Lanaken 2026: the breeding world prepares for the global stage
From 16 to 20 September, Domein Zangersheide will host the 31st edition of the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses, where the five-, six- and seven-year-old world titles will be decided
From 16 to 20 September 2026, Domein Zangersheide will once again become the international meeting point for breeding and sport as Lanaken, Belgium, hosts the 31st edition of the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses.
Over five days, the world’s finest young showjumpers will compete in the classes reserved for five-, six- and seven-year-old horses, culminating in the crowning of three new World Champions.
Since its inaugural edition in 1995, the World Championship has assumed an increasingly prominent role on the international young horse circuit. Each year, Lanaken welcomes horses representing studbooks and breeding programmes from across the globe, each one the result of years of selection, considered breeding decisions, careful development and sporting preparation.
For breeders, the Championship provides an invaluable opportunity to assess the results of their work against an international benchmark. For riders and owners, it offers an exceptional platform on which to showcase the sport’s emerging talents. Lanaken also provides an early indication of the horses and bloodlines that may shape the future of showjumping.
“For more than three decades, Lanaken has been the place where breeders can see the results of their breeding decisions come together with international sport. What makes this Championship so special is that we not only see the best young horses of today in action, but also look ahead to the generations that will shape the future of our sport,” said Judy Ann Melchior.
Five days at the heart of breeding and sport
The highlight of the week will be the World Championship finals for five-, six- and seven-year-old horses, scheduled for Sunday, 20 September. Surrounding the title contests will be a comprehensive programme celebrating the close relationship between selection, breeding and competition.
Belgium’s leading combinations will compete for the national title in the Belgian Showjumping Championship, while the FEI Sires of the World will bring some of the most highly regarded approved stallions into the spotlight.
The programme will also feature the Z-Ranking prize-giving ceremony, celebrating the achievements of Z horses in international competition, as well as the Studbook Zangersheide Stallion Selection, which will unveil a new generation of prospective breeding stallions.
Three evenings of Zangersheide Quality Auctions
From 17 to 19 September, the eagerly anticipated Zangersheide Quality Auctions will return, bringing together some of the most desirable bloodlines and promising young talents in international showjumping.
Thursday evening will mark a significant first in the history of the World Championship, with embryos being auctioned during the event for the very first time. Seven exclusive pregnancies will offer access to some of the most sought-after genetics in the sport. They will be presented alongside a carefully curated selection of exceptionally promising three-year-old free-jumping prospects.
Over the following two evenings, 86 outstanding foals representing some of the most coveted bloodlines in international showjumping will enter the auction ring in Lanaken. No fewer than 17 are directly out of mares that competed at 1.60-metre level or above, while championship and Grand Prix bloodlines feature prominently throughout the collection.
The three auction evenings will therefore complement the young horses already competing in Lanaken by looking ahead to the generations still to come, in keeping with Zangersheide’s guiding principle: “Where passion meets breeding, where breeding meets sport, where sport meets passion.”
Admission to the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses will be free throughout the event.
Press release FEI WBFHS Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses 2026
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