“It is simply fantastic to be here,” Raphael Netz said after his successful World Championship debut – a sentiment many of his fellow competitors probably shared. The setting in the Main Stadium was breathtaking; the atmosphere, enthusiastic; the tension, immense. The 27-year-old was the first rider to enter the arena for Team Germany – a task carrying significant weight. “I was aware of the responsibility,” Netz said. “But I tried not to let it affect me too much.” He didn’t entirely succeed in that, however: Having had to skip the traditional power nap he usually takes before important tests. “I couldn’t get a wink of sleep.” However, by the time he rode into the Main Stadium, his focus was crystal clear. The famous butterflies in his stomach played their part, too. “Camelot seemed to grow even taller,” Netz reported. He self-critically put the minor mistake in the one-tempi changes down to a rider error. He was ultimately awarded a score of 73.338 percent – a result that kept him at the top of the leaderboard for a long time.

His score was eventually topped by his own teammate: Frederic Wandres delivered a masterful performance in the Aachen Main Stadium aboard his trusted partner, Bluetooth OLD. The national coach, Monica Theodorescu, described it as “one of his best, if not the best Grand Prix ever.” After the final salute, a score of 75.963 percent lit up the impressive scoreboard – and a huge weight visibly lifted from the rider’s shoulders. “A huge burden dropped to the floor and is now lying somewhere near marker G,” Wandres joked shortly afterwards. The tension was tangible among those close to the rider as well: His partner, Lars Ligus, who is supporting him in the role as groom in Aachen, watched his heart rate hit 152 during the test according to his fitness tracker. The relief following the performance was immense – for the rider, for the team and for the crowd alike. Thanks to the performances of Raphael Netz and Frederic Wandres, Team Germany finished Day 1 of the Team Final – the Lambertz-Prize – as the overnight leaders. The British team currently ranks second.

On the first day, the Brits were primarily pinning their hopes on the World Cup winner, Becky Moody. However, she and her equine partner, Jagerbomb, fell well short of their potential, finishing on a score of 73.820 percent. “That isn’t the result I wanted to deliver for my team,” the 46-year-old said after her mistake-riddled test. She explained that her 12-year-old KWPN gelding had lost his focus in the vast stadium. “I hope my teammates do better,” said Moody, who nevertheless managed to squeeze into second place, in between the two Germans.

Currently lying in fourth and fifth place in the Individual Ranking presented by LONGINES are two riders with championship experience, who are making a name for themselves in Aachen with aspiring young horses. The Australian rider, Simone Pearce, presented the 10-year-old Will Marq, a horse with impressive movement that executed the required exercises with remarkable maturity and was rewarded with a score of 72.391 percent. “I am overjoyed and simply thrilled at how well he focused on me. This was only his sixth Grand Prix ever,” the 35-year-old beamed, mentioning the “family success” involved: Will Marq was discovered in Spain and is now owned by her partner, the Swiss rider, Martin Fuchs. Sweden’s Therese Nilshagen was equally pleased with the Hanoverian-bred Navarro, also just 10 years old. Achieving a score of 72.376 percent, this young horse also demonstrated impressively his potential for future major competitions.

However, it was not only the riders at the top of the rankings, who captivated the crowd. The 21-year-old Austrian rider, Felicita Simoncic, delivered a particularly touching moment. Having competed at senior level for a mere ten months, she achieved a personal best in her World Championship debut aboard her KWPN stallion, Four Legends: 70.730 percent, putting her into tenth place. Her genuine, pure joy was infectious, illustrating just what this championship means to the athletes. The exit path leading out of the arena and past the Mercedes-Benz Grand Stand transformed into a sort of “celebratory catwalk” already on day one: The riders waved, gestured joyfully and blew kisses to the fans in the stands – a vivid expression of the special bond shared between the riders, audience and this impressive arena.

Day 1 of the FEI Dressage World Championship left everyone eager for more. And that is exactly what is in store for tomorrow, Wednesday: The second half of the Lambertz-Prize – the Team Final – will see riders battling it out for Gold, Silver and Bronze, as well as in the race to qualify for the MEGGLE-Prize (the Grand Prix Spécial) on Friday in the individual classification.