“We left full of energy, momentum and confidence.”
spoga horse saw 460 exhibitors from 33 countries present their products to 9,000 trade visitors from 79 nations in Cologne, Germany on 7 – 9 February.
A big talking point was next year’s new pet trade event. spoga dog is to run in parallel with spoga horse on alternative years from 2027.
spoga dog has evolved from the show’s Dog Village, one of several feature areas catering for the likes of start-ups, e-commerce and stable yard equipment.
Bernd Voss, spoga horse director, will also be at the helm of spoga dog. "Our aim is to continually further develop spoga horse and further expand its role as the central business platform of the equestrian sport industry,” he said.
"Formats like [spoga dog] illustrate how spoga horse is tapping into real market developments, thus laying the foundation for new, independent trade fair concepts."
Award-winning products
Fifty new products reached the finals of the spoga horse Top Innovations awards.
The winners were:
Soft’up Pro Stirrups and the Airvest Plume by Freejump System
Trailblazer Jogging Shoe by Equine Fusion AS
Motionlite 2.0 Back Protector by Racesafe
Rambo magnetic turnout rug by Horseware Products
Self-coaching tool Mental Kiste by The Mental Balance Institute
What the exhibitors said
“Thoroughly positive feedback from the exhibitors,” was reported by Oliver Frese, chief operating officer of Kolnmesse, spoga horse’s venue.
Louis O'Neill, CEO at Horseware Ireland, agreed: "spoga horse continues to set the benchmark for excellence within the equestrian industry, and this year was no exception,” he said.
“The show provided an invaluable platform for meaningful collaboration with our retail partners, inspiring conversations with suppliers, and the opportunity to showcase our newest innovations to an engaged global audience.”
Sonja Pettke from Waldhausen echoed the sentiment.
"spoga horse 2026 was a strong international trade fair for Waldhausen and provided an important platform for exchange and dialogue with customers and partners from around the world.”
Katharina Haase from Pikeur Reitmoden stressed the value of a face-to-face forum such as spoga horse.
"The strong visitor traffic and the many forward-looking, high-quality conversations exceeded our expectations,” she said.
“They clearly show that, despite all digital progress, our industry remains a true ‘people’s business.’ Real impact is created through personal exchange and strong partnerships.
“We leave Cologne full of energy, momentum and confidence for the year ahead."
spoga horse and spoga dog are scheduled for Cologne on 30 January to 1 February 2027.
