Latest from Horse & Hound in Scott-brash

‘One of the sport’s greatest stories’: brand new combination spearhead Britain’s fab five heading to the showjumping World Championships

Jennifer Donald — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:52:08 +0000

The British team for the showjumping World Championships in Aachen, Germany (18-23 August) has been revealed, led by Olympic gold medallists Scott Brash, Harry Charles and Ben Maher.

This terrific trio have formed the backbone of countless teams in recent years but the Paris 2024 heroes all bring different horses to this year’s championships.

Scott Brash has an enviable string to choose from and he's picked the stunningly beautiful and uber-talented Hello Mango over his gold medal-winning partner Hello Jefferson and dual European silver medallist Hello Folie, who will act as Scott’s direct reserves. Since Scott's championship debut in 2010 on Intertoy Z, the ice-cool Scotsman has developed into a phenomenal team stalwart but he will also be bidding for a first individual gold medal.

The former Olympic champion Ben Maher travels to Aachen with Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright’s 12-year-old stallion Point Break, but with Catelly and Enjeu Du Grisien as top quality back-up.

Harry Charles’ world championship selection with brand new ride, LT Holst Freda is one of the sport’s greatest stories. Just three months ago, the world championships seemed a distant pipe dream for 26-year-old Harry after he stepped away from top-level sport to rebuild his string of horses.

Twelve-year-old mare Freda was bought just three months ago after she contested this year’s World Cup Final with New Zealand rider Julie Davey, initially for Harry’s wife Eve to ride. But Harry fell in love with the mare and at just their third show together in June, the pair helped Great Britain win the Longines League of Nations (LLN) in Rotterdam with a double clear followed by a spectacular jump-off performance. It’s not often you’ll see such a new partnership competing for a world title but Harry and Freda are clearly the perfect match.

Adrian Whiteway will make his championship debut in Aachen (Image credit: Getty Images)

Aachen will be a championship debut for 35-year-old Adrian Whiteway and his clear round machine Chacco Volo, with the pair having delivered a string of faultless performances on Nations Cup teams in recent years, just succumbing to the odd time fault along the way although those are becoming increasingly rare nowadays. The pair’s exceptional double clear in the Rome Nations Cup in May marked them as serious contenders.

It’s not often riders end up with a horse of the same name, but commentators will be able to have a lot of fun with our final combination on Great Britain’s five-man squad, Jack and Jack. Jack Whitaker first teamed up with Jack JL – the third grey on the squad – last season, but they’ve quickly come to prominence, firstly as part of the winning LLN team in St Tropez last year, with plenty more eye-catching five-star rounds now under their belts.

It’s now up to chef d’equipe Di Lampard and assistant Stanny van Paesschen to reveal which of this quintet will form the final four at the showjumping World Championships in Aachen next month.

Waiting in the wings on Great Britain’s reserve list are Joe Stockdale (Ebanking), who was part of the bronze medal-winning team at the last world championships in 2022, plus Tim Gredley (Medoc De Toxandria) and Jessica Mendoza with Summerhouse.

British team for showjumping World Championships 2026

Scott Brash, 40, with 11-year-old mare Hello Mango (Untouchable 27 x Numero Uno)
Owners: Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham
Breeder: HPH Vaessen
Groom: David Honnet

Harry Charles, 26, with 12-year-old mare LT Holst Freda (Colman x Casall Ask)
Owners: rider and Eve Jobs
Breeder: E Mackintosh
Groom: Georgia Ellwood

Ben Maher, 43, with 12-year-old stallion Point Break (Action-Breaker x Baloubet Du Rouet)
Owners: Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright
Breeder: Nya Äppelvikens Ridskola
Groom: Gwen Bellamy

Jack Whitaker, 24, with Jack JL (Bessemeind’s Quasimodo Z x Astrello)
Owner: Candice Reilly
Breeder: JE Lammerts-Weide
Groom: Paul Collier

Adrian Whiteway, 25, with 13-year-old stallion Chacco Volo (Chacco-Blue x Cathago)
Owner: Deborah Cox
Breeder: Gestut Lewitz
Groom: Rhi Watson

Reserves in alphabetical order

Tim Gredley, 40, with 14-year-old gelding Medoc De Toxandria (Der Senaat III x Kelvin De Sainte Hermelle)
Owners: Rachel Gredley, William Gredley and Unex Competition Yard
Breeder: Werner Dierckx)

Jessica Mendoza, 30, with 11-year-old gelding Summerhouse (Induparts Guidam Sohn x VDL Indoctro)
Owners: Pernilla Amman, Georgia Kipp, Kristi Mitchem, Melissa Skowlund and rider
Breeder: C Den Boer

Joe Stockdale, 26, with 12-year-old stallion Ebanking (Etoulon x Aranebel)
Owners: Barbara Hester and Laura Stockdale
Breeder: E Vriend

These definite entries for the British Equestrian jumping team are announced in collaboration with British Showjumping and World Class Programme principal partner Agria.

To stay up to date with the latest equestrian news in the run up to the 2026 World Championships in Aachen, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

What a squad! Medal-winning veterans and rising stars feature on British showjumping World Championship shortlist

Eleanor Jones — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:00:40 +0000

Medal-winning veterans and some new up-and-coming stars feature on the British showjumping shortlist for the Aachen World Championships (11 to 23 August).

One combination from the team that won silver at last year’s European Championships – Scott Brash and Hello Folie – is included in the list of 11 riders and 15 horses from which the final squad will be confirmed. The final squad of five combinations must be submitted to the FEI by 23 July, following a final meeting on or around 16 July.

The selection panel comprises chef d’equipe Di Lampard and non-voting chair of selectors Sarah Rowell and the aim is to select those most likely to achieve the objectives; of qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and winning as many medals as possible.

The selection will of course take into account combination results, including in five-star Nations Cup and grands prix, this year and last.

Scott and Ben Maher, currently third and fourth in the Longines world rankings, look certain to feature in the world championships squad and both have three rides on the British showjumping shortlist. As well as Folie, with whom he also won individual silver last year, Scott has his Paris 2024 team gold medal-winning Hello Jefferson and the rising star Hello Mango, all three owned by Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham. Scott has been on flying form this year, winning five-star grands prix on all three horses.

Ben is named with his stalwarts Enjeu de Grisien and Point Break; he came fourth with the former in the Rolex Aachen grand prix this month and won the five-star grand prix in Rotterdam last week with the latter. He is also down with Catelly – owned as are the other two by Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright – whom he has only been riding since May but with whom he was on the team that won the Longines League of Nations (LLN) in Rotterdam this month.

Harry Charles has with Scott and Ben been the backbone of recent British championship teams but has been rebuilding his string. He is named with another new ride; his own and wife Eve Jobs’ LT Holst Freda, whom he only started riding a month ago but with whom he jumped double clear in the Rotterdam LLN to help secure that British win, sealing the deal in a jump-off thriller.

Rising stars Adrian Whiteway and Chacco Volo have been impressing on Nations Cup teams and top-level shows since their CSI5* debut a year ago; they are also on the British showjumping shortlist for Aachen.

Joe Stockdale, who helped Britain to team bronze at the last World Championships is on the list, this time with Ebanking who has been competitive at five-star level this year. Jessica Mendoza, who shone as an individual at last year’s Europeans, is selected with Summerhouse, who was also on that winning team in Rotterdam. Matt Sampson is named with Un Secreto Z, the horse with whom he came fourth in his first five-star grand prix at Windsor last month, and won at the Hickstead Derby meeting – and whom Matt describes as the best in his string at the moment. Sienna Charles and home-bred Chawton were also on the winning team in Rotterdam, jumping clear to set up the jump-off.

Jack Whitaker, Jodie Hall McAteer and Tim Gredley are the riders who complete the British showjumping shortlist for Aachen – we will have to wait and see who makes the final cut.

Selection also takes into account results in other five-star and four-star competitions, as well as the standing of the competition, the quality of the field and reasons for any incomplete competition. Proof of ability to produce top performances on a given day and while under pressure are also important.

The British showjumping shortlist Aachen 2026:

Scott Brash with 11-year-old mare Hello Folie

Owners: Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham

Breeder: Claire Gouin

Breeding: By Luidam, out of a mare by Diamant De Semilly

Scott Brash with 17-year-old gelding Hello Jefferson

Owners: Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham

Breeder: Bernard Mols

Breeding: By Cooper van de Heffinck, out of a mare by Irco Mena

Scott Brash with 11-year-old mare Hello Mango

Owners: Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham

Breeder: HPH Vaessen

Breeding: By Untouchable 27, out of a mare by Numero Uno

Harry Charles with 12-year-old mare Holst Freda

Owners: Eve Jobs and rider

Breeder: E Mackintosh

Breeding: By Colman, out of a mare by Casall Ask

Sienna Charles with 12-year-old stallion Chawton

Owner: Peter Charles

Breeder: Peter Charles

Breeding: By Typhoon S, out of a mare by Caletto

Tim Gredley with 14-year-old gelding Medoc de Toxandria

Owners: Rachel Gredley, William Gredley and Unex Competition Yard Ltd

Breeder: Werner Dierckx

Breeding: By Der Senaat III, out of a mare by Kelvin De Sainte Hermelle

Jodie Hall McAteer with 10-year-old mare La Gupardie

Owner: Mandy Hall

Breeder: F van de Linden

Breeding: By Van Gogh, out of a mare by Carrera VDL

Ben Maher with 14-year-old gelding Catelly

Owners: Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright

Breeder: H. Wulf-Hinrich

Breeding: By Catalido, out of a mare by Ephebe For Ever La Silla

Ben Maher with 12-year-old gelding Enjeu De Grisien

Owners: Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright

Breeder: H. Elevage de Grisien SCEA

Breeding: By Toulon, out of a mare by Andiamo

Ben Maher with 12-year-old stallion Point Break

Owners: Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright

Breeder: Nya Äppelvikens Ridskola AB

Breeding: By Action-Breaker, out of a mare by Baloubet De Rouet

Jessica Mendoza with 11-year-old gelding Summerhouse

Owners: Pernilla Amman, Georgia Kipp, Kristi Mitchem and Melissa Skowlund and rider

Breeder: C Den Boer

Breeding: By Induparts Guidam Sohn, out of a mare by VDL Indoctro

Matt Sampson with 11-year-old stallion Un Secreto Z

Owner: Maplepark Farm

Breeder: Finca Horses BV

Breeding: By Ultra Boy, out of a mare by Arko III

Joe Stockdale with 12-year-old stallion Ebanking

Owners: Barbara Hester and Laura Stockdale

Breeder: E Vriend

Breeding: By Etoulon, out of a mare by Aranebel

Jack Whitaker with 12-year-old stallion Jack JL

Owner: Candice Reilly

Breeder: JE Lammerts-Weide

Breeding: By Bessemeind’s Quasimodo Z, out of a mare by Astrello

Adrian Whiteway with 13-year-old stallion Chacco Volo

Owner: Deborah Cox

Breeder: Gestut Lewitz

Breeding: By Chacco-Blue, out of a mare by Cathago

The grooms’ names are yet to be confirmed and selection decisions depend on horses and riders’ maintaining fitness and performance.

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Brash is better than ever in Paris and a fiery mare with a ‘humungous heart’ scores on tough US debut

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 18:02:33 +0000

In another busy week of international showjumping, two brilliant mares took centre stage. Go girls!

First up, globetrotting Millfield Colette made her USA debut a winning one in the five-star Longines League of Nations show in Ocala Florida, with a brilliant ride from British showjumper Donald Whitaker. Then on Sunday, Scott Brash was back at his brilliant best, winning the prestigious Hermès grand prix in Paris with 13-year-old Hello Chadora Lady.

Read on for this week’s international showjumping results and news round-up.

International showjumping results: a sensational sixth grand prix for Brash

The world number one rider, Scott Brash, celebrated an outstanding sixth international grand prix victory of 2026 with the Frankel-esque Hello Chadora Lady in Paris.

Emerging from a turbulent few weeks involving his horses returning to Europe from Doha, Qatar, after the start of the Middle East conflict, Scott contested last week’s Dutch Masters before arriving in France for the prestigious Saut Hermès. He left €120,000 (£104,000) richer thanks to a scorching victory in Sunday’s Hermès grand prix.

“Chadora was exceptional,” said Scott, who pivoted round this stunning glass-roofed venue at exceptional speed with the mare owned by Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham to win by more than a second.

There was a dead heat for second between Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs with Conner Jei and Dutch rider Harrie Smolders riding Mr Tac, the horse who won this class three years ago with Victor Bettendorf.

“It was a pretty unique course by Santiago Varela, as well as being respectful of the horse,” said Scott, who had racked up an outstanding five grand prix wins in Doha, one with Hello Chadora Lady in January. He also partnered this daughter of Chacco-Blue to win the Rolex IJRC top 10 final in Geneva in December.

There was further British success when Olivia Sponer (Kockie W) and Claudia Moore (Lover Boy SVO) partnered up to win the Les Talents Hermès team competition for under-25 riders.

Donald Whitaker and Millfield Colette win on their USA debut in Ocala, Florida. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Impressive Longines League of Nations performance

Germany won the second leg of the Longines League of Nations. Competing at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, USA, the squad beat Ireland and Belgium to top the podium.

“I had a smile on my face when I jumped these two rounds,” said German team rider Christian Kukuk, who jumped double clear with his Olympic gold medal-winning partner Checker 47. The German team incurred just four faults across two rounds of jumping, one fence ahead of Ireland.

Great Britain finished fourth; Jess Mendoza (In The Air), Joe Stockdale (Ebanking), Jack Whitaker (Jack JL) and Donald Whitaker (Millfield Colette) were flying the British flag this time.

“I’m happy, it was a good result, we were just a bit unlucky in places,” said chef d’equipe Di Lampard.

Making their debut on US soil, Donald and Millfield Colette won the $63,000 Wheels Up grand prix qualifier on the opening day of the show.

“I did think it was tough enough,” said Donald. “It took a bit of jumping with a lot of related distances and a lot of choices to be made. It was quite strong for the first day. She’s naturally fast, so sometimes the problem is that you end up going too fast because she’s trying to win, and I’m actually trying to slow it down and do the nicest round I can.

“She’s very fiery. She’s a bit of a typical mare in a way. She likes to have people around her, but she likes to boss them around as well. She has a humongous heart. Like today, going in that ring, she just grows. You feel it the second you start trotting; her head comes up, and she can’t wait to get going. She’s incredible.”

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2026, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Scott Brash is crowned world number one: ‘Success comes from the time you invest in your horses’

Jennifer Donald — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 14:13:33 +0000

British showjumper Scott Brash has become the number one ranked rider in the world, according to the latest edition of the Longines Rankings for showjumping.

The double Olympic gold medallist had been hovering in second place behind US rider Kent Farrington in recent months. But a historic run of grand prix successes throughout January has helped propel the 40-year-old to the top spot in the world rankings for the third time in his illustrious career.

“I’m incredibly proud to be world number one again,” said Scott Brash.

“More than anything, it’s a reflection of the extraordinary team around me – the people who work tirelessly every single day, caring for our horses with such love and dedication. They are the ones who make sure the horses are as happy and healthy as they can possibly be, allowing us to do what we do and who keep everything moving forward.”

Scott Brash leads Kent Farrington and Ben Maher in the world rankings

Scott leads the global standings with 3,459 points, ahead of Kent Farrington in second with 3,415 points. Scott’s Olympic team-mate Ben Maher moves up to third position.

“For me, reaching number one is never about just a few recent results,” said Scott, who racked up an outstanding fifth grand prix success in as many weeks in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday (31 January). He even landed two grands prix in one day, twice.

“It’s something that is built quietly and patiently over many years.”

“This feels so special”: Scott pays tribute to “remarkable” horses

“With horses, success comes from the time you invest in them, the trust you develop, and knowing it’s a long-term journey,” Scott said. “That’s why it feels so special to stand here with such remarkable horses, all of whom feel at the very top of their game.”

In December, Scott topped the prestigious Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final with Hello Chadora Lady and followed up with a historic hat-trick of five-star grands prix – two with Hello Jefferson and one with Hello Mango. He also triumphed in a brace of CSI3* grands prix riding H&H‘s showjumping horse of the year 2025, Hello Folie, and Hello Chadora Lady, all of whom are owned by his great supporters Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham.

“This is also a moment to say thank you to my owners, who have supported me for so many years with trust and belief, and to our partners, whose support makes so much possible,” said Scott, who held the world number one position on two separate occasions between 2013 and 2015.

“My focus now remains simple – to keep the horses as fit, healthy and happy as they can be. Everything else follows from that.”

Read more about Scott Brash’s latest grand prix triumph in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, in shops Thursday, 5 February.

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2026, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Scott Brash lands a grand prix double – again! ‘These results are many years of hard work from a lot of people behind the scenes’

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:57:19 +0000

Whatever Scott Brash is putting in his porridge, we all want a spoonful because the world number two is absolutely flying.

Just a fortnight after he landed a first-ever brace of grands prix in one day in Doha, Qatar, the Scotsman repeated the feat at the HH The Father Amir’s Prix 2026 at Al Shaqab with victory first in this week’s CSI3* grand prix on the tour riding Hello Folie, followed by a triumphant assault on the five-star equivalent with rising star Hello Mango.

