmer and Cody 139 won the $120,000 Florida Coast Equipment Winning Round CSI05* March 20 at WEC.
“It’s great to be on the team with these riders who have achieved so much, after the first round we discussed that it would probably make more sense to send these guys back in there.,” said Dittmer. “They proved that it was the right decision. They jumped clear in the second round, and I’m really glad to be on a team like this. It’s an unbelievable feeling to win here.”
Andre Thieme, no stranger to Ocala, won the $350,000 J.P. Morgan Grand Prix CSIO5*-LLN on March 19, claiming the top spot while riding the 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding Paule S. He was very confident in DSP Chakaria coming into Saturday night’s competition.
“It (Ocala) feels like home,” said Thieme, a former European champion. “I’ve been coming here for more than 25 years, every winter, and it’s always like two or three months that I stay here with my horses. My son studies here, and he lives here fulltime now. That helps me to have the family here more often because my wife and daughter are coming more often now.”
Ireland set the pace in the initial phase where the time allowed was 75 seconds for the first-round track with 12 1.60-meter obstacles and 15 jumping efforts. The course designer was Alan Wade, who will be in that same role for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The Irish team remained a model consistency, however, Bertram Allen and Qonquest de Rigo had two rails down in the second round, but strong fault-free performances by Cian O’Connor and the 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding Chatolinue PS and Shane Sweetnam and the 13-year-old Irish Sport gelding James Kann Cruz were not enough, as Germany’s fault-free performance in the second round clinched top honors.
Final placings
- Germany
- Ireland
- Belgium
- Great Britain
- Netherlands
- France
- Brazil
- Italy
- Switzerland
- United States of America
