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On August 19, 2026, the show jumping competition at the World Championships will commence at the main stadium in Aachen. Michał Ziębicki and Balou's Batman have been officially named to the Polish national team. Today, this horse is 12 years old, and this pair's path to the national team was neither quick nor easy. Michał himself describes his horse this way: he is an ambitious and brave horse, with whom it was first necessary to work on the basics to be able to enter the course without fear. This is a good moment to take a closer look at what kind of horse Balou's Batman is and where his place in the Polish team for the Aachen 2026 World Championships came from.
Balou’s Batman – what kind of horse is he?
Balou’s Batman is 12 years old today. Michał Ziębicki has been riding him since the horse was a six-year-old, practically from the moment a young horse begins serious work on the show jumping course.
According to the horse's official profile in the FEI database, Balou's Batman is a gelding born on May 22, 2014, dark bay in color, registered in the German studbook OS, which is the Springpferdezuchtverband Oldenburg-International e.V. This studbook specializes in breeding show jumping horses, which in this horse's case is consistent with how the rider describes him.
Balou’s Batman, data from FEI profile
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| Name | BALOU'S BATMAN |
| FEI ID | 106ZY74 |
| Date of birth | 22.05.2014, currently 12 years old |
| Sex | gelding |
| Color | dark bay (in FEI classification: bay black bay) |
| Studbook | OS, Springpferdezuchtverband Oldenburg-International e.V. |
| Owner | Michał Ziębicki Szary Sport Horses |
The best description of this horse comes from the rider himself. The following statement is archival material, recorded in the season when Balou's Batman was 10 years old and received a call-up to the national team:
"This is Batman, he is 10 years old at the moment. He is a horse who, this year, has achieved, let's say, great success, he was called up to the national team. I've had him since he was a six-year-old. The beginning of our cooperation was not easy. He was always a very ambitious, very brave horse. Therefore, at the beginning, we had to put in a lot of work, calmness, so that he would get used to going to unfamiliar places. However, this work paid off, and today we can enter the course without fearing anything. He has an enormous heart, enormous power, he is precise, willing to work."
In equestrian sports, a twelve-year-old horse is at a very good point in their career: experienced enough to understand their work, and still agile enough to compete at the highest level. In the case of Balou's Batman, this age has another significance. It is the result of several years of consistent work with one rider.
Ambition and courage that needed to be channeled
Michał Ziębicki says it directly: "The beginnings of our cooperation were not easy." The reason was not a lack of ability; quite the opposite. Balou's Batman was from the start, as the rider says, "a very ambitious, very brave horse."
Anyone who has worked with a young horse of such temperament knows what this challenge entails. Ambition and courage are invaluable traits in show jumping, but unchanneled, they can work against the pair. A horse that wants to go forward and is not afraid of an obstacle can easily become over-excited, turning the course into a race rather than a task.
Therefore, as Michał describes, at the beginning, "we had to put in a lot of work, calmness, so that he would get used to going to unfamiliar places." This sentence is crucial in this story. It was not about reining in the horse or stifling his character, but about accustoming him to the routine of competitions. It was about making the course a task to be performed calmly, not a challenge to be met with emotion.
And this work, in his words, "paid off." Michał describes the effect very concretely: "today we can enter the course without fearing anything."
Heart, power, and precision
When Michał Ziębicki summarizes what he values most in this horse, he lists four things: "He has an enormous heart, enormous power, he is precise, and willing to work."
To someone in the stands, this sounds like a set of compliments. To someone who knows show jumping, it is a very precise characteristic of a sport horse:
- Heart. Willingness to fight for a clear round even when the round doesn't go perfectly. This is the trait that saves pairs on difficult courses.
- Power. The thrust generated by the hindquarters that allows the horse to clear height and width without excessive effort. This isn't about jumping with a large margin over the pole, which is uneconomical and taxing on the horse's body, but about strength that leaves a reserve for the last obstacles on the course.
