The 2026 British Showjumping National Championships have concluded – and the winners include a horse who loves bananas, a rider who almost didn’t get there at all and a 10-year-old combination tackling their toughest challenge yet.
Madison Heath and BP Millionaire were crowned national champions for the first time; the 21-year-old rider and Carrera Stud’s fabulous eight-year-old continued their blistering run this season, which includes winning both under-25 championships at Bolesworth, by seeing off all comers in the international stairway final.
Madison and “Dollar” were fourth to go of six in the jump-off, from 33 starters, and they were in blazing form, the Million Dollar gelding showing his incredible power and the agility to pull off the cracking turns that kept them a third of a second in front of runners-up Chris Franks and Kannabalou.
“I don’t think it’s hit me yet!” Madison said of becoming national champion. “We were in France in July, looking at the nationals and saying, ‘We should go and I might have a chance of the under-25 ticket.’ I didn’t even realise the stairway final was on day three; I thought I’ll see how he’s going and if he’s up for it.”
He most certainly was. Madison said Dollar was slightly over-jumping the big tracks the first few days to ensure he left them up, “but he loved it”.
“He’s naturally quick and the more you dare him, the more he’s ‘I’m on it’,” she said, thanking her flatwork coach Kim Belton and trainer Rob Bevis for their support.
“At the start of the week I couldn't jump a clear round – but I'm happy to go home now we've got the title.”
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Madison has said before how much Dollar loves bananas; she promised him a bunch of them if he jumped clear in the seven-year-old final at Hickstead’s September Tour last year, and he got them after he won.
“He hasn’t had his bananas yet, just Stud Muffins as I haven’t been to the shop!” she said the day after her win. “But he will be getting a full bunch.”
Raphaela Dawson and Maifield Another Sunrise
(Image credit: 1st Class Images)
Raphaela Dawson continued her fabulous summer by winning the national 148cm title with Maifield Another Sunrise – although she nearly didn’t get to the show at all.
The 15-year-old, who won the 148cm title at Hickstead last month and was on the team that won European gold a week later, got stuck in a motorway traffic jam en route to the nationals, arrived 10 minutes before the class started, then pulled off a fabulous win.
“It’s been amazing,” she said.
Six of 32 starters had jumped clear in the first round and three had faults in the jump-off. Asked if she thought it was a tough course, Raphaela said she hadn’t been able to walk it.
“We got there at 3.50pm, and the class started at 4pm,” she said. “Someone sent me a picture of the course plan and I watched one but it must have been tougher than I thought.”
Raphaela had an unexpected refusal with her first ride, MHS Glow, and when she came in last with “Gizmo”, she put her foot down, sealing the deal with a beautiful turn to the double and taking a stride out to the last.
“They had all last week off during the Europeans, went training on Wednesday then came here,” she said. “We were second in this in 2024 and unlucky to have the last fence last year so to win is really good after coming so close.”
“I can’t believe we won Hickstead, then two weeks later the nationals for the second time,” said Anya “I knew it would be a really fast jump-off, I knew all my turns and that we had to go for it. She gave it her all, she trusts me and I trust her back.”
Conor Barnes and Creevagh Pringles
(Image credit: 1st Class Images)
Conor Barnes and Creevagh Pringles were taking on their biggest track yet in the 128cm championships – and won with the only double clear.
Conor and the 10-year-old mare were first of two in a boys-only jump-off; their super clear put Michael Kelly and Ryehall Belle Couture’s 12 faults into second.
Conor, who is also 10, has competed in stepping stones finals; his mother Caroline thought he could have a go at bigger tracks this summer with this mare he has been riding for only three months.
He said the course looked “massive”.
“She has quite a strong canter, which I like as it means I can sit and wait,” he said. “She’s very genuine, and she’s: ‘This is my way and how I’m going to do it’; I’ve had to learn how to ride her.
“I’ve never jumped that big before and I didn’t try to go too fast, just go clear and do a few turns. This means we’ve qualified for London International; I’m very excited about that.”
See this week’s H&H magazine, out 13 August, for the full report from the 2026 British Showjumping National Championships.
Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
