Ursula Levett may have been disappointed that her performance at the 2026 World Championships in Aachen, Germany did not quite match the routine she had hoped for, but there was plenty for the young British vaulter to take pride in.Competing in the individual female championship Ursula brought Shannondale Jedi, who was lunged by Pauline Riedl, into the arena for all three of her performances during the competition the compulsory test, technical test and the freestyle.Shannondale Jedi is a 13-year-old gelding, owned by Ursulas mother Jenny, and he previously evented through the grades up to intermediate level with Jenny and Ursulas dad Bill Levett and brother Josh. Ursula has described her connection with Jedi as special, and that bond was evident as the pair tackled the atmosphere of a major championship arena.It was alright there were some messy errors, but my horse was good, Ursula reflected after her final day freestyle performance. There was obviously a bit more atmosphere today, so he was a very good boy. He was a bit more uncertain today, but he tried his best, so Im really proud of him. View this post on Instagram There were nevertheless some great highlights and Ursula particularly picked out her handstand sequence and opening stand, along with a number of the more dynamic movements.The handstand sequence was nice, the beginning stand was good, and some of the other cartwheels were nice too. The music is just a piece I found during the winter that I really liked and enjoyed, and decided it would suit me well to use for a freestyle.Aachen represents a significant milestone in a career which began with an unusual choice of discipline for someone from such an eventing family. Ursula is the daughter of Australian Olympic event rider Bill Levett and British event rider Jenny Levett, while her twin brother Joshua has followed the family tradition into eventing. Yet, growing up close to the Unicorn Vaulting Group in the Cotswolds, Ursula was drawn towards vaulting essentially gymnastics and dance performed on a cantering horse.She began concentrating seriously on the sport in 2015 and earned her first senior British call-up in 2019. After representing Britain at the 2023 World Championships in Herning, she made the bold decision later that year to leave the family home and move to Aachen, one of the worlds major centres for equestrian sport, to pursue her ambitions under the guidance of two-time world champion Pauline Riedl. View this post on Instagram Her journey has not been without major obstacles. In December 2025, Ursula was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune condition associated with pain, swelling, stiffness and fatigue. Further investigations also revealed silent coeliac disease. Working with her medical, coaching and physiotherapy teams, she subsequently overhauled her nutrition and training programme to protect both her health and her ability to perform.Its been a bit of an overwhelming week, Ursula said of the championship experience. Im very, very appreciative that I get to compete here, and that I got to compete in such an arena. Related contentSophie Wells leads British para dressage medal charge with World Championship goldThe most incredible feeling in the world: Lottie Fry and Glamourdale claim history-making World Championship freestyle gold for Britain Brilliant Britain strike gold at eventing World Championships as Michael Jung takes individual title and Brits fill the rest of the podium How to watch the 2026 FEI World Championships on TV and via livestreamWhats happening, when? The full 2026 FEI World Championships timetableThe post British vaulter Ursula Levett shows resilience at World Championships in Aachen appeared first on Your Horse.