It was simply another outstanding day in the life of this all-conquering horseman and his brilliant team.

“It was a great day,” admitted Scott. “I’m in an unbelievable position right now. These results are many years of hard work from a lot of people behind the scenes – grooms, vets, physios, farriers… So I’m delighted for the whole team.”

Scott Brash and a maiden international success for Hello Mango

Scott Brash’s five-star success was a first international victory for Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham’s quality 11-year-old Hello Mango (Untouchable 27 x Numero Uno), who Scott has been producing slowly to the top level.

“It’s been a while coming, but I’ve always thought she’s capable of doing something really good so it’s nice to actually achieve it,” said Scott. “Just a couple of things have taken a bit more time with her. We’ve all put in a lot of hard work to get her to this point.

“She’s super-scopey, she’s careful and she has a good stride – she has all the attributes – but she gets a little sharp sometimes, so it’s taken time to get her relaxed,” explained Scott, who was seen offering the mare a reassuring pat before squeezing against the clock, where they soared home nearly half a second quicker than the rest of the field.

“I didn’t think it was a perfect jump-off round, though – there are a few little things that could improve – but she just showed how good she really is, so I’m really excited for her.”

Hello Mango was sporting nasal strips (like these ones) just to “help get a bit more oxygen in”.

“She’s sharp, so she needs a bit more oxygen to support her system and we feel the strips help her,” revealed Scott Brash.

He and his European silver medal-winning partner Hello Folie topped the three-star equivalent after a 13-way jump-off.

“She had two weeks off after jumping here the first week, so I thought the three-star was nice just to make life a bit easier for her and she skipped round it,” he said. “It was nice to go last, so I could see what I needed to do, and she was great as always. She loves jumping, she loves what she does.”

Millie Allen continued the British success when she headed Friday’s five-star speed class, riding the 10-year-old Quick Diamant HR.

Shane Breen and BP Arctic Blue jump to victory in the World Cup at the Al Shira’aa International Horse Show in Abu Dhabi, UAE. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Shane Breen triumphs in World Cup

It wasn’t just Scott Brash celebrating multiple wins this week. At the Al Shira’aa International Horse Show in Abu Dhabi, UAE, the Breen Equestrian team celebrated a winning bonanza. Irishman Shane Breen and the stunning 10-year-old gelding BP Arctic Blue produced a coming-of-age performance to land the CSI4* Al Shira’aa Longines FEI World Cup with the sole double clear.

Shane has produced the “dream” son of A Pikachu De Muze x Chacco-Blue for the past two years and credited his wife Chloe “for trusting my judgement when we purchased BP Arctic Blue from a close friend, Greg Broderick”. The pair have delivered some eye-catching wins along the way, but this was an exciting step up.

“I watched a few combinations go early and saw that it wasn’t an easy course,” he said. “BP Arctic Blue was stepping up to this level, so my focus was simply to ride my round, jump clear and see how that played out. He had a look in a couple of places, especially at the planks, but my priority was to bring him home safely. To win here is very special.”

Finishing second to Shane in the World Cup with three time-faults was Italian rider Guido Grimaldi (Gentleman), and Shane’s new stable jockey Sandy McLean finished third on 10-year-old mare Calixte Heartbreaker Z. This daughter of Cicero Z Van Paemel was bred at Weston Lawns Stud and previously ridden by Will Fletcher. She is now co-owned by Breen Equestrian and Annabel Vere Nicoll and with new rider Sandy also topped a high-calibre field to win Friday’s four-star rankings class against the clock.

“To finish third in the World Cup and to have three wins over the week is incredible,” said Sandy, who also won the KAR Sport Horses seven-year-old final and qualifier, riding Breen Equestrian’s exciting stallion Opportunity (Grandorado TN NOP x Kashmir Van Schuttershof).

“I’d better let the boss win sometimes, though, otherwise I might not have a job!”

Completing Breen Equestrian’s winning bonanza, team rider Katie Speller also won the CSI2* grand prix riding Z7 Pink Panther.

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Two grand prix wins in one day: ‘I think that’s a first!’ says Scott Brash

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 16:38:35 +0000

Even by Scott Brash’s lofty standards, winning two grands prix in one day is no mean feat. Having finished a narrow runner-up to team-mate Harry Charles (Casquo Blue) in the previous week’s CSI4* grand prix at Al Shaqab in Doha, Qatar, the world number two-ranked showjumper exacted his revenge on Saturday (10 January), winning first the CSI3* grand prix with Hello Chadora Lady, then later the same evening the CSI5* equivalent during HH The Father Amir’s Prix, riding 17-year-old Hello Jefferson.

“I think that’s maybe a first!” said Scott.

Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham’s Hello Jefferson looked in flying form, one of nine to jump clear in round one. Drawn second-last against the clock, Scott had the 42.78sec target set by French rider Megane Moissonnier (Crooner Tame) to chase down. He lost a fraction of time early on, when Jefferson’s eye was caught by an island between fences one and two.

But after setting up beautifully for the midway double, the pair accelerated for home and, to the sound of whistles after the penultimate fence, they dramatically sliced the corner to the final vertical, crossing the finish line with just 0.12sec to spare. This electrifying performance proved unbeatable and Scott landed a cool €97,500 (£84,150).

“He’s an incredible horse – he’s 17 now, but he feels like a young horse,” said Scott Brash. “He just loves jumping and he’s always jumped well here in Doha in the big ring, so I’m delighted with how he’s feeling.

“I didn’t feel like I got the jump-off perfect,” he added. “I had to add one more stride to fence two after he spooked at the island, then I had to add one more to the next fence too, so I knew I was a bit down on the clock. But we managed to make it up at the last fence, which Jefferson jumped fantastically.”

Joining Scott and Megane on the podium was third-placed Eve Jobs (Canto Bruno). Her husband, Harry Charles, jumped clear in round one with last week’s grand prix winner Casquo Blue, just a time-fault barring them from jump-off contention.

Scott Brash lands the CSI3* grand prix at Al Shaqab, Doha, Qatar with Hello Chadora Lady. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Scott Brash: invincible once again

In the previous class, the CSI3* grand prix, Scott claimed victory with 13-year-old Hello Chadora Lady after a competitive 15-way jump-off. From late in the field, Scott delivered another high-octane performance with the pacy mare, fresh from her success in the Rolex International Jumping Riders Club Top 10 Final in Geneva before Christmas.

“She’s super-quick,” said Scott of the Chacco-Blue daughter, also owned by Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham. “She’s jumped a lot of five-stars, but it’s nice to give her a bit of an easier start on the tour in this three-star section. It’s all about managing your horses in the best way that you see fit and for Chadora, it’s nice to drop her down and then back up again – that seems to suit her well.”

There was further British five-star success at the show when Millie Allen landed Friday’s 1.45m speed class riding the 10-year-old Quick Diamant HR.

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‘I’ll take a win over Hello Folie while I can – it won’t happen very often!’ Harry Charles pips his team-mate to grand prix glory

Jennifer Donald — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 14:25:39 +0000

British showjumper Harry Charles enjoyed the best possible start to 2026 with victory in the CSI4* 1.55m grand prix at HH The Father Amir’s Prix at Al Shaqab, Doha, Qatar, riding 16-year-old Casquo Blue.

Harry pipped team-mate Scott Brash and the mighty Hello Folie by just 0.28sec to deliver a British one-two.

“It’s going to be incredibly hard to beat Folie over the next few years, so I’ll take one while I can – it won’t happen very often!” said Harry. “Casquo’s not normally the quickest so maybe my round was a bit deceiving. Scott did say to me, ‘I didn’t think I had to go that fast!’ He did one stride more than me down one line and I think that’s probably where I won it.”

Harry Charles on his jump-off round: “I took a big risk to the double”

Casquo Blue (Chacco-Blue x Carthago Z) has been an integral part of Harry Charles’s string for several years and a key part of Nations Cup teams including winning at Hickstead, and the pair represented Great Britain at the 2023 European showjumping championships, but this was their first grand prix success together. It came after a five-way jump-off to decide the €60,000 top prize.

“Going into the jump-off, I thought I’d be happy to be third at worst,” said Harry. “I thought, Scott and Folie are going to get me regardless, so I might as well try to make him work for it a bit! So I went as fast as I could.

“Casquo’s not that quick and that’s why maybe he hasn’t got a big win like this before – he’s had a lot of second and third places, but I just always found myself a second behind the leaders, even when I felt like I’d left everything out there. I was just never quite able to get ahead.

“This time I took a big risk into the double, it paid off luckily, and he was really good coming home.”

Reducing the workload to keep 16-year-old Casquo in shape

Harry attributes Casquo’s longevity and consistency to competing him “quite sparingly over the past year, especially the past few months, to keep him happy and feeling great in his body”.

“He’s 16 now and he’s been very much push-button for the past two years, he’s well past the point of needing education or learning rounds – he knows his job exactly now,” explained Harry. “As long as you start off well with him at a show and do one warm-up class, you can walk into pretty much any class. Even if I got called up a fortnight before a Nations Cup, he could just have a couple of jumps at home and go.

“He has his way and he’s not going to change. So if you stick to what he knows, he’s super simple in the arena.”

That careful management of the teenage gelding, jointly owned by Harry’s father Peter Charles and Stall Zet, extends to his work at home, too.

“He’ll maybe jump once every two weeks at home, maximum,” said Harry. “I have two good riders, Izzy and Rachel – one in the Netherlands, one in England – they’re a lot lighter than me so they ride him on the flat a lot.

“So it’s just about finding little ways to reduce the workload off him, make his training as easy as possible, and hopefully he’ll be in good shape for another couple of years. We know each other very well, so he makes my life quite easy.”

Read the full report from HH The Father Amir’s Prix at Al Shaqab, Doha, Qatar, including the CSI2* grand prix success for Olli Fletcher riding Cajus 42, in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, in shops Thursday, 8 January.

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Scott Brash beats the world’s best to victory in £154,500 Rolex top 10 final

Eleanor Jones — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 17:57:53 +0000

Scott Brash’s fabulous form continued with a triumph in the prestigious €176,000 (£154,500) Rolex IJRC top 10 final on Friday (12 December).

The contest pits the world’s highest ranked riders in an intense two-round showdown, in which world number two Scott and Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham’s nimble and quick-footed mare Hello Chadora Lady took a 0.15sc victory.

A tight turn back to the third fence drew a gasp from the crowd and propelled them to an advantage that the USA’s Kent Farrington and Toulayna could not quite catch.

“I was super happy with Chadora; she was incredible,” Scott told Grand Prix TV, adding that to go clear, and leave the ring knowing he had at least secured second place, was a “great feeling”.

Scott, who first won this class with Hello Sanctos 11 years ago, said there was one slight “lost in translation” moment between he and the Chacco-Blue 12-year-old.

“She’s so eager to get to the fence, all I try to do with her is help her understand where we’re going,” he said. “She got home good and it probably worked out as it then wasn’t all or nothing for Kent, and he did a very good round that was just slower. So I’m very happy.”

Scott paid tribute to his “incredible” long-term owners Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham, adding that he is “so lucky, not just [their] owning horses but in my life”.

Donald Whitaker opened proceedings with a victory for the Brits in the show’s first major jump-off class, the 1.60m Trophée de Genève, cruising home with 1.58sec in hand with his brilliant European team silver medal-winning ride Millfield Collette.

“It was my first time here, so to come in the first day like that and win the big class was a bit of a dream come true. To get here was a privilege anyway, so to do that felt like 100% success,” Donald said.

“Winning the Nations Cups at Spruce Meadows and Rotterdam and [the final] at Barcelona has made it an unbelievable year and topping it off by coming here was the icing on the cake.”

Scott had two down in the first round of the Rolex grand prix, in which Kent claimed the €400,000 (£350,000) spoils with a phenomenal round on the 11-year-old mare Greya.

He overtook the early lead of Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam and the ground-eating 12-year-old grey gelding James Kann Cruise to win by 1.35sec.

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(Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)

Great Britain wins Spruce Meadows Nations Cup for first time in 30 years: ‘The spirit of this team is second to none’

(Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)

‘This means the world’: British riders celebrate a glorious League of Nations-grand prix double

(Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)

‘She’s shown the world how talented she is’: Scott Brash and Hello Folie win European incredible silver

(Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)

‘We’d never had that pressure before – I certainly felt it’: Di Lampard reflects on the Euros and why she put her retirement plans on hold

(Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)

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Scott Brash and Ben Maher spearhead a ‘dazzling’ line-up of London International Horse Show entries

Jennifer Donald — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 10:20:06 +0000

Showjumping fans will be in for a treat this year as a “dazzling” selection of riders have been revealed among the London International Horse Show entries. This year’s show takes place at the London ExCeL from 18-22 December.

The world number two and double Olympic gold medallist Scott Brash leads the British entries. He’ll be hoping to seal an astonishingly successful year with a few more big wins in front of his home crowd.

The Scotsman will be joined in London by all three of his silver medal-winning team-mates from this year’s European Championships – Ben Maher, Donald Whitaker and Matt Sampson, as well as individual finalist Jessica Mendoza.

Matt’s fiancee Kara Chad is also in action this year representing her native Canada. Donald brings crowd-favourite Millfield Colette to London while Jess will also line up on her Europeans hero In The Air. It looks set to be an emotional week for Ben as he retires Olympic hero Explosion W at the show.

London International Horse Show entries: John Whitaker is back!

Talking of crowd favourites, 70-year-old jumping legend John Whitaker will be back in action with Equine America Unick Du Francport, Sharid, plus a new ride for this year, the eight-year-old mare Hamstramgram.

John’s son Robert Whitaker and nephew Jack Whitaker will also represent the famous showjumping family and you’ll see them riding top horses Vermento and Valmy De La Lande respectively.

Completing the British entries in the CSI5* classes are Joe Stockdale and Adrian Whiteway, who have both been on exceptional form this year.

A young Irish sensation to look out for

For Ireland, leading showjumpers Cian O’Connor and Billy Twomey will both be returning to the annual equestrian extravaganza alongside young sensation Tom Wachman, who is definitely one to watch.

A total of 16 nations are represented in this year’s CSI5* classes, the highlights of which include the Longines FEI World Cup presented by Agria and the Turkish Airlines grand prix. Other big names to watch in London include Daniel Deusser, Gregory Wathelet, Julien Epaillard, Kevin Staut, Geir Gulliksen, Max Kuhner and all-round legend Marcus Ehning.

Puissance action at the London International

For high-jump fans, a classy field of horses and riders will be attempting the big red wall and six-bar contests, including the all-conquering newly crowned young rider European champion Rachel Proudley, Gemma Stevens and Joe Trunkfield.

“We can’t wait to welcome these fantastic riders to battle it out in London,” said London International Horse Show chairman Simon Brooks-Ward. “The line-up is as dazzling as ever, with a great breadth of rider talent and depth of horsepower, and promises a truly spectacular edition of the show.”

H&H will be previewing this year’s Christmas extravaganza in next week’s Horse & Hound magazine (in the shops on Thursday 11 December) before bringing you all the action, exclusive interviews and insight from the London International Horse Show both online and Horse & Hound magazine.

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout the year, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

A British hero, the Olympic champion and a teenager living the dream: meet the 15 contenders for £1m Super Grand Prix

Jennifer Donald — Sat, 22 Nov 2025 17:23:58 +0000

Tonight (Saturday 22 November) the highly anticipated Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix takes place in the O2 Arena in Prague at 20.10 local time (19.10 GMT).

The two-round CSI5* 1.65m showjumping contest is one of the most prestigious in the world, boasting €1.25m (just over £1,000,000) in prize money and held as part of the weekend’s GC Prague Playoffs. Athletes qualify to take part in this season finale by securing a golden ticket from one of the 16 grands prix across the LGCT series, resulting in an exceptionally high-calibre field. After the late withdrawal of an injured Jana Wagers, there will be 15 horses and riders rather than 16 competing in Prague’s O2 Arena.

So who are this year’s entries for the Prague Super Grand Prix?

Prague Super Grand Prix: runners and riders

Christian Kukuk and Chageorge

The Olympic champion qualified with victory in the London leg of the LGCT and he brings the Beerbaum Stables’ 10-year-old Chacco-Blue stallion.

“Whoever has ridden in the LGCT Super Grand Prix once in their live wants to do it again,” says German representative Christian, who will be competing in the class for the fourth time. “Prague is an amazing show, the crowd is amazing and the atmosphere is incredible. It’s a really special show. It is the only indoor show we have in the season, which makes it even more special.”

Scott Brash and Hello Chadora Lady

The sole British representative won two grands prix on this year’s LGCT series, in Shanghai and St Tropez. Both successes came with Hello Chadora Lady, owned by Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Kirkham, and he lines up on the daughter of Chacco-Blue again in Prague. World number two Scott last jumped in the Super Grand Prix in 2021 but he’s enjoyed outstanding success in 2025, including winning two silver medals at the European Championships and heading the sport’s richest ever showjumping class. “It’s incredible to be part of it again,” says Scott, adding of the 12-year-old mare: “She gives you so much confidence. It’s just about containing that energy she has.”

