Preview: FEI WBFSH World Breeding Championships 2026

It’s time to meet the combinations who have been selected to represent Great Britain at FEI WBSFH World Breeding Championships, which will be held at Verden, Germany (4 – 9 August).

Phoebe Peters & McMary | © Digishots

Five-year-old

Phoebe Peters and McMary

Originally from Warwickshire, but currently based at Reesink Horses in the Netherlands, former British team member Phoebe Peters will be presenting aboard Kiki L Courtelis and Reesink Stallions B.V’s McMary (Mclaren OLD x Ampere, WESTFAL). Originally bred in Germany by Jeron Slot and Dennis Schurink, Phoebe has been working with McMary for the past couple of years since she was backed, and was one of the first horses that Phoebe started to train upon her arrival at Reesink Horses. In 2025, the pair won the Pavo Cup Finals in the Four-Year-Old division where they scored 92%. Phoebe previously represented the Netherlands at the 2023 FEI WBSFH World Breeding Championships, riding Van Olst Horses’ Everest where the pair finished 15th.

Q: What makes this horse special?

A: She’s not only incredibly talented, but she has an amazing work ethic. She always gives 110%.

Q: What is your favourite thing about this horse's personality?

A: The fact that she knows she’s special. She’s a very self-confident horse, on the ground, training and at shows. It’s an amazing trait to work with.

British riders representing foreign nations

Sadie Smith and Real Dream

Although she will be competing under the Dutch flag on his occasion, Gloucestershire based Sadie Smith has been selected to represent The Netherlands aboard Van Olst Horses’ dark bay stallion, Real Dream (Dynamic Dream x Negro, KWPN).

Sadie was featured on the 2026 Nominated Entries for the FEI World Championships on her own Swanmore Dantina and has been a regular name on the international circuit since 2018. Holding 29 British national titles to her name, Sadie is Carl Hester’s former rider and attended the 2022 Young Horse World Championships at Ermelo, Netherlands with her own Swanmore Dantina. Contesting in the Seven-Year-Old Final, Sadie and Dia finished in fifth place. In 2026 alone, Sadie has been excelling in CDI3* and 4* events, with her most recent highlight being her first 3* win at the June Hartpury CDI in the Grand Prix Freestyle to Music.

Six-year-old

Annabella Pidgley and Flirtfaktor

Originally from Berkshire but now based at Helgstrand Dressage in Denmark, 2026 FEI U25 European Championships team member Annabella Pidgley will be campaigning Sarah Pidgley’s Flirtfaktor (Fürst Samarant x Sir Donnerhall, HANN). Originally from Germany, the young stallion was bred by Ricarda Mömesheim & Norbert Klein. This pair began their partnership approximately a year ago after Flirty arrived at the stables as a sales horse. Annabella knew she had to try him and fell in love, where she described the experience as feeling like the “perfect fit where we have been learning and growing together”.

Annabella presented Flirty in the CDIYH Aarhus in the Five-Year-Old class, where they finished second in the Preliminary with 85.800% and third in the Final with 84.200%. This year, the duo came back to home turf where they competed at the Wellington Premier League in both the KBIS Young Horse competition, and FEI British Young Horse classes. The duo won both classes, winning the KBIS Six-Year-Old Qualifier with 8.72 and the FEI Six-Year-Old Final with 82.400%.

Q: What makes this horse special?

A: Flirty is very special because he reminds me a lot of my Grand Prix horse Pumpkin. Flirty is the kindest and sweetest horse, he has the most cuddly personality and is really a horse who trusts his rider. When he is not sure about something he looks to you for confidence and I think that’s so special how much he can trust me.

Q: What is your favourite thing about this horse's personality?

A: His cuddliness and the way he will do anything for a treat.

Seven-Year-Old

Charlotte Dujardin and Secret Agent

Based in Gloucestershire, British team member Charlotte Dujardin will be presenting aboard her own Secret Agent (Secret x DeNiro, HANN). Originally from Germany, the young stallion was bred by N and F Sievers and purchased by Charlotte in 2021.

Charlotte and James made their competitive debut in November 2023 where they scored 76.03% and a staggering 83.71% in their debut tests at Novice. The pair then went on to compete in the KBIS Young Horse classes and FEI British Young Horse classes, where they achieved top scores of 9.72 and 9.70. More recently, the pair started off the year by winning the Horselight Medium Gold Championship at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships with 77.870%, and since gone on to win both the Advanced Medium and FEI Seven-Year-Old Preliminary competitions at the Chart Stables Hickstead Premier League, scoring 80.833% and 83.397% respectively. They concluded their campaign at the Wellington Premier League where they won the FEI Seven-Year-Old qualifier on 83.872%.

Q: What makes this horse special?

A: His presence and his willingness to work.

Q: What is your favourite thing about this horse's personality?

A: He’s a real showman.

Adrian Muñoz Jurado and Vitaliano

Originally from Spain, but now based at Amberhof in Germany, Adrian Muñoz Jurado will be presenting aboard Dr Monika and Wolfgang Wese’s Vitaliano (Vitalis x Dancier, BHHS). Originally bred in Britain by Grant McKerron, Adrian took over the training on Vitaliano at the end of 2025, shortly after moving to be based at Amberhof. Adrian and Vitaliano made their international debut at the CDIYH St. Margarethen, where they took a double-win of the Seven-Year-Old Preliminary and Final classes with 75.315% and 75.672% respectively.

Adrian was previously based Aubenhausen, the stable run by Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and her brother Benjamin, and left after a long-term partnership to start off on his own. Monika and Wolfgang Wese approached Adrian to ask if he would be interested in training with them at The Amberhof, and he has been based there since late 2025. Adrian described their dynamic as a “close friendship” that he is incredibly grateful for: “I appreciate the privilege they grant me to train their horses without time pressure and free from financial constraints. This is likely the key to our shared success.” Adrian has previously been member of the FEI U25 European Championship team for Spain, and has qualified another one of Monika and Wolfgang Wese’s horses, Fred the Red, for the selection to the 2026 World Championships and Bundeschampionat (German National Young Horse and Pony Championships).

Q: What makes this horse special?

A: Vitaliano is an incredibly intelligent horse, blessed with boundless movement quality and a work ethic that is very rare to find. He has a heart of gold and enjoys his work every day. I look forward to continuing his training.

Q: What is your favourite thing about this horse's personality?

A: Vitaliano is very versatile. He’s easy to train and picks up new tasks with ease and great speed. But he’s just as interested in trail rides in nature on a long lead. I’ve rarely ridden such a calm horse who also possesses such incredible potential for top-level competition.

On behalf of the selectors and everyone at BDHQ, we would like to wish the riders and their teams the very best of luck in Verden.