Defending champions Ros Canter and Izilot DHI are among the withdrawals from Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials (17-21 June), leaving a depleted CCI5* field.
Ros and Alex Moody’s horse had been the favourite to win again, but it was not to be – and Ros’s other ride MHS Seventeen, owned by Lady Milnes Coates and Deidre Johnston, has also been pulled out.
The other British withdrawals are Laura Collett and Hester, Andrew Downes with Cooley Foxtrot, Elspeth Bryce on Lacoste and Alexander Tordoff with Cool Jack. Harry Meade has withdrawn Jet Fighter; the pair were at Defender Bramham Horse Trials last week, but withdrew before the cross-country.
US combinations Grace Taylor with Game Changer and Lucienne Bellissimo with Kitsch Couture HPK have also withdrawn, as has Australia’s Bill Levett and Sligo Candy Cane. Bill still has RNH Tom Tom R entered.
There are still six Brits in the five-star, including Pau five-star 2024 winners Caroline Harris and D Day, Stephen Heal with Hagonda and Sam Ecroyd riding five-star debutant Mister Big Ears. Ireland has two entries; Sian Coleman with Carrowgar Je Taime Max and Dominic Furnell on Ivanhoe. The home side has two combinations in the CCI5*; Heike Jahncke with Mighty Spring FRH and Katharina Meyer with Aspen T.
The CCI4*-S Meßmer Trophy, which incorporates the German national championship, has reduced from 63 entries to 50. The only Brits in this class, John Tilley with Licence to Cooley and Gordon Murphy riding Highmoon, have both withdrawn.
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Germany’s Calvin Bockmann and Altair De La Cense, who finished fifth in the CCI4*-S last year, are out – as is Sweden’s Amanda Staam with her 2025 Europeans ride Corpoubet AT, and Desiree Schmidt on Fairy Tale B, who have made Nations Cup team appearances for Switzerland.
Emily King and Valmy Biats originally showed as entered in the CCI4*-S, but now appear in the CCI5* entries – and New Zealand’s Samantha Lissington and Delarado, who appeared on the five-star list, now show in the CCI4*-S. Samantha was double-entered at Bramham and Luhmühlen with Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ, but opted to run at Bramham, where they finished runners-up in the CCI4*-S.
The Luhmühlen Horse Trials trot-up gets under way tomorrow afternoon (17 June). The first day of dressage is on Thursday, beginning with the CCI4*-S at 8am UK time (9am local) followed by the five-star dressage at 1pm UK time (2pm local). Find more information about how to watch Luhmühlen Horse Trials.
Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