Gilles Thomas and Qalista DN

The Belgian rider arrives in Prague having recently been crowned the youngest ever LGCT series winner, in a year when he also secured team gold and individual bronze at the European Showjumping Championships. The 27-year-old, currently ranked fifth in the world, earned his golden ticket in Paris, following up in New York for a spectacular brace of grand prix wins. In Prague he rides the joint-youngest horse in the field, the nine-year-old daughter of Emerald Van’t Ruytershof.

Anastasia Nielsen and Action Man

Representing Monaco, 19-year-old Anastasia made history in the 15th leg of the season in Rabat, Morocco, by becoming the youngest ever LGCT grand prix winner and she now lines up as the youngest ever contender of the Prague Super Grand Prix. Remarkably she had never even jumped clear in a five-star 1.60m class before her victory in Rabat and she now makes her debut in Prague, where she rides 11-year-old Action Man, a son of Action-Breaker. “This is what dreams are made of,” she says.

Abdel Said and Bonne Amie

Another rider flying the Belgian flag in Prague is Abdel, who qualified for the Prague Super Grand Prix in the first leg of the season in Doha, Qatar for the second consecutive year. The towering Estonian-bred “Bonnie” is one of five mares in the class and Abdel is currently ranked number 12 in the world.

Abdel Saïd and Bonne Amie. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Gregory Cottard and Cocaine Du Val

The Frenchman only finished fourth in the Rome grand prix but qualified for the Super Grand Prix as riders further up the placings had already earned a golden ticket or elected not to contest the final. Gregory is hugely popular for his natural approach both in the saddle and in the management of his horses, keeping his tack as simple as possible. Cocaine Du Val is a 13-year-old daughter of Mylord Carthago HN.

Jerome Guery and Careca LS Elite

One of an incredible five Belgian riders in the Prague Super Grand Prix, Jerome is another rider to have earned a golden ticket despite not finishing on the podium. The 45-year-old won individual silver at the 2022 world showjumping championships and his mount for Saturday night’s competition is the 14-year-old gelding Careca LS Elite (Carusso LS La Silla x Rebozo La Silla).

Marco Kutscher and Catelly

The German rider has enjoyed something of a resurgence this year, qualifying via his runner-up finish in Madrid, Spain, early on in the season. The double Olympic bronze medallist is a championship veteran so no stranger to a high-pressure cauldron such as the Super Grand Prix. He boasts great form with 13-year-old Catelly, who he only started riding a year ago, including Nations Cup success at Hickstead this year.

Nicola Philippaerts and Katanga VH Dingeshof

One of the most successful combinations on the showjumping circuit line up for the Prague Super Grand Prix as a result of their runner-up finish in Valkenswaard behind the already-qualified Harrie Smolders after an unusual two-way jump-off. Nicola has the added opposition of his younger brother Thibault (see below) and will be among the crowd favourites as Katanga is a hugely popular 15-year-old Cardento mare. Nicola’s father Ludo Philippaerts was the inaugural LGCT champion in 2006.

Philipp Weishaupt and Kokomo B

One of four German riders competing in the Super Grand Prix, Philipp won the LGCT grand prix of Vienna. For the final at the GC Prague Playoffs, he rides the nine-year-old Kannan son who is more often ridden by his younger brother Maximillian. “Prague is my favourite week of the year without a doubt,” says Philipp, who was part of the GCL Super Cup-winning team at the venue in 2023.

Gerit Nieberg and Ping Pong Van De Lentamel, winners of the Longines Global Champions Tour grand prix of Riesenbeck, Germany. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Gerrit Nieberg and Ping Pong Van De Lentamel

German star Gerrit and his striking coloured gelding have earned a huge legion of fans as they go from strength to strength in the ring. Their victory came on home soil at the LGCT grand prix of Riesenbeck, earning Gerrit a ticket to his first ever Super Grand Prix. “He’s an amazing horse,” says Gerrit of the 10-year-old Emerald son. “He’s still quite inexperienced at this level. He’s such a cool horse – the easiest character every single day.”

Simon Delestre and Cayman Jolly Jumper

The Frenchman made earning a golden ticket for the Prague Super Grand Prix his target for this season and he achieved his aim with victory in Monaco with the “truly amazing” and highly experienced son of Hickstead, who he also brings to Prague. “Cayman Jolly Jumper is a legend, it’s amazing for me to ride a horse like him,” says Simon of his Olympic partner and Dutch Masters Rolex grand prix winner.

Thibault Philippaerts and Pittman VH Lilleveld

Olympic showjumper Ludo Philippaerts will have split loyalties – not to mention frayed nerves by the end of the evening – with two of his sons in action in the Prague Super Grand Prix on Saturday night. Thibault, 24, is the rising star of the sport and qualified with a breakthrough performance on his debut in New York, finishing runner-up to Gilles Thomas, with the 10-year-old black gelding Pittman (Diamant De Semilly x Toulon), owned by Censtables NV and Team Philippaerts. “The Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix is a very big class,” he says. “I have been watching my brothers compete there for the past few years.”

Emanuele Camilli and Chacareno PS

Italy’s sole representative in Prague may not be a familiar name to many showjumping fans but the Germany-based showjumper stamped his ticket to Prague with an outstanding victory in Mexico. The 43-year-old competed at his first championship in 2022 and is now ranked 31st in the world. He brings Chacareno, one of three Chacco-Blue offspring in the Super Grand Prix.

Harrie Smolders and Monaco B

Last but certainly not least in the running order for Saturday night’s Super Grand Prix is one of the all-time greatest combinations in the sport. Harrie and Monaco have developed from eternal runners-up to racking up a dazzling string of five-star grand prix as they’ve flourished during a golden era. Three of their grand prix successes came on the LGCT circuit and come to Prague as one of the favourites to win. “Monaco feels the atmosphere, it lights him up, it gears him up,” says Harrie, ranked number seven in the world.

President and founder of Longines Global Champions Tour and GCL, Jan Tops, said: “The GC Prague Playoffs represent the highest level of our sport – a week where the best riders and teams in the world come together to compete for titles that define careers. This season has shown remarkable depth and quality across both the Longines Global Champions Tour and the GCL Championship, and it all builds to this moment here in Prague.”

H&H will bring you all the action from the Super Grand Prix and the rest of the GC Prague Playoffs in next week’s Horse & Hound, in the shops Thursday 27 November.

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‘This means the world’: British riders celebrate a glorious League of Nations-grand prix double

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 05:31:52 +0000

“I’ve been on many teams over the years but the strength and attitude that these guys have together is fantastic,” credited Ben Maher after he and team-mates Harry Charles, Donald Whitaker and hero of the hour once again, Scott Brash, lifted the trophy for the Longines League of Nations Final in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday (5 October).

British showjumpers were riding the crest of a colossal wave leading up to the final curtain falling in Barcelona, notching up a remarkable hat-trick of team successes, which started with a long-awaited victory in the BMO Nations Cup at Spruce Meadows, continued to the final LLN qualifier in St Tropez last month, before the celebrations rang out once again in Spain for the British dream team.

“Today means the world,” said chef d’equipe Di Lampard. “The riders were so consistent at the beginning of the year and since Rotterdam it’s been go, go, go – three wins on the trot is just amazing. They make my job very easy.”

Longines League of Nations Final Barcelona: a first jump-off

The unique format for the LLN always makes for enthralling viewing but this final included the only missing ingredient so far – the series’ first jump-off to decide top honours. Having completed on equal team scores of 16 penalties, the scene was set for Ireland and Great Britain to battle it out in a thrilling showdown against the clock.

Billy Twomey, just eight months into his partnership with the athletic Jumping Jack Van De Kalevallei (Kannan x Chin Chin) set off first for Team Ireland. After performing some beautifully executed turns over another masterful Santiago Varela course, Billy saw a long stride to the final fence and pressed the accelerator. There was a collective gasp as the 10-year-old stallion gave it a hefty rattle, but luck was with the Irish side and they crossed the finish clear in 38.42sec.

In contrast to this relatively new combination, Scott Brash and Hello Jefferson have long reigned as one of the most successful partnerships in the world. The Scotsman had had the opportunity to seal victory for Great Britain with a clear in round two, but the world number five, fresh from victory in the world’s richest showjumping competition at Spruce Meadows last month, was left shaking his head in dismay after faulting at the middle element of the triple combination.

But there was no doubting this magnificent pair against the clock as Scott executed a perfectly judged round. Accelerating through the midway section allowed him the timely luxury of a perfect set-up to the tricky final fence, which the ever-obliging Jefferson soared over effortlessly, flying home with a quarter of a second to spare on the clock.

Great Britain, who didn’t qualify for last year’s inaugural final, were the newly crowned champions of the LLN Final 2025.

“I thought Billy did a fantastic job and really stuck it to us,” reflected Scott, surprisingly competing at his first LLN. “Thankfully I’m sitting on a quick horse and we managed to leave the jumps up. Hello Jefferson stayed calm – horses don’t really know what’s at stake so I just tried to stay focused and follow the great advice from my team.

“The team’s had an amazing year and it’s fantastic to finish on this note, so all credit to the guys, they’ve been amazing.”

Di added of her “icing on the cake” victory in the LLN Final Barcelona: “We’re well practised at having three in the final round who all count. It’s an amazing competition and I know organisers wanted a jump-off so it was great to have one.”

Scott Brash, Harry Charles, chef d’equipe Di Lampard, Ben Maher and Donald Whitaker lift the trophy for the LLN Final in Barcelona. (Image credit: FEI)

Di Lampard: “I have the best riders in the world”

Speaking of the country’s resurgence in recent years, Di continued: “There are some fantastic riders in the world, but I have three of the best and others coming up to join them. We had a couple of years where we were rebuilding. It happens in every rider’s career. Thankfully we have come back very strong.”

Pathfinder Ben jumped for four faults in round one on Enjeu De Grisien before delivering a crucial clear in round two.

“Enjeu stepped up amazingly – we had a small mistake in the first round but put that right,” he said. “With someone like Scott going last, it’s definitely easier.”

Harry Charles was also stepping back up to top level Nations Cups with 12-year-old Sherlock, owned by his father Peter Charles and Stall Zet.

“To walk back into a team that’s winning so much is very nice!” he said.

Donald Whitaker and Millfield Colette, who have contributed so much to Britain’s success and medal tally this year, were the drop score in round one with eight faults, sitting out round two.

“She’s been fantastic all year so I can’t blame her for not being totally on it today,” he reflected.

Two riders shared the double clear bonus – Bertram Allen of runners-up Ireland riding Qonquest De Rigo and Nicola Philippaerts of fourth-placed Belgium on Katanga VH Dingeshof.

The best athlete of the season was named as Piergiorgio Bucci representing LLN debutants Italy, with his groom Yulia Khokhryakova and horse Hantano also awarded.

Scott Brash and Hello Folie are also victorious in the grand prix of Barcelona on Friday night. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Brash and Hello Folie are simply superb again

British celebrations began on Friday night when Scott Brash landed the grand prix of Barcelona riding superstar mare Hello Folie owned, like LLN hero Hello Jefferson, by Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham and looked after by groom David Honnet.

With 11 combinations coming forward for the jump-off, a high-octane thriller ensued but Scott and the 10-year-old Luidam mare cannoned round the magnificent Olympic arena at heart-stopping speed to top the leader board and earn the 99,000 euro top prize.

Scott had endured a barren period of five-star grands prix coming into 2025 but has gone on to land six already this year with Folie, Jefferson and Hello Chadora Lady.

“Folie jumped incredibly on Friday – she loves the job and feels like she’s getting more comfortable at that height now,” said Scott. “This was special.”

You can read the full report from the Longines League of Nations Final in Barcelona in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, in the shops Thursday 9 October.

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Meet Great Britain’s dream showjumping team for the League of Nations final in Barcelona – can they win another title?

Jennifer Donald — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 07:32:10 +0000

All roads lead to Barcelona, Spain, this week (2-5 October) for the Longines League of Nations (LLN) final where Great Britain’s showjumpers are among the nine countries who have qualified for Sunday’s two-round decider.

So who will be lining up for this year’s event?

The LLN Final in Barcelona: runners and riders

Great Britain’s chef d’equipe Di Lampard has selected a star-studded dream team for Sunday’s LLN Final in Barcelona. They arrive at the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona off the back of a glorious victory in the final leg of the LLN qualifiers in St Tropez-Gassin, as well as a historic victory in the BMO Nations Cup at Spruce Meadows.

“We’ve had a really good season, but we’ve got better and better,” says Di.

Among the five riders representing Great Britain in Barclona this year are the trio of gold medallists from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – Scott Brash, Harry Charles and Ben Maher.

They will be joined by Donald Whitaker, who played a key role in helping Great Britain win team silver at the European Championships in La Coruna, Spain this summer. The final squad member is relative five-star team newcomer Adrian Whiteway, who was part of the polished winning team in St Tropez-Gassin recently on his LLN debut.

Horse-wise, Donald lines up with his great partner Millfield Colette, the 12-year-old mare he jointly owns with Reitsportanlage Dagobertshausen and with whom he finished 10th individually at the European Showjumping Championships and were celebrated last year as the King George V Gold Cup heroes.

Adrian brings Deborah Cox’s hugely consistent 12-year-old stallion Chacco Volo. While Adrian joked after helping the British team secure victory at the LLN in St Tropez that “Time-faults are our forte, if you like – we’re pretty good at getting them!”, they are equally proficient at clear rounds and that’s what counts in these top tier team competitions.

A full house of Olympic gold medallists

Fresh from success in the world’s richest showjumping competition at Spruce Meadows, reigning Olympic team gold medallist Scott Brash has kept his options open with his choice of horses. He is opting to bring both 16-year-old Hello Jefferson and breakthrough star Hello Folie, both of whom are owned by Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham.

Harry Charles returns to the team fold with his father Peter’s and Stall Zet’s Sherlock, The 12-year-old was last seen jumping double clear for a third place finish in the CSI5* Rolex grand prix at the Stephex Masters at the end of August.

Completing the quintet of British riders is world number two Ben Maher, who also has a choice of two horses in Barcelona, with Enjeu De Grisien or Point Break.

Who are Britain’s rivals?

The other teams to have qualified for Sunday’s LLN Final in Barcelona from the four global legs in Abu Dhabi, Ocala, Rotterdam and St Tropez are Team USA, hosts Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Ireland, Germany, France and the newly crowned European champions Belgium. Germany returns to the Spanish city as title-holders, having lifted the inaugural trophy in dramatic style in 2024.

Ireland’s chef d’equipe Michael Blake has selected Neal Fearon, Billy Twomey, Bertram Allen, Mikey Pender and Sean Monaghan for the Spanish event this week.

Among the other international showjumping superstars in action will be European champion Richard Vogel and the Olympic champion Christian Kukuk.

The four-day CSIO Barcelona kicks off on Thursday 2 October, with the 1.60m grand prix taking place on Friday evening (3 October). Horse & Hound will be on hand to bring you all the latest news with the full report appearing in the 9 October issue of the magazine.

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

‘Sometimes we don’t like to be challenged’: debate surrounds courses set for world’s richest showjumping class

Jennifer Donald — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 07:30:41 +0000

At Spruce Meadows, Canada, last week the superstars of the showjumping world gathered to contest the sport’s richest ever competition, the $5m (£2.7m) CPKC International presented by Rolex, won this year by Scott Brash riding Hello Jefferson.

Considered one of the premier grands prix on the global circuit, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the toughest to win, with Olympic course-builder Leopoldo Palacios always challenging horses and riders to the max across this three-round contest.

Plenty of healthy discussion often surrounds the size of the obstacles – which can exceed 1.60m in height and range from water ditches to open water and walls – while the technicality of the lines, the natural undulations and time allowed are also brought into play.

But debate intensified following this year’s grand prix when no horse and rider combination managed to jump a double clear.

Faults accumulated in round two of the grand prix

Scott Brash revealed that when he’d walked the course on the morning of the competition, he’d thought it was extremely tough. But from a starting line up of 36 athletes, 11 remained faultless in round one, while a further three jumped clear but with a time-fault apiece. Four failed to complete.

Nothing startling there.

However, in round two, not one of the 12 high-calibre competitors could jump clear over a slightly shortened course of 12 numbered fences – one less than the 13 numbered obstacles in round one.

The last line of Spruce Meadows’ famous double of ditches (10a and b) to the flimsy bicycle vertical on a short four strides, followed by a dog-leg to the final oxer at fence 12 caused the most problems and total faults accumulated in round two ranged from four to 14, with with last year’s winner Martin Fuchs and his experienced partner Leone Jei eliminated after falling at the first fence. Both walked away unscathed.

The two combinations who progressed to the jump-off – victor Scott Brash with Jefferson, who went on to jump clear in round three, and US contender Kyle King riding Kayenne Z – hit one rail apiece in round two. Scott assessed that Hello Jefferson had “misjudged the b element a bit” at the double of oxers-over-ditches where he toppled a pole.

So when does too many faults become a problem? How does it reflect on the sport if horses and riders don’t clear the fences? Or does it add to the spectacle and prestige to make achieving a double clear so elusive?

Scott Brash and Hello Jefferson clear Spruce Meadows’ distinctive water jump. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Spruce Meadows showjumping courses: “We like our comfort zone – that’s not what we have here”

Of course, these kind of discussions are nothing new and in no way limited to Spruce Meadows – Laura Kraut won the recent grand prix at Dublin as the sole rider to jump clear in round one of the competition. Similarly, a small handful of riders at most jump clear each year in the Hickstead Derby.

