The Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) on the west coast of USA has been transformed into a five-star showjumping venue this week for the Longines LA Masters (25-28 September).

Thirty six riders, including Great Britain’s world number one rider Scott Brash and Michael Whitaker, world individual silver medallist Patrice Delaveau, 2012 Olympic champion Steve Guerdat, Dutch team gold medallist Gerco Schroder and USA rider Jessica Springsteen will take part in four days of indoor jumping, competing for a prize-fund of over $1million.

On Sunday (21 September), 51 horses touched down in California on a chartered Emirates flight from Liege, Belgium, ahead of the first class on Thursday (see video top).

Vande Capelle of European Horse Services explained: “We think we are making history, or at least equestrian history in Los Angeles, with the arrival of 51 horses for the Longines LA Masters.

“It takes a lot of preparation. We have been working for two months trying to co-ordinate everything and the preparation is 80% of the work. This flight took off from Leige airport in Belgium, which is a specialist airport for horse traffic. They do a lot of these horse charters. We also set up a centre in Leige of the horses so they can relax before they go on the flight.

“Quarantine will be done here in California. Unlike normal imports, who are done at the official USCA import centre, these horses can come straight to LACC to the show stables where they will be held in quarantine until Monday at least.”

The horses were transported from the airport to LACC in massive horse transport trucks.

Vande was relieved when the final batch of horses arrived: “Thank god we are here with the last group of horses. The last two trucks have just arrived. We are so excited to be making history here in downtown Los Angeles.

“It was a long trip, the flight took just under 11 hours, but we had our vet on board. We had our flight professional — a guy who is only flying horses, that’s his daily job. As far as it looks, all horses are well. We have no injuries and no sick horses. That’s the aim.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The Netherlands have been crowned world champions at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. France took silver and the USA finished with bronze.

The Dutch quartet of Jeroen Dubbeldam (Zenith SFN), Maikel Van Der Vleuten (VDL Groep Verdi TN NOP), Jur Vrieling (VD Bubalu) and Gerco Schroder (Glock’s London NOP) showed fighting spirit in a tense competition in which barely a fence separated the top five teams.

“As a coach, your heart goes up and down but when you have good spirit in the team, you can achieve a lot of things,” said the winning chef d’equipe Rob Ehrens.

France came in to the final round in fourth place but battled back, much to the delight of the packed D’Ornano Stadium in Normandy, with clear rounds from Penelope Leprevost (Flora De Mariposa) and Kevin Staut (Reveur De Hurtebise HDC) to complete less than 2pen behind the leaders.

USA just pipped Germany to the final medal – by 0.1pen.

“An unlucky touch is the difference between winning gold and finishing fourth or fifth,” said US rider Kent Farrington.

The team’s anchorwoman Beezie Madden (Cortes C) has yet to touch a fence in the championship and now heads the individual standings ahead of Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson (Casall Ask).

Brazil took fifth but, as Olympic hosts, they automatically qualify, meaning the fifth and final Olympic qualification spot goes to sixth-placed Sweden. Just missing out was the seventh-placed Irish squad of Darragh Kenny (Imothep), Bertram Allen (Molly Malone V), Denis Lynch (All Star 5) and Cameron Hanley (Antello Z).

Great Britain dropped out of contention yesterday when finishing 18^th of the 31 teams.

The final 30 individual riders return on Saturday, after which the final four will be decided for the horse-swapping final on Sunday.

Don’t miss the full report, reactions and behind-the-scenes news in next week’s Horse & Hound, out Thursday 11 September.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Olympic silver medal-winning showjumper London has been sold for €8.6 million in an online auction.

According to Horses International the stallion, who competed at London 2012 with Dutch rider Gerco Schröder, has been bought by the Glock Horse Performance Centre.

The Austrian Gaston Glock, already supports Edward Gal, and it is expected that Gerco will be able to keep the ride.

The 12-year-old was among a group of 30 showjumpers for sale in online auction after a Dutch court ruled last month (5 March) that Rabobank has a right to collect assets from the bankrupt owner, Eurocommerce Stables.

The total for all the lots came to €11,126,151, which is thought to slightly less than expected.

Other lots in the auction included top Dutch showjumpers, such as the Gerco Schroder-ridden New Orleans (€210,000), Callahan (€180,000) and Seoul (€307,500); Wout-Jan van der Schan’s Capetown (€187,000) and Sacramento (€38,000) and Albert Voorn’s Tobalio (€175,000).

Namelus R, the sire of Ben Maher’s Olympic ride Tripple X III, failed to sell.

The horses were also offered as a combined lot, but as no bidders came forward the horses will go to the individuals who offered the highest price.

The sale was criticised for including 4 retired horses. The horses, which were aged between 21 and 25, all sold.

Monaco, who is now 23 years old and competed at the Athens Olympics, sold for €3,500. Montreal, 21, sold for €4,600.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Dutch showjumper Gerco Schroder’s Olympic 2012 silver medallist London is one of several international horses going under the hammer next month.

This follows a ruling by Dutch courts that Rabobank has a right to collect assets from the bankrupt Eurocommerce Stables.

Eurocommerce Holdings filed for bankruptcy in July 2012, and the horses’ destination has been under discussion since.

London was seized shortly after the Olympic Games, but was returned to Mr Schroder while proceedings were underway. However, since a judge ruled on 5 March that the bank has a right to €38,250,000 (£32,000,000), all the horses, stables and trucks will be sold at BVA Auctions (4-7 April). Many international prospective buyers have already registered their interest in the online auction.

