Team Germany and Belgian Emilija Rucinskaite became the winners of the two gold medals on offer at the 2026 European Children Championships in Olomouc, Czech Republic.
The 2026 Children Europeans were held at the Equine Center Olomouc on 15 – 19 July 2026.
Germany Snatches Team Gold from Belgium
Belgian Emilija Rucinskaite dominated the children’s classes from start to finish – winning the warm-up round, team test and individual test, but it was Germany that showed the biggest scoring power as a group of four.
The German charge to the highest step of the podium for team gold was led by Linda Schuchmann aboard the 8-year old Oldenburg stallion Figo de Halliers (by Furstenball x Totilas). Judges Maarten Van der Heijden, Gabriela Valeriánová, Knut Danzberg, and Thomas Lang rewarded the pair with a personal best of 80,009% which ranked them second in the team test.
Germany’s second best score came from Cecilia Marie Hohl on the 7-year old Oldenburg mare Saluna OLD (by Secret x Wolkenstein II). They were fourth with a personal best of 77,525%, while team mate Antonia Hansmeyer and the 15-year old KWPN bred Gentle van Wittenstein (by Wittenstein x Krack C) slotted in seventh with 76.559%. Germany’s drop score came from first reserve Jasper Rasche, who stepped into the team with the 15-year od Hanoverian Limoncelli (by Lord Loxley x Graphitano) after Lilly Kasselmann declared to ride the European Pony Championships instead of the Children championships. Rasche scored 68.692% for 27th place in the team test.
Germany had a winning team total score of 234.093 points
In the preliminary warm-up test, the Belgian team proved that they were aiming for a podium place and gold would be a possibility. After winning the preliminary test Emilija Rucinskaite continued her excellent form in the team test with the 8-year old KWPN bred Nice Guy STW (by Just Wimphof x Zhivago). They won the class with 80,009% and needed the last Belgian rider to go, Shirley Vanerom, to almost match her preliminary test score (81%) to secure team gold. Unfortunately the pressure for Belgium to write golden history was too high on the 13-year old’s shoulders, who is in her last year as a Children rider, With the 12-year old BWP bred Ogami van het Beukenhof (by Sir Donnerhall x Fidertanz) there was a problem in the collected canter and simple change and Shirley left the arena with 73.850% and 10th place. Belgium needed at least a score of 78,808 points for team gold, but the country finished in the silver medal position. Venerom trains with Belgian Grand Prix rider Suraya Hendrikx.
Belgium’s third best score was 73,442% achieved by team newcomer Lune de Sloovere on the 17-year old KWPN bred Energy (by Ampere x Welt Hit II). Her horse was previously shown by Ukrainian young rider Tetiana Sokolova. A student of Nico Nyssen, Lune placed 12th in the team test and had Belgium’s fourth rider right behind her in 13th place. Rookie Noélie van den Bosch piloted the 13-year old KWPN bred Icarus HJB (by Chippendale x Jazz) to 73.084%. She is helped by Maya Vanpottalsberghe.
Belgium’s silver earning team total was 229.142 points.
The bronze team medal went to Great Britain, which achieved its first ever team medal in the division. Isabelle Stuart was the first to go with Prince May the First to come away with a personal best score of 71.400%, leaving them in 20th place despite a a sat-nav error. Stella Mccomb and the 17-year old Hanoverian Dos Alamos (by Dressage Royal x Dream of Glory) achieved 73.734% for 11th place, while Sebastian Houlston and 16-year old Dutch warmblood Full Fusion BS (by Zack x Mooiman) landed 9th place with a personal best of 75.575%. Britain’s best result over the two days of team competition came from Amelia Dovey, who did not let any of the pressure get to her. Aboard the 13-year old British bred Sheepcote Jackson (by Johnson x ) she finished 6th with 77.442%. Amelia is coached by her mom, Hannah Dovey.
This brought Britain’s team total to a 226.751 for bronze. Italy followed in the distance in fourth place with 214.909.
Individual Gold for Belgian-Lithuanian Emilija Rucinskaite
On Sunday morning Emilija Rucinskaite capped off a fabulous week with Nice Guy STW. Daughter of Lithuanian born Polish Olympic team rider Sandra Sysojeva, Emilija showed nerves of steel and on the individual test with a personal best score of 83,215%. All judges ranked her first.
Emilija holds the Lithuanian nationality, but the FEI allows minors (under the age of 18) to compete for their “country of residence”. Emilija lives with her mom Sandra in Belgium and the change in flag to Belgiumwas approved after the agreement of the Lithuanian national equestrian federation. Her horse Nice Guy STW is bred in The Netherlands by A. Van Tilborg and A. Steenbergen
The individual silver medal was for Linda Schuchmann, who posted a personal best of 79,357% with Figo de Halliers. Linda, who trains with Sandra Kötter, has been riding the black Oldenburg stallion since 2024. Bred by Eva Pagnotta in France, Figo also goes by the name Figo Crystal and was first shown as a youngster in Germany by Lisa Michelle Schmidt and David Taylor.
At the end of the class German Cecile Marie Hohl and Saluna W OLD edged out Brit Amelia Dovey from the podium for the bronze medal. Hohl posted 78.49&% and beat Dovey who was fourth with 77.273%. The Hohl family acquired Saluna in September 2025. Cecilie works with Juliane Brunkhorst.
Text © Eurodressage – Photos © Lukasz Kowalski
Related Links
Scores: 2026 European Children and Junior Riders Championships
Eurodressage Coverage of the European Children and Junior Riders Championships