Steve Guerdat, who finished third in this year’s CPKC International at Spruce Meadows having added a time-fault to his four faults in round two, revealed in the post-competition press conference that he’d been critical of Leopoldo Palacios in the past.

“Around 14 years ago, I complained in the press conference about Leopoldo and that what he was doing was too tough – the show had to change something,” said Steve, the 2012 Olympic champion and past winner of the CPKC International grand prix.

“Thank God Leopoldo didn’t listen to me, because the truth is that as athletes or people, sometimes we don’t like to be challenged. We like our comfort zone. This is not what we have here at Spruce Meadows. So I would say that, thanks to the team at Spruce Meadows, I became a better rider.”

When asked beforehand about the course he designed for Sunday’s CPKC International, Venezuelan course builder Leopoldo Palacios, who has been building at the Spruce Meadows Masters since 1996, said: “I believe and hope the course will be very tough, which is very normal here.

Beezie Madden (USA) and Darry Lou clearing one of the distinctive fences in the CP International at the Spruce Meadows Masters 2019. (Mike Sturk – Spruce Meadows Media Services). (Image credit: MIKE STURK)

“There won’t be too many differences from my usual designs, however I will use some features that I haven’t used before,” he continued. “I will be including two big water jumps – one of them a big Liverpool with two poles as a vertical, which will be followed by a left turn to the other Liverpool. This will be the first time that I’ve used this feature and I believe this is the perfect time to use it. I try to include different features in my designs every year – this helps to keep things interesting.

“As we no longer have the bank, I will use a line [of fences] under the trees, which I think will be very nice.”

Leopoldo Palacios: “Tougher and more demanding than at the Olympics – but welfare is at the forefront of all we do”

“I’ve tried to make a grand prix for the occasion,” Leopoldo summed up. “But I believe the courses here are tougher and more demanding than at the Olympics.”

He also added that: “No other grand prix in the world is like this – the results do the talking.

“Spruce Meadows is one of the most challenging places to come, but it’s also the ethos of Spruce Meadows to always put the welfare of the horse at the forefront of everything that we do.”

The CPKC International grand prix at Spruce Meadows remains one of the pinnacles in showjumping achievements. While not every horse will be suited to the world famous Calgary venue’s unique obstacles, undulations and intense atmosphere, Scott Brash, like countless other highly accomplished and skilful winners before him, has proved that doing your homework is one of the keys to mastering Leopoldo’s mighty challenges.

But are times changing? The debate continues.

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Scott Brash wins world’s richest ever $5m showjumping competition: ‘An amazing day – Jefferson deserved this’

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 06:54:43 +0000

Sealing what has been an astonishingly successful week for British showjumpers in Spruce Meadows, Canada, Scott Brash hit the jackpot, winning the sport’s richest ever $5m (£2.7m) competition with his brilliant partner Hello Jefferson on Sunday (7 September).

“This is an amazing day. Jefferson deserved a big win, so to do it here at the biggest grand prix in the world… I’m just delighted for him, for my owners and my team because they work really hard to support me,” said Scott.

Scott Brash versus Kyle King: the ultimate jump-off

The CPKC International presented by Rolex came down to a two-way jump-off between double Olympic gold medallist Scott and USA rider Kyle King (Kayenne Z).

As first to go in the highly tactical third and final round, ice-cool Scott and 16-year-old Jefferson, owned by Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham and looked after by groom David Honnet, looked better than ever. Clearing every towering obstacle set by course-designer Leopoldo Palacios and pivoting neatly round every turn, they set a superb target, finishing clear in 46.97sec.

Kyle set off with great gusto on the big-striding mare, who he’s only ridden for seven months, and the pair were up on the clock at the half-way point. However an ambitious turn over the wavy Canada planks proved their undoing and they toppled, meaning Scott and Jefferson were crowned champions on a truly remarkable day for the sport of showjumping.

“Yes, we won the Olympic gold medal in Paris last year, but up until now we’d never won that big, historic grand prix that we thought Jefferson was capable of, so to finally get one under his belt is a great, great feeling,” said Scott, who was presented with a cheque totalling $1.65m (£884,000) which was awarded as a one-off prize as part of Spruce Meadoes’ 50th anniversary celebrations.

Scott, who turns 40 this year, was lifting the CPKC International trophy at Spruce Meadows for the third time; Jefferson had his name etched on the silverware alongside stable mates Ursula and Hello Sanctos. It also marked the 10-year anniversary of Scott’s success in the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping and the Scotsman now heads to CHI Geneva, Switzerland, in December as the live contender to continue his Rolex Grand Slam journey once again.

World’s richest showjumping class: no double clears

There were no double clears in this world-famous competition; Kyle and Scott both jumping off after picking up four faults apiece in round two. Scott’s penalties came at the renowned double of ditches under the clock tower.

“Jefferson was absolutely fantastic today. I felt he was a bit unlucky to have the ditches down in the second round, he’d been jumping really well and just misjudged the B element a bit,” he said. “But other than that he was amazing. The jump-off is always tricky – how fast do you go? You want to stay clear, but thankfully it was enough, he jumped phenomenal all day.”

Paying tribute to groom of 10 years, David Honnet, Scott added: “He knows Jefferson inside out and he’s worked with him for so many years. Jefferson has a lot of trust in him, and that’s really important. David was emotional today!”

Read the full report from the CPKC International and the rest of Great Britain’s achievements in Canada this week in Thursday’s issue of Horse & Hound, in the shops Thursday, 11 September.

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‘Success is not just about winning, it is about progress and personal fulfilment’: life lessons from Scott Brash as he celebrates a 10-year milestone

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 07:30:38 +0000

On this day 10 years ago, Olympic gold medallist Scott Brash was “utterly focussed” on one goal – becoming the first ever winner of the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping.

Having already triumphed in the grands prix of Geneva in 2014 and Aachen 2015 with Hello Sanctos, the then 29-year-old headed to the Spruce Meadows Masters, Canada, with one intention – to claim the hat-trick.

The showjumping world watched and held its collective breath as the Scotsman returned to the ring with his trusty partner Sanctos, on the brink of making showjumping history.

“When I rode in, you could hear a pin drop. I don’t think there was much difference in the way my fellow competitors acted, but perhaps it was just a matter of respect, such as providing me with more space in the warm-up – no one wanted to be in the way, which was appreciated,” says Scott of that momentous day.

He and Sanctos were the only pair to jump clear in the final round to win the CP International and to enter the record books as the first – and to-date, the only – showjumping rider to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping .

Scott Brash on winning the Rolex Grand Slam: “Suddenly that chapter was done”

Speaking about his momentous achievement as we approach the 10th anniversary (13 September), Rolex Testimonee Scott says he experienced a whole spectrum of emotions in the wake of his success, perhaps the most surprising being a sense of sadness.

“Words cannot really describe what it felt like to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping – it all still feels quite surreal,” says Scott.

“I remember experiencing such a mixture of emotions: delight, relief, happiness, even sadness in a strange way as it was a goal our whole team had been utterly focused on, and we had finally achieved our target, suddenly that chapter was done. It was absolutely incredible and a single moment that I will remember for the rest of my life.”

Scott Brash at home with Hello Sanctos, his “horse of a lifetime”. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Life lessons he’s learned along the way

Scott Brash’s outstanding values as both a horseman and a sportsman have also helped him to two Olympic gold medals, five further championship medals, the world number one spot and a string of grand prix successes. He shares some important life lessons.

“For me, achievement is a sense of pride in reaching a goal – when all the dedication, preparation, and teamwork come together,” he says. “Success is not just about winning; it is about progress and personal fulfilment.

“For example, competing at a five-star grand prix with a young horse, even if there are faults, can still be an achievement if it marks a significant step in their development.

“Ultimately, it is about pushing boundaries and taking pride in the journey as much as the outcome.”

Scott Brash on Hello Sanctos: “We totally trusted one another”

Of course, none of this would have been achieved without some truly outstanding horses with whom Scott has forged enduring partnerships. Scott’s unparalleled feat of winning the Rolex Grand Slam is even more remarkable by the fact it was achieved with just one horse, the indomitable Hello Sanctos, who conquered three vastly different competitions over nine months for the hat-trick.

“Hello Sanctos is an incredible horse – one of a lifetime,” says Scott. “I think that what made him so special was how clever he was. We understood one another inside out. I could jump a course and visualise before we even went into the ring how he would interpret things and how I needed to ride him to give him his best chance to clear the fences.

“We totally trusted one another and this was one of the keys to our success.”

Scott Brash and Hello Sanctos at Aachen. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Next stop on the Rolex Grand Slam, Spruce Meadows in September

Rolex’s partnership with showjumping started in 1957 when British showjumper Pat Smythe became the first Rolex Testimonee and the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping was launched in 2013. It has since been expanded from three to four Majors – The Dutch Masters being the latest addition.

“Winning the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping has been a defining moment in my career, which has elevated my profile beyond the equestrian world,” says Scott.

“Similar to the Olympic Games, the Rolex Grand Slam reaches a broader audience, placing riders on a global stage and bringing greater recognition to the sport.”

Swiss showjumper Martin Fuchs travels to this year’s Spruce Meadows Masters (3-7 September) as the live contender for the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping, having triumphed at the CSIO Aachen in July riding Leone Jei. We’ll be bringing you all the action from Calgary, so stay tuned for the next thrilling instalment of the Rolex Grand Slam’s epic story.

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‘She’s shown the world how talented she is’: Scott Brash and Hello Folie win European incredible silver

Becky Murray — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 16:29:35 +0000

Scott Brash and Hello Folie have won individual silver at the Longines FEI European Showjumping Championships, finishing just behind Germany’s Richard Vogel and United Touch S, and ahead of Belgium’s Gilles Thomas and Ermitage Kalone, after a nail-biting competition finale.

Scott and Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham’s incredible 10-year-old mare, who is competing in her first championships, kept everyone on the edge of their seats all week with their epic heart-filled performances, and today was no different.

“She’s shown the world how talented she is this week,” said Scott. “I’ve always felt that she was going to be a top, top horse, but until they actually come and do it at this level, you don’t really know, but she’s certainly proved that more this week. So I’m delighted.”

The pair entered the second round of today’s individual final in the silver medal position and it was theirs to lose, after Gilles Thomas and Joris van Dijck’s 11-year-old stallion had sealed a medal with another foot-perfect performance.

Folie looked her feisty self, but as always the partnership with Scott shone through on Santiago Varela’s new track. The crowd held its breath when the pair got a little close to the oxer at fence 6, but it stayed up. Down to the final line the pair jumped through the triple combination – a vertical, vertical, oxer – with ease before providing another heart-skipping moment with a bold long stride to the penultimate fence, a huge 1.63m vertical. The pair then soared over the final oxer to keep the pressure firmly on Richard and United.

Folie has shown her desire to get on with the job all week.

“It’s been very fun,” Scott said. “I was glad I managed to keep hold of the reins today! To the triple combination, I wanted to come in not too quick, but I actually waited one too many strides, and she just shows such fight and spirit to jump through it; what an incredible mare.

“These are the biggest courses she’s jumped so far. I feel she’s grown up through the week and she’s going to use this championship to grow for the future.”

The competition remained unbelievably close to the end; the final eight all jumped clear. Ben Maher was just out of the medals in fourth with Dallas Vegas Batilly. Donald Whitaker finished 10th with Millfield Colette, having jumped double clear this afternoon. Jessica Mendoza and In The Air picked up four faults in the second round when they knocked the first part of the combination to finish 11th.

To stay up to date with all the news from the European Showjumping Championships as it happens, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website today from just £1 a week. Our reporter Eleanor Jones will be on site throughout

Brits in touching distance of medals as one fence separates top seven in nail-biting European Showjumping Championships final

Becky Murray — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 14:10:05 +0000

One fence separates the top seven combinations in the individual final at the Longines FEI European Showjumping Championships – as Scott Brash and Hello Folie remain in the silver medal position at this stage, and four Brits are through to the final showdown.

The top 25 combinations came forward to contest the first round of this afternoon’s (20 July) astonishingly close competition. Course-designer Santiago Varela upped the ante with certain lines offering striding options, and a tight time allowed of 76 seconds in this first round.

Four of the five Brits had made it through to today’s final; Donald Whitaker and Millfield Colette in 18th, Jessica Mendoza and In The Air 16th, Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly eighth and Scott Brash and Hello Folie second.

Going into the first round, only two poles separated the top 25 and only one pole the top 13. This meant to make it through to the second round – when only 12 come back – a clear was a must. All four Brits delivered and have sealed their places in the second round, where a pole now separates the top seven.

Donald Whitaker lies in 11th, Jessica ninth, Ben in fourth and Scott remains in the silver medal position.

“Colette jumped her heart out once more, she’s absolutely fantastic,” said Donald, after his first round.

“The course walked a bit more difficult than it looks like it’s riding; there were quite a lot of stride options from the first line to the last. It was quite big as well.”

Jessica Mendoza was thrilled with In The Air.

“I think she was a little tired today, but she stuck her teeth into it,” she said.

“It’s a different course from the other day, there’s a lot of big gaps between the fences so I think he’s testing us a bit more with the time allowed and our control.”

Ben and Dallas Vegas Batilly looked on their usual brilliant form, as did Scott and Hello Folie. Scott had his work cut out as Folie looked keen to get on with the job, rattling the oxer at fence 5 and the first part of the combination at fence seven, but Scott used his expertise to guide them home clear.

There was disappointment for reigning champion Steve Guerdat who was in the bronze medal position with Albfuehren’s Iashin Sitte, but an agonising knock of the final fence dropped them down to 12th going into the second round.

European Showjumping Championships individual final second round

The top 12 combinations now come back to contest a second round over a different course. Germany’s Richard Vogel and United Touch S remain in the gold medal spot, and Belgium’s Gilles Thomas and Ermitage Kalone in third, behind Scott and Hello Folie.

To stay up to date with all the news from the European Showjumping Championships as it happens, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website today from just £1 a week. Our reporter Eleanor Jones will be on site throughout

‘A great team, with great team spirit’: British showjumpers win superb silver medal at European Championships

Jennifer Donald — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 18:42:34 +0000

Great Britain has won a sensational silver medal at the Longines FEI European Showjumping Championships in Spain on Friday 18 July.

“We’re delighted,” said British anchor rider Scott Brash. “We were very close – just very unlucky really. But it’s been a great team, with great team spirit this week.“

High pressure at European Showjumping Championships

The quartet of Ben Maher (Dallas Vegas Batilly), Matt Sampson (Medoc De Toxandria), Donald Whitaker (Millfield Colette) and Scott Brash (Hello Folie) came into the team final in the gold medal position, but with a narrow lead over Begium and Germany for the final showdown.

Pathfinder Ben Maher set the ball rolling with a vital clear round with the 12-year-old Tilly, who is owned by Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright and looked after by groom Gwen Bellamy.

But when faults came in for first Matt Sampson, who battled on courageously after an unexpected elimination with Medoc the previous day, and then Millfield Colette picked up her first faults of the contest with Donald, the squad slipped behind a dominant Belgium in the medal standings.

The Belgian squad claimed the gold with a clear from their final rider Gilles Thomas riding Ermitage Kalone.

But the remaining podium places were still to be decided. It all rested with Scott Brash, who was once again the last athlete to enter the ring on day three of these European Showjumping Championships and Great Britain’s fate lay in his hands.

Displaying every ounce of trademark cool that has helped him win two Olympic golds and four further championship medals – as well as jumping clear the previous day with only one rein – the resilient Scotsman earned silver for Great Britain with a superb clear on Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham’s chestnut mare Hello Folie, a 10-year-old mare jumping at her first championship.

“She’s feisty and she wants to get on with the job,” said Scott. “So she can make it challenging at times. But she tries very hard when she gets there.

“Ben has done incredible job this week – sometimes people just expect it from it from him, because he’s been so consistent, so good over the years. But I thought he really rode Dallas fantastic today and yesterday.

“Matt had the hiccup yesterday and that didn’t really help for today, but he regrouped well and still put a score on the board. So he’s a great team man to have around. His time will come but it’s great he’s got a medal. He deserves it. He works hard, and he’s going to be there for the future. Donald had a great championship too.”

A welcome silver medal for brilliant British team

Great Britain finished on 7.96, barely two penalties behind winners Belgium (5.61), with Germany taking the bronze medal (8.19).

Reigning Olympic gold medallists Great Britain last claimed a team medal at the European Showjumping Championships in 2019, when Ben and Scott were on the team that won bronze, and before that in 2013 they celebrated team gold in Herning. But this marks a first championship medal for both Donald Whitaker and Matt Sampson.

To stay up to date with all the news from the European Showjumping Championships as it happens, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website today from just £1 a week. Our reporter Eleanor Jones will be on site throughout

Great Britain’s gold medal hopes stay alive at European Showjumping Championships – despite heart-in-the-mouth moment for one rider

Becky Murray — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 18:38:39 +0000

Great Britain remains in the lead after day two at the Longines FEI European Showjumping Championships following a foot-perfect clear from Donald Whitaker and Millfield Colette and a fabulous – but heart-in-the-mouth – clear from Scott Brash and Hello Folie.

