FEI Awards 2026: Nominees, How to Vote and Why Grooms Get a Trophy

The FEI, the international governing body for horse sport, including the Olympic and Paralympic disciplines, opened public voting for its annual awards on October 21, 2026. Fans have until November 1 to pick their favourites in four categories, and the winners will be honoured at a gala in Jiangyin, China, on the evening of December 5.

This guide covers who's nominated, how to vote, and why one of the four trophies goes to a groom rather than a rider.

FEI Awards 2026: the key dates and how to vote

The FEI Awards 2026 are open for public voting from October 21 to November 1 at fei.org/awards. Fans pick a favourite in each of the four categories: Best Athlete, Rising Star, Best Groom and Inspire.

How to cast your FEI Awards vote

1. Go to fei.org/awards on your phone or computer.
2. Open each category and read about the nominees.
3. Choose your nominee in each category, following the instructions on the page.
4. Submit before voting closes on November 1. Don't leave it to the last evening, because time zones vary.

In past editions the public vote has not been the only factor. In 2025, for example, results combined the fan vote with a judging panel, half and half. Check the FEI's awards page for the exact 2026 rules before you assume the most popular nominee wins.

Meet the 17 nominees

The official category names carry sponsor names, but the awards themselves are simple. Here's every nominee, as listed when voting opened. We're not telling you who to vote for: read the profiles and decide for yourself.

Best Athlete

This award recognises outstanding international performances in any discipline.

• Steve Guerdat (Switzerland), jumping
• Alice Layher (Germany), vaulting
• Nina Mallevaey (France), jumping
• Kate Shoemaker (USA), para dressage

Rising Star

This award is for young athletes already making their mark internationally.

• Lukas Heitmann (Germany), vaulting, 17
• Prins Lejeune (Belgium), driving, 15
• Teresa Leowald (Germany), eventing, 17
• Greta Lepratti (Italy), jumping, 21
• Jiayi "Dina" Yu (China), dressage, 22 (21 when nominated)

A 15-year-old carriage driver on the same shortlist as a 22-year-old dressage rider shows how wide the FEI Rising Star nominees really are.

Best Groom

This award honours a groom's care and their contribution to horse welfare and performance.

• Shahrouk Khan (India), dressage groom for Gabrielle Thompson
• Romuald Le Goff (France), groom for the French vaulting team and individual vaulters
• Alizée Olivier (France), groom for eventing and jumping athlete Gaspard Maksud
• Victoria Riskalla (Brazil), freelance groom for dressage and para dressage athletes

Inspire

This award recognises people and projects that use horse sport to make a positive difference in their communities.

• Julia Battams (Australia), Equine Pathways Australia
• Fazenda Educadora (Brazil)
• Laura Griffith (Great Britain), Horse Rangers Association
• Tegan Vincent-Cooke (Jamaica), para dressage athlete

Why the FEI Best Groom award matters

Top horses don't arrive in the ring shiny, sound and calm by accident. A groom has usually been with that horse since before sunrise, and often knows it better than anyone else on the team.

The FEI Best Groom category puts those people on the same stage as the riders. That matters for welfare too: grooms are often the first to notice that something is off.

What does a horse groom do?

First-hand accounts from working show grooms describe a long and varied day. The work can include:

• Feeding and water: keeping meals on schedule, at home and on the road
• Daily health checks: looking at legs, hooves, appetite and attitude, and reporting anything unusual to the rider, owner or vet
• Grooming and bathing: brushing, bathing, clipping, and braiding manes on show days
• Tack: tacking up, checking that the bridle and saddle fit, and cleaning everything afterwards
• Legs and hooves: picking out feet, applying leg wraps and boots, and working with the farrier
• Stable work: mucking out stalls and keeping the work area safe and tidy
• Show-day logistics: moving horses between the trailer or stables and the ring, warming up on time, and keeping the horse relaxed in a noisy place
• Travel: packing, loading, and often flying or driving with horses between countries

Show days can start at 2 or 3 a.m. and finish late. Grooms also support their riders emotionally, whether the day ends with a ribbon or a disappointment.

Want to try the basics yourself? Our beginner brush-order guide and the grooming section are the place to start. Kids who love the behind-the-scenes side can find more in Kids.

How vaulting, driving and para dressage fit into FEI sport

Most people know show jumping and dressage. This year's nominee list is a reminder that the FEI governs much more, including disciplines that rarely get TV time.

• Jumping: horse and rider clear a course of fences against the clock. For the current season, see our FEI Jumping World Cup guide.
• Dressage: a precise, judged test of training, often to music. Learn how dressage is scored.
• Eventing: dressage, cross-country and jumping by the same horse and rider.
• Vaulting: gymnastics and dance performed on a cantering horse that's controlled on a long line by a lunger. The horse's steady rhythm is everything.
• Driving: horses pull a carriage through dressage, a marathon and a cones course.
• Endurance: long-distance races with strict vet checks along the route.
• Para dressage: dressage for athletes with physical or visual impairments, grouped into grades so riders compete fairly.

That's why grooms are listed by discipline. A vaulting groom keeps one horse calm and even for several athletes, while a dressage groom takes great care over braids before a test. Explore them all on our disciplines page.

FEI Awards explained: a yearly guide for fans

The FEI Awards come around every year, and the pattern is usually the same. Nominees are announced, there's a short public voting window, and winners are revealed at a gala.

The gala location and dates move each year, so check them every season. In 2026 the shortlist covers four categories, and fans can vote in each one.

Quick checklist for next year

• Follow the FEI's official channels in early autumn so you see when the nominees go live.
• Read every profile, not just the famous names. The Inspire and Groom nominees often have the best stories.
• Vote early, because the window can be as short as about ten days.
• Share the groom nominees with young riders: it shows that horse careers go far beyond riding.

What to watch next

• November 1: public voting closes.
• December 5: winners are revealed at the FEI Awards Gala in Jiangyin, China. We'll cover the results once they're announced, not before.
• Between now and then: many nominees are still competing. Catch up on the jumping season in our Longines League of Nations Final 2026 explainer, or browse more stories on Trends.