While the dressage riders are fighting for titles and medals at the World Championships in Aachen this week, the tension is rising for Austria's show jumpers. Next week, the big stage belongs to them – and among them is Bianca Babanitz, who will represent Austria together with I Will Be Famous. A major dream is coming true for the rider from Burgenland. Just a few weeks later, the next highlight of the season awaits with the Longines Global Champions Tour Vienna | Schloss Schönbrunn.
„The nomination means an incredible amount to me. Being able to represent Austria at a World Championship is always something very special. But Aachen has always been the biggest dream for me. When I found out that I was actually nominated together with I Will Be Famous, I was simply overwhelmed.“
With "I Will Be Famous" to the big goal
In Aachen, Babanitz is counting on I Will Be Famous, with whom she has already celebrated numerous successes this season: „I Will Be Famous has developed enormously over the past few months. With the nomination for the World Championship in Aachen, we have reached an important milestone together. He is increasingly living up to his name and coming a step closer to his goal of becoming ‚famous‘ with every good round.“
In addition to his own performance, Babanitz is also focusing on the success of the Austrian team. The major common goal is qualification for the Olympic Games: „This will be a big challenge, but we will give everything for it. Our strong performances in recent months have shown that we are absolutely competitive as a team and have legitimate hopes of achieving this goal.“
From Aachen back to Schönbrunn
Just a few weeks after the World Championship, the next big stage awaits from September 24 to 27, 2026. For the Burgenland native, the Longines Global Champions Tour Vienna | Schloss Schönbrunn is a true home game, and not just geographically.
How special a performance in the Ehrenhof is to her was already demonstrated by Babanitz in 2025. As the only Austrian rider, she went clear under strong international competition in the Saturday evening main jumping class over 1.50 meters and, amid the cheers of the home crowd, took an excellent fifth place – one of the most emotional red-white-red moments of the entire tournament weekend.
At the end of September, she is now returning to Schönbrunn, where she will once again face the world elite of show jumping in front of family, friends, and local fans. For Babanitz, this appearance combines a sporting challenge and a home advantage in a special way: „Worldwide, there are only a few venues with a similarly special atmosphere. For me, Schloss Schönbrunn in Vienna is definitely one of them. Riding there in front of a home crowd at the Longines Global Champions Tour is a true highlight.“