Donald and Colette were third to jump for Britain and the pair followed yesterday’s stunning performance (16 July) with another clear round. The pair now lie in second individually.

“I’m a bit relieved,” said Donald, after his round. “She was amazing as always, she tried her absolute best so I’m delighted. She’s in her happy place in there.”

The pressure was on Donald and Colette after Matt Sampson and Medoc de Toxandria were eliminated following issues at the treble combination. As there are four riders on a team, Matt’s round could be Great Britain’s drop score, but the three other scores had to count. And with Germany and Belgium so close behind Britain in the team rankings, anything but a clear would have dropped the British team down the order.

“I definitely needed to have some sort of a good round to keep ourselves in it. And thankfully, we did,” said Donald.

“I didn’t see Matt’s round as I was warming up, but he was very unlucky. Knowing Matt he will bounce back stronger than ever.”

Scott Brash at European Showjumping Championships: “I felt like an amateur”

The pressure continued on Scott Brash and Hello Folie when Germany posted their fourth clear of the team competition, thanks to Richard Vogel and United Touch S, who are now in the individual gold medal position. Scott also had to jump clear to keep Britain in the lead.

Although Scott is known for keeping his cool, no one expected him to lose his reins ahead of the combination, drawing a gasp from the crowd. Demonstrating their unbelievable partnership and faith in each other, Scott and Folie held it together to clear all three elements – and they came home with no penalties to add.

“I don’t know why, but I managed to lose my rein after the green oxer. I felt like an amateur in there today, but I managed just to grab it back at the right moment and asked Folie to jump the triple from where I was,” said Scott. “What an amazing attitude and fight and spirit she showed to be able to jump through that triple clear. I’m super proud of her.”

Scott said the 10-year-old mare was “incredible” in the ring.

“She felt really good. She does pull me a little bit, she’s just eager to please and get on with the job,” he said.

“I don’t really know what happened and I need to watch it back, whether she snatched and I just lost the rein. Then she didn’t really know she was going for the triple. I managed to grab the rein, but I was very deep coming in and just asked her to jump, and she responded so well.

“What was nice was that line obviously didn’t feel great, but she settled down and jumped the rest very good. So I think that shows how confident she is with me and we have a great partnership. Hopefully I will put her in a better place tomorrow.”

Scott acknowledged that Folie is green at this level – the Europeans is her first championship – but said she is feeling good ahead of the team final tomorrow (18 July). The pair are in fourth place individually; the individual medals will be decided on Sunday.

“Obviously it gets tougher each day, and they’re bigger each day. Today she warmed up fantastic, she started off really good and finished off really well, so there’s a lot of positives to take,” he said.

“She does give a lot of effort, so hopefully we still have enough energy in the tank for tomorrow, but she feels good just now. I’m very happy.”

Great Britain’s hopes are high for tomorrow.

“The team guys have been fantastic; Ben always delivers for us, through his whole career. Going first, he always puts us in a good place,” said Scott.

“It was unfortunate for Matt, I think it was just one of those things, but he’ll bounce back tomorrow. We’ll support him all we can, and I’m sure he’ll put in a result tomorrow for us. Then Don was amazing, clear when we really needed him, and Folie was just fantastic.

“It’s great team spirit. We’re all there for one another, and we’ll be fighting tomorrow, but there’s a lot still to do.”

European Showjumping Championships team standings

Great Britain holds the overnight lead on 3.96 penalties. Germany is second on 4.19, and Belgium third on 4.61. Ireland has climbed up to fourth on 8.39. The team final gets under way at 3.15pm UK time (4.15pm local time) tomorrow (Friday 18 July).

To stay up to date with all the news from the European Showjumping Championships as it happens, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website today from just £1 a week. Our reporter Eleanor Jones will be on site throughout

‘Absolutely delighted’: Britain powers into the lead at European Showjumping Championships on day one

Eleanor Jones — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 18:54:42 +0000

Britain has had the best possible start to the European Showjumping Championships as the team is in the lead at the end of day one at Casas Novas Equestrian Center in A Coruña, Spain.

Matt Sampson (Medoc De Toxandria), Donald Whitaker (Millfield Colette), Scott Brash (Hello Folie) and Ben Maher (Dallas Vegas Batilly) top the 18 teams, with a total of 3.96 penalties.

“I couldn’t be more delighted with the whole squad and how they set about today,” said British Equestrian showjumping performance manager Di Lampard.

“Today is always a tricky day; when it’s a [speed class] everyone’s tempted to go fast but they all had their own plan. I’m absolutely delighted and we’re looking forward to the challenge to come.”

Donald and Reitsportanlage Dagobertshausen’s Millfield Colette were in the lead for some time; Ireland’s Daniel Coyle and Ariel Grange’s Legacy overtook them to take the individual lead, as did Richard Vogel and United Touch S for Germany, so they finish day one in third place.

Scott Brash and Hello Folie, owned by Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham, are in fifth place. Matt Sampson is 19th with Unex Competition Yard and Rachel and William Gredley’s Medoc De Toxandria, and Ben Maher 23rd with Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright’s Dallas Vegas Batilly.

Germany is in second place at this early stage; Marcus Ehning (Coolio 42), Sophie Hinners (Iron Dames My Prins), Christian Kukuk (Just Be Gentle) and Richard and United are on a total of 4.19 faults. Belgium is third on 4.61 and Ireland seventh on 8.39.

The scores from today’s class have been converted into penalties so leaders Daniel Coyle and Legacy are on 0, Richard and United on 0.01 and Donald and Colette 0.67. All penalties carry through the week. The second round of jumping starts tomorrow (17 July) at 3pm local time (2pm BST).

To stay up to date with all the news from the European Showjumping Championships as it happens, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website today from just £1 a week. Our reporter Eleanor Jones will be on site throughout

‘She was incredible’: Scott Brash’s rising star shines at European Showjumping Championships

Becky Murray — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 16:29:28 +0000

Superstar Scott Brash has produced a clear round to make it a British one-two at this stage of the competition on day one of the Longines FEI European Showjumping Championships, in Spain.

Scott and 10-year-old chestnut mare Hello Folie, owned by Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham, gave fence 12 a rattle but it stayed in place and the pair cruised home to slot into second, behind Donald Whitaker and Millfield Colette.

“She’s 10 years old, so it’s her first championship. I think she’s ready for the step, she’s super quality,” said Scott, adding that he was “delighted” with her round.

“She was incredible. She was probably giving too much effort at the start and then got a little bit tired at the end. That comes with experience, and hopefully that’ll grow with her in the rounds to come.

“I’ve got to be happy with where she’s at. She feels in really good form, and she loves her job, so that always gives you a good feeling. It’s nice to get around under your belt. She had a little bit of a look at the wall and jumped a bit high so I had to improvise a bit after and go eight strides instead of the seven to the triple, but it didn’t faze her she carried on and finished off the round very well.”

Scott added he has always had high hopes for Folie.

“I’ve always really liked her. In La Baule she really showed what she can do. I took her to Aachen and jumped some small classes before here, just trying to build her up in a nice way,” he said.

Scott said Santiago Varela had designed a “clever course”.

“Everything’s kind of connected, so if you make a little mistake somewhere, you’re a little bit in trouble. But it’s not a killer either, it’s fair,” said Scott.

“He’s played with the colours a lot. I think he’s done a really, really good job.”

The Brits have got off to a superb start at the European Showjumping Championships. Jessica Mendoza started the day with a four-fault round on In The Air, competing as an individual. Team rider Matt Sampson posted a clear with Medoc De Toxandria on his championship debut.

All team and individual riders and horses will contest today’s opening speed class, after which their scores will be converted into penalties. They will all also jump tomorrow in the first round of the team competition. The top 10 teams and top 50 individuals will jump on Friday, when the team medals will be decided, and the top 25 will contest the individual final on Sunday.

To stay up to date with all the news from the European Showjumping Championships as it happens, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website today from just £1 a week. Our reporter Eleanor Jones will be on site throughout

Meet the ‘incredible’ mare conquering the world with Scott Brash, and a 76-year-old legend lands grand prix

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 16:43:05 +0000

In this week’s international showjumping news round-up, we bring you a legendary rider who is still winning grands prix at the age of 76, while Scott Brash reveals why an ‘incredible’ mare – and plenty of patience – have contributed to a remarkable run of success this year.

Read on for some of the highlights from this week’s international showjumping news and results.

Showjumping news: a second LGCT grand prix victory in 2025 for Scott Brash

Scott Brash celebrated another landmark success with the lightning-quick 12-year-old mare Hello Chadora Lady (Chacco-Blue x Nintender) as their superb partnership continues in earnest.

In St Tropez, France, on Saturday (14 June), the pair topped a high-octane eight-way jump-off to land their second Longines Global Champions Tour grand prix of 2025, following up on their success in Shanghai.

“She’s an incredible mare – she’s very fast, so you just have to try to execute a plan and normally she’s quick enough,” Scott told H&H. “I think our partnership has really gelled this year and we feel at one with each other now. And that’s showing with her amazing results.”

Hello Chadora Lady, also known as Dora, is owned by Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham and she’s certainly a mare to have on your radar.

“She’s jumped five five-star grands prix this year and she’s been second twice, won twice and had one down in the other, so she’s fantastic,” said Scott. “She’s sharp and sensitive and you have to ride her with your feeling, but I feel very happy with her.

“She’s always seeing you, she’s always wanting to jump for you, so it’s just about containing that energy and thankfully it paid off.”

As Scott has already qualified for this year’s LGCT Super Grand Prix in Prague, the golden ticket passed to grand prix runner-up Kent Farrington (Toulayna).

Scott started the year with a five-star grand prix victory in Doha with “new star” Hello Folie, and enjoyed a big win with his Olympic star Hello Jefferson at St Gallen, Switzerland, recently, so the Scotsman is clearly enjoying a remarkable run of form this year.

“It’s taken a long time to get here – most of these horses, like Hello Mango and Folie, we got when they were young, we’ve produced them all the way through so they all came up together. But it all seems to be clicking into place right now,” said Scott.

“Jefferson’s been in great form, too. It’s working out well, I’m very happy with where the team is at right now.”

St Tropez results.

Showjumping legend wins CSI3* grand prix at the age of 76

Proving once again in the showjumping world that age is just a number, legendary French rider Michel Robert returned to the winner’s enclosure at the age of 76, topping the CSI3* grand prix in Normandy with Calasto Z. He beat Great Britain’s Jessica Mendoza – 47 years his junior – into second place on Ascadina PP Z.

CSI3* Normandy results

Bronze for Great Britain’s veterans

Talking of longevity, but with a long way to go to catch the great Michel, Great Britain secured team bronze behind Italy and France at the FEI Veteran European Championships in Italy.

“I’m really proud of this team who fought hard in the extreme heat to claim team bronze,” said chef d’equipe Mandy Frost after James Askew (The Lieutenant), Eve Hare (Shadow IV), Karen Gray (Lexus Hof Ter Zeedycke) and Anthony Clark (Toronto) finished on a team score of 18.12.

Showjumping news: youth riders in flying form

Not to be outdone by the older generation, Great Britain’s children-on-horses squad landed the Future Champions Nations Cup at Hagen in Germany in a great week for the youth riders. Charlie Barker (Strides Maureen), Christina Cotton with Chique RV Z, Eleanora Ljungman (Jamaica EBH) and Tabby Morgan Evans (Bermudez BDA) topped the podium while the British pony and young rider teams finished with a runner-up spot behind Ireland and Belgium respectively.

In the young rider grand prix, Olivia Sponer triumphed with Kookie W while Lucy Capper and Oscar Van Der Beekerheide landed the pony equivalent.

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Olympic heroes and rising stars named as first European entries list confirmed

Eleanor Jones — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 16:21:35 +0000

Two of Britain’s Olympic 2024 gold medal-winning riders, and one of the horses, are on the list of nominated entries for the British European Showjumping Championships team.

Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly, who jumped clear in Versailles last year, are among the 10 combinations whose names will be submitted to the FEI for the event in Spain next month.

They are joined by Scott Brash, whose clear with Hello Jefferson secured that team gold, but who is named here with two other horses, and the Paris reserve rider Joe Stockdale, also with another horse.

Up-and-coming star Matt Sampson is included; it will be Matt’s championship debut if he starts in A Coruña, and a senior championship debut for Jessica Mendoza and Donald and Robert Whitaker, if they are selected for the final squad.

British European Showjumping Championships team, nominated entries

The full list of entries (in alphabetical order by rider surname) is:

Scott Brash with 10-year-old Hello Mango

Owners: Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham

Breeder: H P H Vaessen

Breeding: by Untouchable 27, out of a mare by Numero Uno

Scott Brash with 10-year-old Hello Folie

Owners: Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham

Breeder: Claire Gouin

Breeding: by Luidam, out of a mare by Diamant De Semilly

Ben Maher with 12-year-old Dallas Vegas Batilly

Owners: Charlotte Rossetter, Pamela Wright and rider

Breeder: Jean Claude Viollet

Breeding: by Cap Kennedy, out of a mare by L’Arc De Triomphe

Ben Maher with 11-year-old Enjeu de Grisien

Owners: Charlotte Rossetter, Pamela Wright and rider

Breeder: Elevage de Grisien

Breeding: by Toulon, out of a mare by Andiamo

Ben Maher with 11-year-old Point Break

Owners: Charlotte Rossetter, Pamela Wright and rider

Breeder: Nya Äppelvikens Ridskola

Breeding: by Action-Breaker, out of a mare by Baloubet Du Rouet

Jessica Mendoza with 12-year-old In The Air

Owner: rider

Breeder: C Den Boer

Breeding: by Air Jordan, out of a mare by Indoctro

Matthew Sampson with 13-year-old Medoc De Toxandria

Owners: Rachel Gredley, William Gredley and Unex Competition Yard

Breeder: Werner Dierckx

Breeding: by Der Senaat III, out of a mare by Kelvin De Sainte Hermelle,

Joseph Stockdale with 11-year-old Ebanking

Owners: Barbara Hester and Joe’s mother Laura Stockdale

Breeder: V Vriend

Breeding: by Etoulon, out of a mare by Aranebel

Donald Whitaker with 12-year-old Millfield Colette

Owners: Reitsportanlage Dagobertshausen GmbH and rider

Breeder: Sue Jaggar

Breeding: by Cornet Obolensky, out of a mare by Clearway

Robert Whitaker with 12-year-old Vermento

Owners: Caroline and Brian Stephen Blatchford

Breeders: John and Clare Whitaker

Breeding: by Argento, out of a mare by Skippy 12

A British Equestrian spokesperson said selection decisions are subject to athlete and horse maintaining fitness and performance. The squad of five combinations who will travel to A Coruña, plus non-travelling reserves, will be announced on or around 25 June.

“The funding that the British Equestrian World Class Programme receives from the National Lottery and UK Sport is pivotal in preparing our teams for senior championships and supporting them on the ground,” she said.

“British Equestrian is also extremely grateful for the support we enjoy from our partners – Agria, Bates Saddles, D&H, NAF, SEIB and Toggi – and team suppliers – Equi-Trek and Lotus Romeo. We’re indebted for the year-round support they provide to the World Class Programme and British teams, which helps us to best prepare for senior championships.”

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British Olympic hero triumphs in St Gallen – and eyes Aachen 10 years on from Grand Slam win

Lucy Elder — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 16:58:56 +0000

British double Olympic gold medallist Scott Brash is eyeing a return to Aachen after winning the prestigious Longines Grand Prix of St Gallen in Switzerland with his Paris 2024 medal-winning ride Hello Jefferson.

Scott and the 16-year-old gelding, with whom he sealed Olympic team glory for Britain in France last year, bagged the €165,000 (£138,822) first prize by a tenth of a second, over Nicolas Sers and Eleven De Riverland in second.

Austria’s Katharina Rhomberg was third with Cuma 5. Geraldine Straumann and Long John Silver 3 were the highest-placed combination from the home side, finishing sixth.

Scott has been trying out new bridles with Jefferson, who is owned by Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham.

“With 16 in the jump-off it was very quick and I can’t really say where we won it, just quick all around the track, but everyone had to take care down a long distance to a short, two-stride double and that was tricky enough, but he jumped well and I was happy with him,” said Scott.

“He had a break after Geneva and I’m trying to build him up for Aachen in a good way. In Rome, I tried a different bridle and he wasn’t happy. This week, he’s in a combination bridle and I’m very happy with that and delighted with him.”

The result is another addition to Jefferson’s already sparkling crown. The Cooper VD Heffinck son, bred in Belgium by Bernard Mols, has other top-level grands prix victories on his CV, as well as the 2024 London leg of the FEI World Cup, and 2022 world team bronze.

Looking ahead, 2025 is 10 years since Scott won the grand prix at CHIO Aachen with Hello Sanctos, on his way to securing the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping title for consecutive grand prix wins at CHI Geneva (December, 2014), CHIO Aachen (May, 2015) and Spruce Meadows Masters (September, 2015).

At St Gallen, five Brits were among the 50 starters over course-designer Gerard Lachat’s 1.60m course. Scott and Jefferson’s Paris 2024 gold medal-winning team-mates Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly were among the 16 to jump clear in the first round, rolling one pole in the second to finish 10th.

