Five-Star Dancers
Unless other contenders disrupt the anticipated German-Belgian showdown. After all, 15 horse-and-rider combinations representing eight nations will gather in Lyon, starting with the Netherlands’ Marieke van der Putten. Sixth at the World Championships in Aachen, the world number eight has already proven that she can compete with the best when the pressure is on. Partnered with Kuvasz RS2, she is determined to shake up the standings.
Larissa Pauluis shares the same ambition. Ranked world number 12, the Belgian rider and Flambeau are familiar faces at Longines Equita Lyon, regularly finishing among the top placings in the FEI World Cup qualifier. Several victories in five-star World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle competitions over the past 12 months have confirmed the rider’s impressive form. Alongside Justin Verboomen, she represents the new momentum of Belgian dressage.
France Joins the Dance
In this elite performance, the French riders certainly have no intention of playing supporting roles. The home nation’s ambitions are clear.
Alexandre Ayache, a mainstay of the French national team, enters the arena with his trusted partner, Ruling Olivia. An experienced combination accustomed to competing and winning at the highest level, they return to Lyon to perform in front of a supportive home crowd.
For Alizée Roussel and Bel Amour, the story is quite different. The combination has been riding a wave of enthusiasm since competing at the World Dressage Championships in Aachen last August. It was a major milestone for the rider, who has known Bel Amour since his earliest days and trained him herself, guiding him all the way to some of the world’s most prestigious arenas.
In Lyon, a new chapter begins for the pair.
“This will be Bel Amour’s first World Cup, and I don’t know how he will react in the arena. But my friends Pauline Basquin and Larissa Pauluis, who often compete in Lyon, have told me nothing but good things about it! So I’m sure we’ll have a wonderful time here!”
A Latin Rhythm?
What if this year’s Lyon competition ends up unfolding to a Spanish rhythm?
Three Spanish combinations will be competing. Lucia Gallardo, riding Hip by Johnson, joins Claudio Castilla Ruiz and Jota das Figueiras, while the experienced 67-year-old Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo will be counting on Quartar.
Three combinations, three generations, and one shared ambition: to bring a touch of Spanish flair to Lyon.
Portugal’s Maria Caetano also has plenty to bring to the competition. Currently ranked world number 21, she returns with Hit Plus, with whom she earned an impressive fifth-place finish in the Grand Prix Freestyle at the Printemps des Sports Équestres in Fontainebleau last April.
Nothing Is Decided Yet…
But the list of contenders for victory is far from complete. Great Britain’s Lewis Carrier is a reminder that talent knows no age. At 29, the youngest rider in the field, partnered with Diego V, represents a new generation making its mark among the sport’s elite.
Wim Verwimp (BEL) and Jedai de Massa, Thamar Zweistra (NED) and Hexagons Mr Magnum N.O.P.T, and Rebecca Mauléon (SWE) with Johnnie Walker BCN complete a field where generations, styles, and experience come together and compete, promising spectators a spectacular display of dressage at its finest.
The music swells, and the grandstands come alive. Who will claim victory in the 2026 Lyon World Cup qualifier?
Whether a pas de deux or a dazzling waltz, Lyon promises a magnificent dance.
LONGINES EQUITA LYON, CONCOURS HIPPIQUE INTERNATIONAL Martine Dolbeau, Astrid Thisse-Prost [email protected] EL COMM’ Eloïse Lépine [email protected] – 06 15 52 35 28