A price-tag of around €10million (£8.3million) was rumoured when London was seized in 2012.

The provisional list of lots up for auction includes other top Dutch showjumpers, such as the Gerco Schroder-ridden New Orleans, Callahan and Seoul; Wout-Jan van der Schan’s Capetown and Sacramento; Albert Voorn’s Tobalio, as well as breeding stallions.

Eurocommerce said in a statement that the receivers and the bank had “determined that the stables are not profitable to run and therefore cannot see any other responsible option than a forced auction, which is also deemed in the interest of all creditors”.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The Netherlands won the FEI Nations Cup showjumping at Aachen CHIO last night under lights in a competition that came down to a tense final fence decider.

Belgium had the cleanest sheet from round one, carrying forward just one penalty from their three counting scores. The Dutch completed the first round with 14pen.

But over a track arguably more difficult than any Nations Cup in the series so far, there were problems scattered everywhere.

Britain logged just one clear in the first round (Guy Williams on Titus II) and sat sixth behind Ireland at the halfway stage.

Guy’s team-mates Robert Smith (Voila), Ben Maher and Tina Fletcher all had problems around the up-to-height track. Ben’s ride Tripple X III made a number of uncharacteristic errors, including hitting the middle part of the treble, as did Tina.

In the second round Tripple X jumped much more fluently, but had an unlucky foot on the plasticine of the water jump. Guy and Robert also accrued faults and Tina, last to go, pitched over Unique IX’s head when he badly misjudged the water — one of a number of horses who did — and fell.

The win looked a dead cert for Belgium but the team, reduced to three after their first-round 20-faulter did not start the second round, produced eight-fault rounds from their first two riders.

It was down to Belgian Ludo Philippaerts on Challenge v. Begijnakker, last of all 31 combinations to go in front of the vocal 45,000-strong crowd. He had five faults in-hand but used four of those early in the course with a fence down. He was clear and inside the time coming to the last, but badly misjudged the fence and the horse sprawled through it, scattering poles. This handed victory to the Dutch – the only team to post three clears in the second round.

Dutch chef d’equipe, Rob Ehrens said: “We got together in between the rounds and discussed the faults and developed our strategy for the second round. The riders then put this into practice perfectly.”

German rider Gerco Schroder’s horse London (pictured top) was the only horse to jump a double clear inside the time over this exceptionally testing course. This Nations Cup track accrued more faults over all teams than any other in the history of the competition.

“I really thank my horse. London did a fantastic job today,“ said Gerco.

Thankfully for the Brits, this was not one of their elected legs, so their result does not count towards their final team standing. Improved performances at Hickstead and Dublin will be required to drag them up from sixth out of eight nations on the rankings.

View full results

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Dutchman Gerco Schroder and his silver medal-winning Olympic ride London won the five-star grand prix in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday night, taking home a cool €214,500.

The runner-up spot went to Ireland’s Denis Lynch with the 10-year-old Argentinus stallion All Star 5 — the only other clear after three rounds on the final day of the CHI Al Shaqab.

“I want to thank my horse — he really is very special,” said Gerco, one of six jump-off contenders from 37 starters.

Robert Smith made the jump-off for Great Britain, finishing sixth on four faults with Voila. Local rider Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani delighted the crowds with fifth on Cantaro 32.

Earlier in the day, Danish dressage rider Nathalie Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein won the freestyle grand prix with Digby.

Read the full report from Al Shaqab in the next issue of Horse & Hound, out 4 April, 2013

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Olympic medal-winning horse London has been removed from Dutch showjumper Gerco Schroder as part of bankruptcy proceedings against Dutch estate agency and building company Eurocommerce.

Gerco and London won both individual and team silver at Greenwich, but the horse was seized shortly after the conclusion of the jumping competition by Dutch government officials.

The 10-year-old warmblood stallion is owned by Ger Visser Jnr, the son of the Eurocommerce boss.

Eurocommerce filed for bankruptcy in July.

London is believed to have been moved to Ben Maher’s Cambridgeshire yard.

Ben told H&H he was not able to comment on the matter.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Michael Whitaker’s success across the Atlantic continued in Canada last week, where he was crowned the Leading International Rider at CSI-W Toronto.

Following his triumph in the Syracuse World Cup Qualifier last weekend in America, Michael notched up a number of placings in international competition in Toronto to lift the leading rider title.

His placings included winning the National Steel Car Four Bar Challenge on Insul Tech Up To Date 8, second in the Jolera Gamblers Choice Topscore (Insul Tech Quidame des Hayettes), sixth in the CN World Cup Grand Prix (Insul Tech Portofino 63) and fourth place in the world famous Ricoh Big Ben Challenge (Insul Tech Portofino 63).

Michael’s success in North America puts him at the head of the Western European League FEI World Cup jumping leaderboard on 41 points. In second is FEI WEG team gold medalist Gerco Schroder on 37 points, with Beat Mandli in third.

Schroder rode Eurocommerce Milano into first place in round three of the series in Verona at the weekend, ahead of his compatriot Leopold Van Asten (VDL Groep Fleche Rouge) and Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (Shutterfly).

Ellen Whitaker is the only other British rider currently in the top 20 of the Western European League of the FEI World Cup in equal 11th on 15 points.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now