Matt Sampson also recorded a British victory at the Swiss five-star last week, partnering Pretty Pi’Que De’Luxe to win the Prize CSIO Club 5* 1.45m two-phase class.

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British Olympic star shines in Shanghai and young riders enjoy a clean sweep

Eleanor Jones — Mon, 05 May 2025 15:17:34 +0000

In this week’s international showjumping news round-up, Scott Brash returns to the top of the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) podium, and Britain’s young riders come out on top.

A triumphant return

Double Olympic gold medallist Scott Brash won his first LGCT grand prix since 2021, he and Hello Chadora Lady topping a 16-strong jump-off to take the Shanghai title. Scott and Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham’s 12-year-old pipped Gilles Thomas and Luna Van Het Dennehof by 0.17 secs; Eduardo Alvarez Aznar and Legend finished third.

“It’s incredible to be part of it again,” said double LGCT champion Scott, who has secured his place in the super grand prix at the GC Playoffs in Prague this November.

“There really are incredible facilities at this venue, which always brings out the best in the sport. And today was a very well built track, it was tough but fair. I walked the course and i wasn’t sure how many clears there would be but that shows the standard of horse and riders that are here in Shanghai.”

Double win

It was a good week all round for Scott, who won the feature three-star grand prix with Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham’s Hello Valentino to finish the MET Spring Tour IV in Oliva Nova, Spain.

Scott and the 11-year-old were among nine of 53 starters to jump the first round clear; he took advantage of his late draw to beat Enrique Gonzalez and Origi Van De Zeshoek by quarter of a second.

Fellow Brits Jane Annett (Jywan) and Adrian Whiteway (Chacco Volo) came third and seventh respectively.

Youngsters victorious

The British pony team topped the podium in the first FEI Nations Cup youth competition of the season in Linz-Ebelsberg, Austria, finishing on a total of zero faults.

Lucy Capper (Oscar Van De Beekerheide), Raphaela Dawson (MHS Glow), Henry Leggot (Blossom’s Big Claim) all jumped clear, with just one time-fault for Raphaela the drop score in round one, and were faultless in round two, which meant Darcy Breen and One Sahara did not have to go in to repeat their first-round clear as the title was already secured for Britain.

It was also a British clean sweep in the pony individual competition; Jack Waddington and Conella won the day, Daisy Day and Shannon’s Joy were second and Alfia Diaper and PJV Bella third.

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So close – but not quite: British rider just misses out on major grand prix title

Pippa Roome — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 16:38:59 +0000

Britain’s Scott Brash came within touching distance of victory in the Rolex grand prix at the Dutch Masters in ’s-Hertogenbosch this afternoon, but ended up second.

The double Olympic team gold medallist, the only ever winner of the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping, was one of three riders to go clear in the first round.

Two of the three clears came from 12-year-old mares by Chacco-Blue – Miss Blue-Saint Blue Farm under Brazil’s Yuri Mansur and Hello Chadora Lady for Scott. Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham’s horse has been with the Brit for less than a year, her most recent rider before him being the USA’s Natalie Dean. The third jump-off contender was France’s Simon Delestre on the 13-year-old Hickstead son Cayman Jolly Jumper.

Yuri was first to go in the Dutch Masters grand prix jump-off and put in tight turns in the looping middle section, but he risked too much to the final fence and Miss Blue-Saint Blue Farm skimmed through the top rails of the Rolex oxer.

Scott followed and was improving on Yuri’s time all the way, but unfortunately Hello Chadora Lady’s hindlegs brought down the penultimate fence, an upright. His time was better than Yuri’s – 41.57sec to 43.08sec – but the door was open for a steady clear to land victory.

Knowing that, Simon played it safe and piloted Cayman Jolly Jumper to a fault-free round. His time, 55.45sec, was irrelevant as he crossed the finish line without penalty and became the first French winner of the Rolex grand prix of ’s-Hertogenbosch.

“I’m delighted with Chadora Lady, she jumped incredible, but annoyed at myself for the jump-off,” said Scott. “I know her and I needed one more stride in front of that vertical. She’s so fast anyway but when you know Simon is coming behind you and you know him and Cayman are very quick, you put the pressure on yourself to try to deliver a quick clear and it didn’t pay off in the end.”

The British rider first tried this mare a couple of years ago.

He explained: “I loved her but things didn’t pan out for us to buy her, but fate brought us back together and we’ve had her for seven or eight months now. I always thought she was a fantastic mare, super quality, super quick. The question was if she could do the top, top grands prix and today was the biggest class I have jumped with her, so I’m absolutely delighted with how she performed.”

Winner Cayman Jolly Jumper is back on form after missing the Paris Olympics due to injury.

“I’ve never ridden a horse like him – with such energy and scope, but he’s also very careful. He’s very active and sometimes in places he doesn’t like he gets angry, so I try to have him relaxed and the rest he knows and can do by himself,” said Simon.

A demanding course

The 14-fence first-round course, designed by Louis Konickx, Quintin Maertens and Gerard Lachat, offered options on striding in a couple of places, while demanding pinpoint accuracy on the set number of strides in others. It also played with colour and materials, from the unusual wall at fence one to the pale green and pink line at fences seven and 8ab and the delicate black plank at the penultimate fence.

With two doubles and a treble, so 18 jumping efforts in total, there were plenty of places for riders to make a mistake and errors were well spread round the track, with the oxer at 8a taking the most victims.

Perhaps the hard luck story of the Dutch Masters grand prix was Belgium’s Pieter Devos, who finished clear over the fences, but incurred one time-fault with Casual DV Z, eventually finishing fourth.

Britain’s only other contender besides Scott was Ben Maher, but he and Point Break were out of the running when they incurred eight faults in the Rolex treble at fence five, hitting the upright in and the back bar of the oxer out.

Martin Fuchs started among the favourites, but Leone Jei – competing in his 14th Rolex major grand prix, beaten only by Hello Jefferson’s 16 – had the upright at fence six and the second part of the double at eight down, after which the Swiss rider elected to retire.

Meanwhile the Netherlands’ defending champion Willem Greve’s dreams of back to back victory ended when Grandorado TN NOP touched off the top gold pole at the gappy upright into the corner of the arena at fence 11.

Perhaps the greatest crowd groan, though, was when the upright at 8b came down for the home side’s Harrie Smolders and Monaco, who finished sixth. Harrie had been the live contender in the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping going into this competition, after the pair’s victory in Geneva in December.

Final Dutch hopes of victory died when last-to-go Maikel van der Vleuten and his Olympic individual bronze medallist Beauville Z NOP knocked the front bar off the red oxer at fence four and then retired after two more down.

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When your whole family visits from Ireland to watch you win in USA: meet a teenage star living the dream

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 16:51:34 +0000

In this week’s international showjumping news round-up we head to Wellington, Florida, where Irish teenage sensation Tim Brennan has everyone talking. There’s also the latest Nations Cup contest to read about and this week the Longines Global Champions Tour of 2025 kicked off in Qatar, where a whizzy mare stole our hearts for the second year running.

Read on for this week’s international showjumping news and results round-up.

Showjumping news: Irish teenager is living the US dream

Remember the name, because Tim Brennan is a real rising star of the sport. Having jumped with great success on youth teams in recent years, the Kilkenny 19-year-old has made the trip to Florida to contest his first Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). In this season’s prestigious BrainJuice under-25 series, he’s been in flying form and sealed overall victory by landing the penultimate grand prix riding his own Diadema Della Caccia.

“She has the heart of a lion,” Tim said of the Italian-bred Diamant De Semilly mare he’s been riding for five years.

The pair topped a competitive six-way jump-off and were cheered ringside by Tim’s family who were visiting from Ireland.

“She’s deadly careful,” said Tim of the flying grey mare. “She will jump anything for you once you ask her and I just have to be on the ball. She’s taken me all the way up through the ranks in Ireland and now we’re lucky enough to bring her out [to Florida].

“I was always thinking about coming out here; it’s a great experience to get more mileage under my belt. I’m looking forward to carrying this experience home, hopefully for a good year.”

“A good grey mare will try for you”: Tim Brennan and Diadema Della Caccia winning the BrainJuice under-25 semi-final grand prix at WEF. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Tim is based with John Roche while in the US, who credited his teenage pupil for having “a good eye, a good feel and a strong bond with Diadema Della Caccia”.

“A good grey mare will try for you. He gets on very well with her,” said John, who also credited Tim’s groom Juan Luis “Guicho” Rebollo for his help. “This series brings great development. For juniors or amateurs, it gives great opportunities for team involvement, and there’s no one route to success. I can’t say enough positive things about the division.”

BrainJuice Under 25 Semi-Final Grand Prix results

Nations Cup serves up team thriller

Nine teams came forward for Saturday’s $150,000 CSIO4* Nations Cup at Wellington International’s WEF and it was won by the all-female US team of Natalie Dean (Acota M), Carly Anthony with Heavenly W, Charlotte Jacobs riding Playboy JT Z and Laura Kraut with Tres Bien Z, making her 90th Nations Cup appearance for USA.

“When Robert told me who the team was, I was really pumped,” said Laura. “These three amazing riders have been on fire for a while now, not just recently but for years. The way they rode the first round, it was textbook. I think building towards the Los Angeles Olympics we have three exciting young girls here that I think have a strong chance if things go right.”

Senior team debutante Carly Anthony was full of praise for Heavenly W after jumping a double clear.

“We wouldn’t be here without the horses, so I owe everything to Heavenly and to my team that supports me every day to be able to achieve this incredible opportunity and goal,” she said.

Ireland finished seven penalties behind USA for the runner-up spot. Lining up were Michael Duffy (Cantano 32), Bertram Allen riding Qonquest De Rigo, Cian O’Connor with Belvedere and Daniel Coyle on Incredible.

Great Britain’s three-rider team of Jessica Mendoza (In The Air), Charlie Jones (Capitale 6) and Harry Charles riding Casquo Blue finished sixth.

WEF Nations Cup results

Showjumping news: Kimosa returns to the winner’s enclosure

On the CSI2* Andalucia Sunshine Tour, British riders were in flying form. Among the winners was Jodie Hall McAteer and her 15-year-old mare Kimosa Van Het Kritrahof, who landed the 1.45m ranking class, and Chloe Winchester who topped the 1.40m small grand prix riding eight-year-old stallion Toblerone OS.

Andalucia Sunshine Tour results.

Showjumping news: the podium for the Longines Global Champions Tour of Doha, Qatar, topped by Abdel Said of Belgium. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Global Champions Tour kicks off with remarkable double

Finally in this week’s international showjumping news round up, we head to Doha, Qatar, where the opening grand prix of the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) went to Abdel Said with Bonne Amie for the second year running. The Belgian rider finished ahead of Daniel Deusser (Gangster VH Noddevelt), and Saudi contender Abdulrahman Alrajhi claimed his first LGCT podium finish in third on Ventago.

“When I walked the course, I thought ‘Wow’ – you don’t come across courses like this every week,” said Abdel. “I’m incredibly proud of ‘Bonnie’ today.”

Best of the Irish was Denis Lynch and Brooklyn Heights who jumped clear in round one but tipped the first fence in the jump-off to finish seventh. Great Britain’s Ellen Whitaker (Korlenski) and Scott Brash with recent dual grand prix winner Hello Folie each picked up four faults in round one.

The opening Global Champions League contest went to reigning champions Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames, one of 17 teams in action this year.

LGCT of Doha results
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‘She loves the job and just wants to win’: Scott Brash’s ‘super exciting’ new star lands debut five-star grand prix

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 14:07:17 +0000

British showjumper Scott Brash and 10-year-old rising star Hello Folie landed the CSI5* grand prix of Doha, Qatar, on Saturday (25 January).

This was a real coming-of-age performance for an exciting mare who was making her grand prix debut at this level for owners Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham.

“I’ve felt her building up well. I thought she was ready for her first five-star grand prix but to win on your first attempt is pretty good, so we’re very happy with her,” Scott told H&H.

The double Olympic gold medallist and Hello Folie were drawn early in an 11-way jump-off to decide top honours in the final contest of the three-week Doha Tour. Scott and the French-bred Luidam daughter produced an eye-catching round, coming home two seconds quicker than runner-up Abdel Said of Belgium riding Bonne Amie, with Portuguese rider Duarte Seabra third on Dourados 2.

“She feels very confident, she loves the job and she just wants to win, which makes life a lot easier,” said Scott.

Scott Brash on Hello Folie: “We’ve taken our time producing her”

Hello Folie was bred in France by Claire Gouin. She is out of Diamant De Semilly mare Thara Nantuel, and was originally named Folie De Nantuel. French showjumper Mark Dilasser rode and produced Folie as a young horse.

“I did see her competing in Fontainebleau [in 2022] where she looked careful, but she just hadn’t quite put it all together, so you’d maybe have questioned in those early days whether she had all the jump,” explained Scott. “But Marc produced her very well, then Shane Breen bought her and had her for a couple of months before I saw her at his place.

“So we bought her from Shane and we’ve had her for a couple of years now, but we’ve taken our time producing her – we’ve always felt she’s a fantastic horse, but she just needed a bit of time. She jumps quite high, so you want to make sure you’re not rushing those kind of horses. But the Doha Tour is a great place to build them up; she jumped a couple of four-stars, then that was a nice introduction to her first five-star grand prix in the same ring. We’re super excited by her.”

Back at the top – hopefully the future is bright

Scott obviously enjoyed a year to remember when winning team gold for Great Britain at the Paris 2024 Olympics with top horse Hello Jefferson, but the Scotsman’s last top tier grand prix success came at the end of 2022.

“It’s been a while!” he said. “It always takes time to rebuild your string when you’ve had a couple of top horses retire and so on, and you have to spend a lot of time on those new horses, but I think we have some nice young ones coming up and hopefully the future is bright.

“It’s been rewarding too – we all work very hard, so it’s good for the whole team and the owners and everyone involved to see the progression with a horse like Hello Folie, then to actually do it on the big day is good for everyone. It means a lot.”

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An Olympic eventer, a talented teenager and GB’s gold medallists: who is competing at this year’s London International?

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:39:51 +0000

While children are counting down the days until Father Christmas arrives, horse fans will be eagerly awaiting the start of the annual equestrian extravaganza that is the London International Horse Show (18-22 December) and what a feast we’re in for this year!

For showjumping fans, it’s a chance to see many of the world’s leading riders in action on home soil. So who will be lining up among the list of entries for this year’s London International at the ExCeL London?

The five-star jumping action begins on Wednesday with the opening night’s evening performance concluding with the ever-popular LeMieux puissance competition. Of course this glittering occasion won’t be the same without the late great Mr Blue Sky UK this year, but an intriguing field of nine entries comes forward to tackle the big red wall.

Home riders lead the way with Carmen Edwards (Happy Valerie), Seb Hughes and Colorado Volo, relative puissance newcomers Rachel Proudley (Easy Boy De Laubry Z), Paul Sims (Kingfisher), teenage sensation and London International puissance debutante Maisy Williams (Dalton D’Hoyo) and Olympic eventer Gemma Stevens (Envoy Merelsnest Z) staking their claim on the silverware.

They will be joined by Irish representatives Geoff Curran on Bishops Quarter and Jason Foley with Dantino B, while Daniel Delsart flies the flag for France with new ride Major Delacour.

London International five-star entries

British riders will be out in force in the five-star classes, led by two of the three riders who won team gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics – Scott Brash and Ben Maher.

Harry Charles, who has enjoyed huge success at the London International in recent years but who has been competing in USA in recent weeks, will be attending the show but won’t be competing.

The trio of Olympic heroes will also take part in the Team GB medal parade on Wednesday night.

Tim Gredley arrives at the London International with top horses Imperial HBF, Medoc De Toxandria and rising star Kolman VDP, while crowd favourite Matt Sampson lines up with Daniel and Ebolensky.

Also arriving in London as Great Britain’s entries are Joe Stockdale, Donald Whitaker, Jack Whitaker, John Whitaker and his son Robert Whitaker, all of whom will also be hoping to give the home crowd plenty to cheer about.

Ireland’s entries and other top showjumpers to look out for

For Ireland, Daniel Coyle and Darragh Kenny will be contesting the festive five-star classes. Other top names to look out for include Max Kuhner of Austria, Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet and twins Nicola and Olivier Philippaerts, in-form French showjumpers Julien Anquetin, Julien Epaillard and Kevin Staut.

It wouldn’t be the London International without the antics of legendary German rider Marcus Ehning and Norway’s Geir Gulliksen, while Swedish heavyweight and world number one Henrik von Eckermann, and Switzerland’s superstars Martin Fuchs and Steve Guerdat always ensure superb sport.

The five-star showjumping action begins on Wednesday 18 December and concludes on Sunday 22 December with the Longines FEI World Cup presented by Agria.

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Scott Brash’s cool clear in Paris Olympics shortlisted for national sport award

Becky Murray — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:06:49 +0000

Showjumping star Scott Brash’s epic clear round that secured the team gold medal at the Paris Olympics has been shortlisted for the Scottish Sports Awards.

Peebles-born Scott is shortlisted in the moment of the year category for his and Jefferson’s performance in the showjumping team final, when the result came down to the wire.

Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Battily had jumped clear with a time-fault, and Harry Charles and Romeo 88 jumped clear, to put Britain in the provisional top spot. A single fence down from Scott and Jefferson would have meant silver, two would have meant no medal, but Scott and Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham’s 15-year-old gelding held their nerve to leave the fences up, with one time-penalty, to seal the gold.

The other seven moments to have made the shortlist include Sir Andy Murray’s comeback Olympic doubles moment, Josh Kerr winning gold in front of his home crowd at the athletics World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, and Ben Sandilands’ world record-breaking run to win the 1,500m gold at the Paralympics.

The winner will be decided by public vote, and equestrian fans have until 5pm on 4 November to get behind Scott. The winner will be revealed in a “night of celebration” at a ceremony on 4 December at the Glasgow Science Centre & IMAX.

Vote for Scott here.

Team Scotland and SportScotland’s annual awards bring together the country’s top athletes, clubs, governing bodies, organisations and community heroes to “recognise and honour the achievements and contribution to Scottish sport”.

The awards’ 12 other categories include female and male athlete and para athlete of the year, team of the year, club sport award, and community hero award.

“It’s been another fantastic year of sport with plenty to celebrate, from Scottish athlete success at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, to schools, clubs, community projects and key people who continue to make a difference to sport in Scotland,” said a spokesperson for Team Scotland and SportScotland.

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All four Olympic showjumping gold medallists to be celebrated in London ceremony

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 16:36:25 +0000

Fresh from their glittering success at the Paris 2024 Games, all four of the Olympic showjumping gold medallists will be competing at this week’s Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) in London (16-18 August), where they will be celebrated with a special ceremony.

Great Britain’s team gold medal-winning trio of Scott Brash, Harry Charles and Ben Maher will be in action alongside Germany’s newly crowned individual Olympic champion Christian Kukuk.

This quartet of heroic gold medallists will be joined in a special ceremony by bronze team medallist Simon Delestre of France and the Dutch individual bronze medallist Maikel van der Vleuten.

The medallists’ ceremony will take place in the main ring during the LGCT show at Royal Hospital Chelsea on Saturday, 17 August at 1.15pm ahead of the start of the day’s five-star action. The grooms and riders will be given gifts and there will be a live Q&A.

In 2021, the newly crowned Olympic champion Ben Maher was celebrated in similar style with an Olympic medallists’ parade at the London LGCT show.

15 Olympians to watch

A total of 15 riders from Paris 2024 will head straight to London including the LGCT overall ranking leader Max Kuhner, plus Edwina Tops-Alexander and Richard Vogel.

Other global showjumping stars heading to the capital are Malin Baryard-Johnsson, Olivier and Nicola Philippaerts and Christian Ahlmann.

Leading British showjumpers

Among the leading British names bidding for success on home soil at the 12th leg of the LGCT series in London are John Whitaker, newly crowned young rider European champion Olli Fletcher and Hickstead’s recent King George V Gold Cup winner Donald Whitaker, with cousins Jack Whitaker and Robert Whitaker also completing the line-up from the famous showjumping dynasty.

Last year’s winner of the LGCT of London grand prix was USA rider Jessica Springsteen.

H&H will be keeping you up-to-date with all the action from the three-day show online, with a bumper report in next week’s Horse & Hound magazine, in the shops on Thursday, 22 August.

To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the Paralympic Games, Burghley, Horse of the Year Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

‘You can’t be disappointed with the week we’ve had’: Scott Brash reflects after Olympic individual showjumping final

Becky Murray — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 09:25:38 +0000

Hopes were dashed for Scott Brash in the Olympic showjumping individual final today (6 August), but he leaves the Paris Games a British hero having ridden the anchor leg to bring home the team gold medal.

Scott and Lady Pauline Harris’ 15-year-old gelding Jefferson were 20th to go, with the 30 combinations jumping in reverse order of faults and time from yesterday (5 August).

They set off well across Santiago Varela and Gregory Bodo’s track, but succumbed to the oxer at fence 5b, with Jefferson just touching it with his back legs, to collect four faults. They stopped the clock 81.23sec, the fourth fastest time up to this point.

Scott Brash and the wonderful Jefferson have jumped brilliantly throughout the Olympic showjumping competition, and provided the vital clear round that sealed the deal for Great Britain in the team competition on Friday (2 August).

“I’m obviously a little bit disappointed, because it’s a lifelong goal to try to win an individual medal, but I’m absolutely delighted with Jefferson. He’s been absolutely amazing all week, and again today,” said Scott.

“[We had] one mistake, but I think that double jumped really bad, it’s quite shadowy and I can’t blame Jefferson for it. I thought we jumped in well and I think he just took a little look at it – quite a lot of horses did the same thing.

“It’s just one of those things, the rest of the course he was foot-perfect, so I’m delighted with him and delighted with our week. You can’t be disappointed, it’s always the competitor in you, you’re always going to be disappointed [at first], you’re obviously going to go and analyse things. But actually when you reflect on the week we’ve had, it’s been an absolutely incredible week.

“We’ve got an amazing team. I thought we really worked well together, the horses have been amazing, and we need to enjoy these moments because you don’t get too many of them in your lifetime.”

Scott Brash is yet to plan his celebration for winning team gold in the Olympic showjumping.

“I think we need to try and organise something, I’ve made no plans yet,” he said. “We’ll get back, celebrate with the guys at home.

“I’ve got an amazing team, my grooms and staff at home are incredible, they put in a lot of hard hours. My groom David [Honnet] is amazing, he looks after Jeff and the others to top standards, so I’ll go and have a quiet celebration with them first, and then I’m sure we’ll arrange a party somewhere.”

Scott discussed Great Britain’s medal haul across the Olympic sports, including athletics and swimming.

“I love watching all the other sports, they’re incredible, but I feel like our sport is unique and it’s an amazing sport to be a part of. You’ve got a 62-year-old guy here (Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson) in top shape jumping against probably a 20-year-old, and women and men compete on the same basis and equally can win a gold medal. It’s a unique sport in that sense. And with living animals anything can happen, as you’ve seen today. It’s an incredible sport and I’m extremely proud of Team GBR bringing home a gold medal in the showjumping.”

Scott will make his way back to the UK to resume his day-to-day duties.

“I’ve got a lot of fresh horses at home who are going to need my attention over the next few days. We’re heading home tonight, and I’ve got work to do tomorrow,” he said.

It has been all to play for in the individual showjumping medals, with the scores going back to zero for today’s final. The course – which includes a one-stride double and triple combination, 1.65m Notre Dam wall, a 1.65m wide open water, and an iconic Eiffel tower fence – has provided its fair share of problems, particularly fence 5b which proved costly many of the riders.

There are only two clears at this stage; the first from ninth-to-go Germany’s Kukuk and the striking grey Checker 47 on 82.38sec. The only other clear came from Maikel van der Vleuten and Beauville Z on 82.06sec.

Frenchman Julien Epaillard and Dubai Du Cedre are in the luxurious position of jumping last, having posted the fastest clear in the qualifier.

It was bad luck for Ben Maher, who went in fourth with Dallas Vegas Batilly. The pair had four faults, having also fallen foul of fence 5b. Harry Charles withdrew this morning after Romeo 88 sustained a “small overreach” in the qualifier yesterday.

Japan’s Takashi Haase Shibayama and Karamell M&M retired during their round after collecting a handful of faults, as did Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa and Major Tom. Mexican rider Andres Azcarraga fell from Contendros 2 at the open water, fence 6.

To stay up-to-date with all the breaking news throughout the Olympic Games, Burghley, Horse of the Year Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

‘It’s always a balance, but it paid off’: Scott Brash qualifies for Olympic showjumping individual final

Gemma Redrup — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 15:11:55 +0000

Scott Brash has continued his run of top form to jump an immaculate clear round with Jefferson in the Paris Olympic showjumping individual qualifier.

Scott, who is a member of Great Britain’s newly crowned team gold medal-winning team, produced a masterful ride aboard the diminutive 15-year-old gelding to stop the clock in 75.78sec, which is enough to see them easily qualify into tomorrow’s individual final.

“He felt really good – I thought he jumped super,” said Scott of the gelding owned by Lady Pauline Harris. “Maybe we had a touch of luck in the middle part of the combination, but it felt like that was the only one he touched.”

Scott explained that both he and Jefferson have “chilled out” since contributing to clinching team gold on Friday.

“We’ve relaxed a bit. We went to the Team GB house the night of the team medal, which was nice to see a lot of new faces and get congratulated, plus we did some media. I took Jefferson out for a stroll in the park and and just tried to set him up for today.”

Speaking of today’s 1.65m track, designed by Santiago Varela and Gregory Bodo, Scott commented he thought it was a “clever” course.

“When I walked it, I thought it wasn’t as big as the first two days, but it was tricky. But then, to be honest, when I first watched the first 10-15 go, I thought, ‘oh god, there’s going to be too many clears’. So then you wonder, what do you do? Do you set off quickly in case you have a fence? It’s always a balance, because you still want to try to be clear, but luckily, it paid off and actually, the way the class is turning out, I think it’s going to be probably about a spot on.”

Scott said the time factor was definitely in his mind as he jumped round.

“I sort of had in my head I would need to be round in about 75 seconds-ish, just in case I had a fence. And I finished in 75 seconds, so I rode to my plan and luckily I’m here.”

Scott joins compatriot Harry Charles and Romeo 88 in the individual final tomorrow (6 August), while Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly will jump in the qualifier later this afternoon.

Scott Brash on the Olympic showjumping format

Scott described the Olympic showjumping format as “is what it is” with regards to the fact faults are wiped clean for each day of competition.

“You could be clear all the way along and then have an unlucky fence tomorrow. And then someone can have one down all the way along, but could win tomorrow if they jumped clear. Do we all like it? No, I don’t think so, but it is what it is. It’s a unique competition in that way, so you’ve just got to take it day by day.”

To stay up-to-date with all the breaking news throughout the Olympic Games, Burghley, Horse of the Year Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Glorious team gold for Britain and from reserve to silver in 48 hours: catch up on the Olympic showjumping final

Pippa Roome — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 19:07:25 +0000

Britain topped the Olympic team showjumping results today, claiming a second equestrian team gold of Paris 2024 with a dream result from Ben Maher, Harry Charles and Scott Brash.

Let’s catch up on all the stories from Versailles…

Scott Brash clinched Britain’s victory with a superb clear on Jefferson under the maximum pressure, picking up just one time-fault.

How the Brits reacted to their win

Harry Charles and Romeo 88 took the middle leg for Britain and added nothing to Team GB’s score.

What Harry said about the “biggest moment in my career”

Ben Maher rode Dallas Vegas Batilly – who was swapped into the British team following initial selection as a reserve – to an opening jumping clear with one time-fault, getting the day off to a great start.

Ben’s thoughts on how the course suited his mare – and why he had a time-fault

The US turned their equestrian luck from this Games around by taking the silver medal in the Olympic team showjumping results.

What Karl Cook said about going from reserve to medallist in less than 48 hours

The home side landed the team bronze, to the joy of the patriotic crowd.

Read the French team’s emotional response

Ireland suffered disappointment today, finishing in seventh place, after a strong start.

What happened to Shane Sweetnam, Daniel Coyle and Cian O’Connor?

They might not have won a medal, but one Olympic debutante was savouring the moment.

Find out how this Canadian rider felt just before the bell rang

.An 18-year-old horse has made an impressive comeback after a career-threatening injury to make the team finals.

What happened to Quel Homme De Hus?

Eiken Sato is hoping for individual honours after the team contest didn’t go Japan’s way.

What helps Eiken manage his disappointment?

Home-breds were to the fore with one of the French silver medallists riding one as well as an Australian rider.

What does it mean to ride a horse you have known since its conception?

Finally, it’s back to dressage for the weekend, with the team medals in that sport being decided tomorrow and the individual honours on Sunday, before we return to showjumping for the individual contest on Monday and Tuesday.

What to look out for in the dressage tomorrow

Stay tuned for more action from Paris over the next four days.

To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the Olympic Games, Burghley, Horse of the Year Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Meet wonder horse Jefferson, who sealed Olympic GOLD for Britain: ‘We understand each other now – he’s very special’

Jennifer Donald — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 19:00:35 +0000

Scott Brash’s charismatic “Jezza” has such a spectacular jump that Nick Skelton said he would have been tempted out of retirement to ride him. Jennifer Donald meets a “very special horse” who carried Great Britain to TEAM GOLD at Paris 2024

Scott Brash praised his “amazing” equine partner Jefferson, who jumped clear for just one time-penalty under huge pressure to secure a gold medal for Great Britain in the team Olympic showjumping final at Paris 2024 on Friday (2 August).

“A gold medal doesn’t get old, it’s incredible,” said Scott.

Here is the story of the incredible Jefferson, AKA Jezz or Jeff, who now reigns as an Olympic hero himself.

Hello Jefferson: key facts

Age: 15

Breeding: BWP by Cooper VD Heffinck out of Hovis (by Irco Mena)

Rider: Scott Brash

Breeder: Bernard Mols (Belgium)

Owners: Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham

Hello Jefferson’s greatest achievements: part of Great Britain’s Olympic gold medal-winning team at Paris 2024; second in the World Cup qualifier at the London International (2023); won World Cup qualifier London International (2022); won CSI5* grand prix of Valkenswaard (July 2021), won CSI5* LGCT grand prix of Stockholm (June 2021), runner-up in CSI5* LGCT grand prix of Madrid (May 2021), won two CSI4* grands prix of Saint Tropez (August and October 2020), runner-up in the Longines international grand prix of Ireland, Dublin (August 2019), double clear as part of the winning team in the Nations Cup of Dublin (August 2019).

Rider Scott Brash says:

“We were looking for a horse and I went to a couple of shows where I just spent the whole day watching and looking. I saw Jefferson at Peelbergen [with previous rider Charlotte Philippe] and really liked him, but they weren’t too keen to sell at that time. But we kept in touch and a few months later we bought him.

“I could see there was a lot of quality there – he was powerful, he was careful, he was quick – and he gave me a very good feeling at the jump, but he was very sharp. There was still a lot of flatwork to be done with him – it felt like he didn’t just understand things to start with.

“When I got him home he was actually really tricky and hard work – he has a bit of character about him! He’s very clever and has such a busy brain that he always wants to be doing something. But he’s trained on really well and we’ve grown so much as a partnership – we understand each other now and I think he’s a very special horse.

“In Dublin 2019 when he jumped double clear for the Nations Cup team then was second in the grand prix – that’s when it all started to come together and I was proud to realise he was definitely going to fit in at the top end of the sport having coped with an atmosphere like that.

“He’s always been an obvious choice for the Olympics.”

Groom David Honnet says:

“He’s a sweet horse who is really attached to people and just wants lots of attention in the stable. He likes to make tea with his hay and he’s always on a mission when you lead him out.

“Scott calls him Jezza but my nickname for him is just Jeff. I’ve looked after him since he arrived with Scott and it’s been quite a long process to get to where we are now so it makes me very proud to see him in the ring.”

Lord Harris, husband of co-owner Lady Harris with Lady Kirkham say:

“He was very sharp at the beginning, but we also knew he could jump extremely well. I’ll never forget Nick Skelton even said to me when he saw him: ‘If you let me ride that horse, I’ll come out of retirement!’

“We’ve taken it slowly and built him up. He has come on so much because of all the groundwork Scott has put in over the years.

“The first Olympic horse we had was Countryman [with David Broome] and it still gives us such a thrill and Scott is fantastic – it doesn’t matter if he’s jumped a novice or a grand prix horse, within five minutes of him jumping I have a WhatsApp video of the round and he phones me and we talk it through.”

This feature originally appeared in an issue of Horse & Hound magazine.

To stay up-to-date with all the breaking news throughout the Olympic Games, Burghley, Horse of the Year Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

They’ve done it! Scott Brash secures Olympic team gold for Britain

Eleanor Jones — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 14:07:56 +0000

There can surely be no more pressure than going into an Olympic showjumping arena knowing that a clear round is needed to win gold.

But Scott Brash and Jefferson rose to the occasion like the superstars they are, with a foot-perfect performance that means Britain has won a showjumping gold medal at four Olympics on the trot.

Following Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly’s clear with a time-fault, and Harry Charles and Romeo 88’s clear without, Scott and Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham’s 15-year-old gelding also notched up just one time-fault to ensure Britain remained on top of the pile with a total of two faults.

Harry said the moment felt “pretty unbelievable”.

“It’s going to take a few days or weeks to sink in; Olympic champions sounds pretty good,” he said. “We’ve got the horses to thank and a lot of background staff, teams, groups, farriers, vets, everyone has come together to make this possible. You see us with the medals but it’s really a village behind us, I’m very grateful.”

Much has been made of the fact that last time Britain won Olympic team showjumping gold, it was Ben and Scott, and Harry’s father Peter Charles on the team.

Asked what Peter had said to him before he went in today, Harry answered:

“He said ‘enjoy it, whatever you do, you’ve worked hard to get here’,” he said. “And after, he said, ‘Enjoy every minute of that ceremony, this will probably be the best moment of your life’. I was 12 [in Greenwich, in 2012] and I watched these two boys. They’re both my heroes, guys I’ve looked up to since I started riding and to be on the podium with them, my inner, younger self is freaking out!”

Ben has now won three Olympic gold medals; team in London and individual in Tokyo.

