July 20, 2026 
If you’ve been planning to place some Polymarket bets on the medal winners of the upcoming 2026 FEI Jumping World Championships in Aachen, Germany, next month, you may want to rethink your picks.
On Monday, July 20, Belgium’s Gilles Thomas announced that the 12-year-old Selle Français stallion, Ermitage Kalone—a much-anticipated podium contender for the World Championships (August 16-23)—has been withdrawn from the competition due to injury.
“Unfortunately, I have to share that Ermitage and I are forced to withdraw from the World Championships in Aachen,” Thomas wrote on Instagram on Monday.
“After the [LGCT] Grand Prix of Riesenbeck, Ermitage sustained an injury. Following further examinations, it has become clear that it would not be responsible to bring him to the start of the championship. His health and well-being will always come first, no matter how difficult this decision is.”
As Olympic veterans of Paris and the reigning team gold and individual bronze medalists at the 2025 European Championships in A Coruña, Spain, Thomas and Ermitage have already proven their worth on the sport’s highest stage. They recently made their case again in La Baule, France—finishing 6th in the Rolex Grand Prix and jumping clear with a single time fault for Belgium in the CSIO5* Barrière Nations Cup.
Last weekend, they didn’t drop a single rail in Riesenbeck, finishing 6th in the LGCT Grand Prix despite withdrawing before the jump-off. According to Jumpr, the pair are clear at a 58% clip in 38 rounds at 1.60m+, finishing on the podium 69% of the time they make the jump-off.
“The disappointment is immense. We had made this championship one of our biggest goals,” Thomas continued, noting that the breeding stallion’s recent slew of strong performances made the pair especially confident heading into Aachen.
“Wishing Team Belgium the very best of luck.”
