Important stage for potential World Championship contenders

From June 11 to 14, the picturesque grounds of Schloss Achleiten will once again become the center of Austrian dressage sport. At CDI Achleiten, many of the riders hoping to secure a place at the FEI World Championships in Aachen (GER) from August 11 to 23 will go head-to-head. This makes the traditional event hosted by Olympic dressage champion Elisabeth Max-Theurer an important benchmark on the road to the World Championships.

“Achleiten has always been a place where Austria’s best dressage riders can compete against one another. This year, with the World Championships approaching, the event gains even greater significance. Many potential World Championship candidates will meet under perfect conditions and in front of a highly distinguished panel of judges to assess their current form. This promises exciting competitions and top-class dressage sport,” says Olympic dressage champion and host Elisabeth Max-Theurer.

The four-star competition will feature a direct showdown between two-time Olympian Florian Bacher, two-time Austrian champions Timna Valenta-Zach and Peter Gmoser, rising star Felicitas Simoncic, and Lisa Wernitznig.

New Horse, Clear Ambitions

Particular attention will be focused on Florian Bacher. The multiple championship rider arrives in Achleiten with his current top horse, Da Vinci, while also competing with two additional horses in the three-star tour. The 40-year-old is currently in an exciting phase of sporting transition.

“Achleiten is always something special for us. The conditions are excellent, the judging panel is world-class, and the event provides the ideal opportunity to evaluate our current level of performance,” explains Bacher.

With Da Vinci, he hopes to build on the strong performances of recent weeks: “Munich was already very good. Of course, there is still room for improvement, but our goal is once again to produce two clean and consistent tests and achieve even better scores.”

In addition to Da Vinci, Bacher will also present two promising horses in the three-star tour. “Both horses have tremendous potential. It will be exciting for me to see how they perform in this environment and how they develop over the coming months.”

Although several riders who played key roles in Austria’s success in recent years are now competing with new horses, Bacher looks back with pride on what has been achieved.

“That’s exactly why we shouldn’t forget what has been built over the past few years. We qualified as a team for the Olympic Games twice and consistently represented Austria successfully at championships. In my view, these have been the most successful team years in the history of Austrian dressage. We can be truly proud of that. A tremendous amount has been achieved, and we have not only performed well internationally but also established a strong reputation as a team.”

Home Debut for L’Espoir with Stefan Lehfellner

Another major talking point will be Stefan Lehfellner, who will make his international debut with L’Espoir in the three-star competition at Achleiten. “Leo” was introduced at international level about a year ago by his partner, Victoria Max-Theurer. Since her maternity break, the Paris 2024 Olympian has been riding the horse regularly and will now present L’Espoir internationally himself at the home event.

The Upper Austrian is eagerly anticipating the competition: “Leo is only partly a new horse for me because I’ve been riding him regularly for quite some time. We decided rather spontaneously to start competing with him now, and what better event could there be than Achleiten?”

The 43-year-old describes his equine partner as a horse with exceptional potential: “He is incredibly positive, very talented, and offers endless possibilities. At the same time, he is technically demanding and also challenges the rider mentally. That is exactly what makes him so exciting.” Lehfellner intends to approach the competition in a relaxed manner: “The three-star competition is the perfect opportunity for us to gain our first international experience together at this level. I’m really looking forward to it.”

In addition to competing, he is also involved in organizing the event:

“We are already in the final stages of preparation and are doing everything we can to provide riders with the best possible conditions. From our own experience, we know exactly what matters at an international event, and that is precisely what we aim to deliver again in 2026.”

Time Table 10. to 14. Juni 2026 Friday, 12. June N°14 FEI Intermediate II (CDI2*) 11:30 Uhr N°18 FEI Grand Prix (CDI3*) 13:00 Uhr N°1 FEI Grand Prix (CDI4*, Qualifikation für N°2) 14:45 Uhr

Saturday, 14. June N°12 FEI Children Preliminary B 09:00 Uhr N°10 FEI Junior Team Test 10:00 Uhr N°8 FEI Young Rider Team Test 11:15 Uhr N°6 FEI Intermediate II (U25) 13:00 Uhr N°15 FEI Grand Prix Special (CDI3*) 13:45 Uhr N°2 FEI Grand Prix Freestyle (CDI4*) 15:00 Uhr

Sunday, 15. June N°6 FEI Grand Prix (16-25) 08:00 Uhr N°9 FEI Young Rider Individual Test 08:45 Uhr N°11 FEI Junior Individual Test 9:45 Uhr N°13 FEI Children Team Test 10:45 Uhr N°4 FEI Grand Prix Special (CDI4*) 11:30 Uhr