- Precision. A horse that carefully avoids touching the pole. A level of attentiveness that cannot be forced through training.
- Willingness to work. The most underrated trait of all. A horse that approaches training with readiness develops faster and stays in the sport longer.
Note one thing: none of these are characteristics of an "easy" horse. This is a description of a strong horse with character. A horse that gives a lot if a bond of understanding is built with him.
Michał Ziębicki and Balou’s Batman – partnership at the highest level
Several years with one horse, from six years old until being called up to the national team, is practically the entire history of this duo. And it is a story that unfolds exactly opposite to the popular perception of sport: without a spectacular breakthrough, but with consistency.
From Michał's statement emerges a very clear logic of work. First, understanding what kind of horse he is dealing with, i.e., ambitious and brave. Then, the decision not to change this character, but to work with it: with calmness and repetition, until the horse stops treating the course as an exceptional situation. And only at the end, the effect that matters in competitions, which is the ability to enter the course without fear of the horse's reaction.
This is the difference between a horse that can jump and a horse that can compete. The first is a matter of physical ability. The second is a matter of trust, and that trust in this duo was earned, not inherited. The story of Balou's Batman shows that the solution is not pressure, but patience.
Michał Ziębicki and Balou’s Batman at the Aachen 2026 World Championships
The Aachen 2026 World Championships (FEI World Championships Aachen 2026) will take place from August 11 to 23, 2026. These are some of the largest championships in equestrian history. Six disciplines are being held concurrently in Aachen: dressage, eventing, vaulting, para-dressage, driving, and show jumping.
According to the official announcement from the Polish Equestrian Federation, Michał Ziębicki and Balou’s Batman are included in the Polish national show jumping team roster. The owner of the horse is Michał Ziębicki Szary Sport Horses. The team manager is Maciej Wojciechowski.
Polish show jumping team roster – Aachen 2026
Polish riders entered for the show jumping competition at the World Championships in Aachen:
| Rider | Horse |
|---|---|
| Marek Lewicki | Quaid Casio |
| Hubert Polowczyk | M'Blues Boy Z |
| Jarosław Skrzyczyński | Komboy |
| Michał Tyszko | Colinero |
| Michał Ziębicki | Balou’s Batman |
For Michał Ziębicki and Balou’s Batman, this is a natural consequence of several seasons of working together. Aachen, however, has its own unique characteristics. It is a venue considered one of the most challenging in the world, not because of the height of the obstacles, but because of the scale of the stadium, the atmosphere of the stands, and the pace it demands.
And here again, what Michał said about his horse comes back. The course in Aachen is precisely the environment where a horse unaccustomed to competitions can lose its head. And precisely where the work on calmness from the first years of cooperation should prove its worth.
What equipment does Michał Ziębicki use?
At this level of sport, the outcome is decided by a multitude of small things, and equipment is one of them. Not because the saddle jumps for the horse, but because over years of daily work, every ill-fit will take its toll: in the form of tension in the back, poorer hindquarter work, or simply a rider who isn't sitting where they should be.
Michał Ziębicki rides in a Renaissance saddle.
In the case of a horse like Balou's Batman, with great power and a strong jump, proper saddle fit is of very practical importance. A horse that provides a large margin over the obstacle needs full freedom of the back during the push-off and flight phases. A rider who sits such a jump dozens of times a week, in turn, needs a saddle that stabilizes them in a consistent position, because rider position in jumping is not about aesthetics, but about safety and precision of distance.
This is, moreover, a universal principle, regardless of the sport level. According to the FEI Code of Conduct for the Welfare of the Horse, the welfare of the horse is paramount to the result, and equipment fitting is one of the most concrete, daily ways of implementing this principle. Therefore, in Equishop's saddlefitting practice, supervised by Monika Zastrzeżyńska-Rychwalska, the starting point is always the specific horse and rider, not the saddle model.
Renaissance saddles are available in Equishop's offer. If you are looking for a saddle for show jumping, it is worth comparing the available options. In the show jumping saddles category, you will find models differing in seat depth and leg position, and the choice between them is determined by anatomy, not by name. A full overview can be found in the riding saddles category.
