After two decades without a South African team competing at the FEI World Showjumping Championship in Aachen, the national flag is flying at one of equestrian sport’s most prestigious arenas once again.
And this time, South African fans do not have to watch from the sidelines.
Discover Sport™ has secured the South African live broadcast rights for the FEI World Showjumping Championship 2026 in Aachen, Germany, giving local audiences free, live access to the Individual and Team Showjumping Qualifiers and Finals on Discover Sport.
For a country with a proud showjumping community, the significance is difficult to miss.
South Africa is back.
And three riders — Charley Bays, Tamara Rueda and Ronnie Healy — are carrying the country’s colours into the competition.
Three Riders. Three Horses. One Flag.
South Africa’s return to the team competition comes after a long wait.
The country has continued to be represented at the highest level of the sport. However, this marks the first time since 2006 that South Africa has fielded a team in this arena.
The country’s most recent individual representation at the FEI World Championships came in 2022, when Oliver Lazarus competed in Herning, Denmark, with his horse, Butterfly Ennemal.
Now, four years later, the South African team is heading into Aachen.
For Discover Sport™ Director Stephen Watson, seeing the trio represent South Africa makes the partnership especially meaningful.
“This partnership feels particularly special since a South African team has not qualified to compete at Aachen for over 20 years. To witness Charley Bays, Tamara Rueda and Ronnie Healy flying the South African flag right now feels absolutely awesome!”
Why Aachen Matters
Aachen is not simply another stop on the equestrian calendar.
Often described as the “Wimbledon of equestrian sport”, the German venue carries more than a century of history and remains one of the sport’s most revered arenas.
For showjumpers, earning the opportunity to compete on its turf represents one of the highest levels of competition imaginable.
But for the South African team, the journey to Aachen started long before they arrived at the famous gates.
While Charley Bays is permanently based abroad and competes under the South African flag, riders Tamara Rueda and Ronnie Healy are based in South Africa.
Their qualification journey demanded months of preparation, commitment and personal sacrifice.
That included transporting their horses from South Africa to Europe well ahead of the Championships so they could begin the demanding qualification process required for team selection.
In other words, getting to Aachen was already a championship effort.
Balancing Family, Work and World-Class Sport
For Ronnie Healy, the journey carries another dimension.
Healy is a father to two young boys and the owner and full-time coach at RH Equestrian in Kyalami, Johannesburg.
His route to Aachen has therefore involved balancing family and professional responsibilities at home with the relentless training, preparation and horse management required to compete internationally at this level.
The competition may unfold in Aachen, but the work behind it began months earlier.
For South African audiences, Discover Sport™’s coverage offers an opportunity to see not only the final performance, but the significance behind it.
A Decade of History Takes the Arena
For Tamara Rueda, Aachen represents the culmination of a decade-long partnership.
Her horse, Callaho Liantos, affectionately known as Lucy or “Goose”, was bred in South Africa by Callaho Warmblood Sport Horses.
The horse’s appearance in Aachen marks the first time a Callaho-bred horse will compete in this arena.
The story began in 2016, when Rueda bought the spirited young horse at the Callaho Auction.
At the time, there was no promise of a World Championship.
Ten years later, Rueda and Liantos are together at the pinnacle of their sport.
“When Tamara Rueda and Callaho Liantos enter the Aachen arena, they carry a decade of shared history with them,” says Watson.
“Rueda bought her spirited young Callaho-bred horse at the Callaho Auction in 2016 – back when there was no promise of a World Championship. Ten years later, here they are, together – at the pinnacle of this incredible sport!”
It is precisely these long journeys that Discover Sport™ believes deserve greater visibility.
“Sporting stories like Tamara and Liantos are exactly why access matters,” Watson says. “People should be able to see the years behind the moment; the qualification, the commitment, the partnerships and the people and brands who help athletes get there. When you make sport easier to watch, you make those stories easier to discover.”
Bringing Aachen Home
Discover Sport™ is partnering with Western Shoppe and Callaho Warmblood Sport Horses to bring the Aachen action to South African audiences.
Rueda and Healy are both sponsored by Western Shoppe, while Callaho Warmblood Sport Horses joins Western Shoppe as a broadcast advertising partner for Discover Sport™’s Aachen coverage.
The collaboration brings together South African riders, homegrown equestrian brands and a digital sports platform focused on expanding access to live sport.
For fans who have historically needed an international paid subscription to follow competition at this level, the partnership removes a significant access barrier.
The Individual and Team Showjumping Qualifiers and Finals will be available live and free in South Africa on Discover Sport™.
Another Door Opens for Equestrian Sport
The Aachen partnership also represents another step in Discover Sport™’s growing presence in South African sport.
Following broadcast partnerships across tennis, badminton and padel, the sport-tech platform is now expanding its involvement in South African equestrian sport.
Its approach is built around access.
Rather than positioning itself simply as another traditional broadcaster, Discover Sport™ describes itself as an aggregator designed to bring sporting codes, rights-holders, athletes and audiences together within one digital sporting ecosystem.
“We don’t believe popularity should be determined only by what traditionally makes it onto television,” says Watson.
“There are extraordinary sporting communities everywhere. Our job is to keep finding intelligent ways to connect them with the people who want to watch.”
South Africa Is Back in the Saddle
Aachen represents more than another major international competition for South African showjumping.
It represents a return.
Three riders.
Three horses.
One South African flag.
And behind them are months of preparation, years of partnerships and, in the case of Rueda and Liantos, a decade of shared history.
Now South African audiences have the chance to witness the story unfold live.
As Aachen heads into its final weekend, Discover Sport™ members can tune in live and free for the showjumping action.
South Africa is back at Aachen.
And this time, the journey is being brought home.
Watch the FEI World Showjumping Championship 2026 live on Discover Sport™ at www.discoversport.com
