The road to the 40th FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final begins in Herning (DEN), where world number one Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle head a strong home challenge on 16 and 17 October. Three members of Denmark’s bronze medal-winning team from the FEI Dressage World Championship 2026 in Aachen (GER) will enter the Jyske Bank Boxen arena, setting the stage for a compelling opening leg of the 2026/2027 Western European League.
Herning is the first of 10 qualifiers in this season’s Western European League, and Denmark arrives with strength in depth. Alongside Laudrup-Dufour, Aachen Grand Prix Freestyle finalists Daniel Bachmann Andersen with Flash Gordon 37 and Nadja Aaboe Sloth with Favour Gersdorf will also compete in front of their home crowd.
Home support will extend beyond the Championship trio. Alexander Yde Helgstrand and Inspiration PF, Cecilie Dybro Jensen and Zagori, and Karoline Rohmann and Jakas Don Louvre complete a six-strong Danish World Cup entry.
Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle return as defending Herning winners. In 2025, they won the Grand Prix on 81.935% before breaking the 90% barrier with 90.175% in the Freestyle. Since then, they have claimed two Individual silver medals in Aachen and risen to the top of the world rankings.
International contenders line up
Germany’s team includes Moritz Treffinger with Cadeau Noir, one year after making his World Cup debut at the same venue. Dorothee Schneider with First Romance 2 and Svenja Kämper-Meyer with her home-bred mare Amanyara M FRH complete the German contingent.
The Netherlands will be represented by Marieke van der Putten and Zantana RS2 OLD N.O.P., who finished sixth in the Grand Prix Freestyle at the World Championship in Aachen this summer.
For Great Britain, Annabella Pidgley partners with Gio. Greece is represented by Theodora Livanos, who will compete with the 19-year-old Robinvale. The only non-European Athlete in the field is Charlotte Jorst (USA) with Gpf’s S - Express.
Sweden brings two combinations to the opening leg. Maria von Essen and Invoice claimed their first World Cup qualifier victory together in Gothenburg (SWE) in February 2026 with a personal best of 82.645%, while Cecilia Bergåkra will line up with My Friend.
Forty years of World Cup history
The campaign concludes with the 40th FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final, to be held in Gothenburg from 24 to 28 March 2027. The venue last hosted the Final in 2019, when Isabell Werth (GER) and her legendary mare Weihegold OLD claimed the title.
The most recent Swedish winner of the Final was Patrik Kittel, who claimed the title with Touchdown in Riyadh (KSA) in 2024. With the 2027 Final returning to Swedish soil and Gothenburg Horse Show celebrating its 50th anniversary, there will be no shortage of home motivation.
Ten chances on the road to Gothenburg
After Herning, the Western European League moves to Lyon (FRA) at the end of October. Stuttgart (GER) follows in mid-November, while Madrid (ESP) returns to the calendar after a one-year absence and will host the fourth leg during the final weekend of November.
London (GBR) and Mechelen (BEL) complete the 2026 action in December. The series resumes in January with Basel (SUI) and Amsterdam (NED), before Neumünster (GER) hosts the only qualifier in February. With Gothenburg staging the Final rather than a qualifier this season, ’s-Hertogenbosch (NED) will provide the final opportunity to collect Western European League points in March.
Who will qualify for Gothenburg?
The top nine athletes from the Western European League will earn a place at the Final. Defending champion Becky Moody (GBR) qualifies automatically, provided she competes in at least two qualifiers during the season. Moody claimed the 2026 title in Fort Worth (USA) with her home-bred Jagerbomb, scoring a personal best of 88.330% in the Freestyle.
The 2026/2027 Western European League begins with the Grand Prix in Herning on Friday 16 October at 16:30 local time. The Grand Prix Freestyle follows on Saturday 17 October at 14:45, when the first World Cup points of the new season will be awarded.
The latest information, results and standings throughout the 2026/2027 season can be found here.