If you wish to check the fit of your saddle for your own horse, we invite you to the Equishop Fitting Center at Oświęcimska 9 in Ruda Śląska. A meeting with a saddle fitter will answer questions that a catalog cannot.
Aachen 2026 – when do the show jumpers start?
The show jumping competition at the World Championships in Aachen will be held from August 19 to 23, 2026, at the Main Stadium. The schedule, according to the official Aachen 2026 program, is:
| Date | Competition |
|---|---|
| August 18 | Open training for the public |
| August 19 | First competition, team and individual qualification |
| August 20 | Second competition, round one |
| August 21 | Second competition, round two, under artificial light |
| August 22 | Team medal ceremony |
| August 23 | Third competition, individual final |
For anyone following Michał Ziębicki and Balou’s Batman, the most important date is August 19. The first competition determines qualification for further competition in both team and individual classifications. The Friday round under lights is traditionally the most spectacular moment of the entire show jumping championships.
Michał Ziębicki and Balou’s Batman – a duo worth watching
In Michał Ziębicki's entire archived statement about his horse, the most powerful sentence, easily overlooked, is: "today we can enter the course without fearing anything."
This is not a declaration about results or a prediction of a medal. It is a description of a state that takes years to achieve and which, in show jumping, is the foundation of everything else. The ambitious and brave horse, which Michał says has "an enormous heart, enormous power," enters Aachen as a twelve-year-old with several years of shared work with one rider behind him.
The show jumping competition at the Aachen 2026 World Championships starts on August 19. It is worth watching this pair not only through the lens of the results table.
FAQ
Who is Balou’s Batman?
Balou’s Batman is a twelve-year-old dark bay gelding competing in show jumping under Michał Ziębicki. According to his FEI profile (FEI ID 106ZY74), he was born on May 22, 2014, and is registered in the OS studbook, Springpferdezuchtverband Oldenburg-International e.V. His owner is Michał Ziębicki Szary Sport Horses. Michał describes him as an ambitious and brave horse, with a big heart, great jumping power, and precision over obstacles.
How old is Balou’s Batman?
Balou’s Batman is 12 years old today. He was born on May 22, 2014.
In which studbook is Balou’s Batman registered?
Balou’s Batman is registered in the German OS studbook, the Springpferdezuchtverband Oldenburg-International e.V., which specializes in breeding show jumpers. His FEI ID number is 106ZY74.
Who rides Balou’s Batman?
Balou’s Batman is ridden by Michał Ziębicki, a Polish rider competing in show jumping. He has been working with this horse since Balou's Batman was a six-year-old.
Is Michał Ziębicki competing at the Aachen 2026 World Championships?
Yes. Michał Ziębicki is on the official roster of the Polish show jumping team for the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026, announced by the Polish Equestrian Federation. He will compete with the horse Balou’s Batman.
What horse is Michał Ziębicki competing with in Aachen?
Michał Ziębicki is competing in Aachen with Balou’s Batman, a twelve-year-old horse he has worked with since the horse was six years old.
What saddle does Michał Ziębicki ride in?
Michał Ziębicki rides in a Renaissance saddle. Saddles of this brand are available in Equishop's offer.
When will the show jumping events take place at Aachen 2026?
The show jumping competition at the World Championships in Aachen will be held from August 19 to 23, 2026. The first competition, which includes team and individual qualification, will take place on August 19, the second competition on August 20 and 21, and the individual final on August 23. The entire championships run from August 11 to 23, 2026.
Who represents Poland in show jumping at the World Championships in Aachen 2026?
The Polish show jumping team consists of: Marek Lewicki (Quaid Casio), Hubert Polowczyk (M'Blues Boy Z), Jarosław Skrzyczyński (Komboy), Michał Tyszko (Colinero), and Michał Ziębicki (Balou’s Batman). The team leader is Maciej Wojciechowski.