“But everyone’s as important as each other and I just have a lot to thank this team for,” he said. “It’s a team effort. As Harry said, there’s many people that we can’t thank that aren’t here with us.

“But these guys on the team, we have a great team spirit and I think sometimes we have different horses, different things, but we really come together and we really believe in each other and I think that’s for me personally what gave us the edge today.”

Scott praised the “amazing” Jefferson, who stayed relaxed and focused to jump clear.

“A gold medal doesn’t get old, it’s incredible,” he said. “Obviously to win in London, in front of our home crowd, was one the best days of my life, but here’s right up there.

“What an unbelievable setting, a beautiful venue for our sport and the facilities for the horses were incredible. So I think that really showcases top sport.

Asked about the pressure, especially with only three combinations to a team, Scott said the other two had put him in a great position.

“You’ve just got to stay focused,” he said. “Stay focused on your horse, you know what you know, and it’s a partnership. You really need to know your horse inside out to be able to jump that course clear. It’s such a technical course, it’s big here at the highest level, there’s question marks all around that course. So you really need to know your horse inside out and ride your horse. I think you just stay focused on what you know with your horse and then try to execute your plan and I think that’s what I tried to do and thankfully it all paid off.”

The US retained the team silver they won in Tokyo; Laura Kraut and Baloutinue lowered one rail, but Karl Cook with Caracole De La Roque and McLain Ward with Ilex jumped clear inside the time for a total of four.

Home nation France took bronze; they had only had three time-penalties on the board from first combination Simon Delestre and I Amelusina R 51, as Olivier Perreau and Dorai D’Aigully jumped clear, but last-in European individual bronze medallists Julien Epaillard and Dubai Du Cedre lowered a rail for a total of seven.

To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the Olympic Games, Burghley, Horse of the Year Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

‘Big and challenging’: Scott Brash secures Great Britain’s qualification for Olympic showjumping team final

Jennifer Donald — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 12:44:43 +0000

Great Britain’s showjumpers have qualified for Friday’s team medal decider after third line rider Scott Brash (Jefferson) added just four faults to the team tally in Thursday’s qualifier at the Paris 2024 Olympic showjumping.

Pathfinder Ben Maher (Dallas Vegas Batilly) had jumped clear, before Harry Charles and Romeo 88 just added four to the team score, keeping the team firmly in the hunt.

Anchor rider Scott Brash, Olympic team gold medallist from London 2012, and Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham’s 15-year-old Jefferson looked spring heeled as they tackled the opening track, just tapping out a rail at the first element of the triple combination to come home on four faults.

Great Britain’s team total of eight after all three riders had jumped was enough to secure qualification as one of the top 10 teams that progress to Friday’s Olympic showjumping medal decider, where they will all start again on a zero score.

“I’m delighted – very happy to be getting through,” said Scott. “I thought the course was already big and challenging today, so we’ll see what we get tomorrow. But I think we’re all looking forward to it.”

Scott Brash on round one of the Olympic showjumping

“I though Jefferson was amazing, he was fantastic,”said Scott. “He is a more experienced horse, I know him well, but he’s very sharp and he spots everything, like if a bird flies out of bushes, he spots it. So you never really know how he’s going to cope with such a big atmosphere, but he delivered again today and he felt really comfortable once we got in there and focused on his job.

“I think we’re all very happy with our horses, they feel in good shape and seem to be coping with everything well, the heat and the atmosphere and things. So I think we’re all happy ahead of tomorrow.”

To stay up-to-date with all the breaking news throughout the Olympic Games, Burghley, Horse of the Year Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

British Olympic showjumping team is revealed: who has been selected for Paris 2024?

Jennifer Donald — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 16:35:52 +0000

The British Olympic showjumping team for Paris 2024 has been announced today (Wednesday, 26 June).

The four combinations selected to represent Great Britain are:

Ben Maher with Point Break, owned by rider, Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright (groom: Derren Lake)
Harry Charles with Romeo 88, owned by rider, Ann Thompson (groom: Georgia Ellwood)
Joe Stockdale with Cacharel, owned by Laura Stockdale and Joy Cocklin (groom: Charlotte Attwell)
Scott Brash with Hello Jefferson, owned by Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham (groom: David Honnet)

Meet the British Olympic showjumping team

This will be a remarkable fifth Olympic appearance for Ben Maher, 41, who is the reigning Olympic champion after winning gold in Tokyo with Explosion W. He was also part of Great Britain’s London 2012 gold medal-winning team. He brings the rising star of the sport, 10-year-old stallion Point Break.

Scott Brash, 38, was also part of the London 2012 team gold medallists and he brings championship stalwart Hello Jefferson, at 15 the joint-oldest alongside Romeo 88 and one of the most experienced horse on the team.

Harry Charles, who turns 25 before he heads to Paris, made his Olympic debut in Tokyo and was part of Great Britain’s bronze medal-winning team at the 2022 world championships and he brings the same horse, 15-year-old Romeo 88, to Paris. Harry’s father Peter Charles won gold alongside Ben Maher at the London Olympics 12 years ago.

A few months younger than Harry, 24-year-old Joe Stockdale is another British showjumping Olympic team rider to be following in the footsteps of his Olympian father, the late Tim Stockdale. Joe has soared to the top tier of the sport since swapping his cricket bat for showjumping a few years ago and Cacharel’s fantastic potential was recognised by his father, who bought and produced her through her early days, with Joe now joining his regular team-mates Ben and Harry on the greatest stage of all.

What a story, what a team.

“Here’s to achieving dreams”

Team GB chef de mission, Mark England said: “A huge congratulations to all the athletes, grooms, and horse owners named today as we select the three squads of equestrian riders that will travel to Paris to compete for Team GB.

“There is an incredible wealth of experience across all three disciplines, with some athletes set to compete at their fourth, fifth and seventh Olympic Games this summer, which will undoubtedly stand them in good stead in Paris. I look forward to watching them compete at the historic Palace of Versailles in a month’s time.”

Equestrian team leader Helen Nicholls added: “I’m exceptionally proud of the 12 athlete combinations and their connections who will travel to Paris across the three disciplines of equestrian. We have an exciting balance of experience, talent and potential, and we head to the Games in a strong position, and with medal ambitions. The hours of preparation, enormous sacrifice and total dedication will now be put to the ultimate test. The teams behind the athletes – both equine and human – have left no stone unturned in their quest to support them to their very best performances.

“The Olympic Games give us the opportunity to showcase our amazing sports and the unique bond between horse and rider to a new legion of supporters as well as give the equestrian community the chance to be part of Team GB and their family of sports. Here’s to making lifelong memories, achieving dreams and hopefully medal celebrations.”

The Olympic showjumping competition starts on Thursday 1 August with the team jumping qualifier. The team medals are decided the following day, Friday 2 August. The individual qualifier takes place on Monday 4 August with the individual final on Tuesday 5 August.

Sweden are the reigning Olympic team champions and Great Britain has won individual gold at the past two Olympics, first by Nick Skelton and Big Star in 2016, then Ben Maher and Explosion W in Tokyo.

You can follow all the Olympic showjumping build-up to Paris 2024 and keep up t0 date with all the Olympic news with Horse & Hound.

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Six of Britain’s best named for Paris Olympics jumping squad

Eleanor Jones — Fri, 24 May 2024 11:36:02 +0000

One senior championship debutant and five team regulars have been included on the list of British showjumping Olympic entries for the 2024 Paris Games.

British Equestrian and the British Showjumping selectors have today (24 May) confirmed the 12 combinations – six riders and 12 horses – whose names will be submitted to the FEI. The final squad will be confirmed next month.

This would be a first senior championship for Robert Whitaker, and a first Olympics for Joe Stockdale, who represented Britain with Equine America Cacharel at the 2021 Europeans and 2022 World Championships, and Tim Gredley, who jumped Medoc De Toxandria at last year’s Europeans, and Omelli at the 2006 World Equestrian Games. Olympic champion Ben Maher, Scott Brash and Harry Charles all represented Britain in Tokyo, and Scott and Ben were on the team that won gold at London 2012.

British showjumping Olympic entries:

Scott Brash with 15-year-old Hello Jefferson (pictured)

Owners: Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham

Breeder: Bernard Mols

Breeding: by Cooper Van De Heffinck, out of a mare by Irco Mena

Scott Brash with 10-year-old Hello Valentino

Owners: Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham

Breeder: Tina Petersson-Lind

Breeding: by Diamantino, out of a mare by Careful 28

Harry Charles with 12-year-old Aralyn Blue

Owners: Ann Thompson and Harry’s father Peter

Breeder: Franjo Udovc

Breeding: by Chacco-Blue, out of a mare by Ludwig AS

Harry Charles with 15-year-old Romeo 88

Owners: Ann Thompson and Harry’s father Peter

Breeder: Picobello Horses

Breeding: by Contact Van De Heffink, out of a mare by Orlando

Harry Charles with 11-year-old Sherlock

Owners: Stall Zet and Harry’s father Peter

Breeder: Gustaaf Quintelier

Breeding: by Bisquet Balou C, out of a mare by Malito De Reve

Tim Gredley with 11-year-old Imperial HBF

Owners: Tim’s father William and wife Rachel, and Unex Competition Yard

Breeder: HBF Stud

Breeding: by Glasgow-W VH Merelsnest, out of a mare by Original VDL

Tim Gredley with 12-year-old Medoc De Toxandria

Owners: Tim’s father William and wife Rachel, and Unex Competition Yard

Breeder: Werner Dierckx

Breeding: by Der Senaat III, out of a mare by Kelvin De Sainte Hermelle

Ben Maher with 11-year-old Dallas Vegas Batilly

Owners: Rider, Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright

Breeder: Jean Claude Viollet

Breeding: by Cap Kennedy, out of a mare by L’Arc De Triomphe

Ben Maher with 10-year-old Enjeu De Grisien

Owners: Rider, Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright

Breeder: SCEA Elevage de Grisien

Breeding: by Toulon, out of a mare by Andiamo

Ben Maher with 10-year-old Point Break

Owners: Rider, Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright

Breeder: Nya Äppelvikens Ridskola AB

Breeding: by Action-Breaker, out of a mare by Baloubet Du Rouet

Joseph Stockdale with 13-year-old Equine America Cacharel

Owners: Joy Cocklin and Joe’s mother Laura

Breeder: Bohm Helmut

Breeding: by Cachas, out of a mare by Quinar

Robert Whitaker with 11-year-old Vermento

Owners: Stephen and Caroline Blatchford

Breeders: Robert’s parents John and Clare Whitaker

Breeding: by Argento, out of a mare by Skippy 12

The grooms’ names have not been confirmed but will be included in the final squad announcement.

Selection decisions are subject to riders’ and horses’ maintaining fitness and performance, and this list may be amended at any point up to 25 June. The selected squad of four combinations to travel to Paris, plus reserves, will be announced in late June.

Nominated entries for dressage combinations will be announced in the coming weeks; nominated entries for the para dressage squad for the Paralympic Games in Paris will be published in June.

A British first-timer, a horse bred in Scotland and the King defends his title: who’s who in the 2024 World Cup Final?

Jennifer Donald — Sat, 06 Apr 2024 17:30:25 +0000

With the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final in the Saudi capital of Riyadh fast-approaching (16-20 April), the preparations are currently in full swing for 35 of the world’s leading riders from 19 nations with 42 horses between them. So who’s who among this year’s star-studded field of World Cup Final showjumping contenders bidding for a place in history?

Remarkably, the last British rider to claim the World Cup crown was Nick Skelton in 1995 with Dollar Girl. The three contenders flying the union flag hoping to break that duck are Ben Maher, Scott Brash – both of whom qualified from the Western European League – and US-based British team rider Jessica Mendoza, who gained points from the North American League. Ben will be in action on his top mare Dallas Vegas Batilly while Scott lines up with Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham’s super Swedish-bred grey Hello Valentino.

Meanwhile Jessica, who turns 26 just ahead of her trip to Riyadh, will be making her World Cup Final debut. She brings 12-year-old gelding I-Cap CL Z, who she has produced right up through the grades and with whom she represented Great Britain at the recent Longines League Of Nations at Ocala, Florida, alongside Ben.

Defending champions hoping to continue the World Cup dream

The defending champions Henrik von Eckermann and the brilliant King Edward will be back in a bid to retain their World Cup crown. After lifting the trophy in Omaha, USA, last year, the Swedish world number one said: “It was always a big, big goal and a dream for me to have my name on that trophy. This is very special.”

Henrik von Eckermann riding King Edward on the way to claiming the 2023 Longines FEI World Cup Showjumping title. (Image credit: Richard Juilliart)

Henrik will be joined by team-mate Peder Fredricson with his 2021 European bronze medal-winning 18-year-old Catch Me Not S, with whom he also finished third in the 2019 World Cup Final.

Former World Cup Final winners Martin Fuchs (Commissar Pezi) and Steve Guerdat (Is-Minka) will represent Switzerland. This will be the latter’s 15th World Cup Final and the 2012 Olympic champion will be bidding for a record fourth victory again this year.

Among the other A-list names in action are another World Cup three-time title-holder, Marcus Ehning for Germany, with a relatively new ride, the 11-year-old Coolio 42, plus Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet on 14-year-old gelding Ace Of Hearts, Julien Epaillard who will be one of the favourites on Dubai Du Cedre, with Kent Farrington lining up for USA. Kent is one of a handful of riders bringing two horses, the 10-year-old rising stars Greya and Toulayna.

World Cup Final showjumping debutant carries the Irish flag

Richard Howley was the highest ranked Irish rider in the Western European League, winning the opening two qualifiers of the series, and he will be Ireland’s sole representative as he makes his debut at the World Cup Final riding 13-year-old Equine America Consulent De Prelet Z, who he co-owns with Sarah Borthwick and his and his wife Morgan Kent’s HK Horses.

“He’s so clever and he’s so smart, so it makes my job easier because he’s so talented,” says Richard of the gelding. “I don’t think he’s even fully found himself yet – I still think he has more to give. So we’re just trying to find a bit of middle ground of consistency and trust in the partnership. I think the world of him, and my owner Sarah Borthwick and myself think this horse could give everything. But we’re just trying to get the best out of him.”

Richard Howley and Consulent Du Prelet Z, owned by Sarah Borthwick and HK Horses, land their second World Cup qualifier in as many weeks, this time in Helsinki, Finland. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

The Arab League is represented by five athletes, with three riders from the host nation Saudi Arabia qualifying with strong performances in the Middle Eastern sub-league. Seasoned World Cup veteran and Olympic medallist Ramzy Al Duhami brings Addressee and Untouchable 32, while 25-year-old Khaled Almobty rides Jaguar King WD and the former Ellen Whitaker ride Spacecake.

Olympic bronze medallist Abdullah AlSharbatly rides 16-year-old Alamo, with whom Steve Guerdat won the 2019 World Cup Final and who later went to Spanish rider Sergio Alvarez Moya before Abdullah took the reins at the end of 2022. The pair have gone on to achieve five-star success, but he also brings 13-year-old Fiumicino Van De Kalevallei, who came from Dutch rider Jur Vrieling last year.

World Cup Final attracts talented crop of young showjumpers

Among the crop of young talents stepping out on the global stage for this year’s World Cup Final showjumping contest are 22-year-old French rider Jeanne Sadran (Dexter De Kerglenn), who enjoyed a successful career on ponies.

Canada’s Mario Deslauriers holds the record as the youngest World Cup winner at the age of 19 in 1984, and the youngest riders in Riyadh later this month will be US teenager Skylar Wireman on Tornado and Egyptian showjumper Zain Shady Samir with London Eye. Both riders are just 19 years old.

Skylar has been riding since a young child, hitting the headlines in 2020 when she won the USEF Showjumping Talent Search Final. Swedish-bred Tornado was sent to her as a sales horse but she bought him with the help of some family friends. Skylar is trained by her mother and 2004 Olympic team gold medallist Peter Wylde, and although she doesn’t normally have a groom – preferring to do everything for her horses herself – she will be supported in Riyadh by groom Alicia Thompson.

Another youngster is Egypt’s 22-year-old Abdelrahman Shousha who brings the 14-year-old Quincy 230.

From Balcormo Stud in Scotland to the World Cup Final

British showjumping fans will recognise the lovely gelding How Easy (by Talan, out of the Quite Easy mare Come Easy), who was bred and produced at Balcormo in Scotland by Sandra Low Mitchell. He went on to compete with Julie Andrews and Robert Murphy, but now competes under the Czechia flag with Sara Vingralkova, 21, a consistent performer at junior and young rider European Championships. The young rider also takes the 14-year-old Belgian-bred gelding Kas-Sini DC.

Sandra’s 91-year-old mother Jacky had originally picked out How Easy’s sire Talan in a catalogue as a three-year-old and has hit the jackpot using him with broodmare Come Easy. Both Sandra and Jacky will be glued to the livestream as they continue to follow How Easy’s progress in Riyadh.

“Mum’s had the thrill of following him the whole way through, we’re so proud,” says Sandra. “They’ll be the babies of the class, but I love the way Sara rides him –How Easy has landed on his feet with her.”

Sandra’s late father Dugald bought How Easy’s grandam in-foal along with another mare at a local auction and her offspring, Come Easy, has produced a string of quality youngsters, including How Easy’s full-sister Mytee Easy LM, currently jumping with Molly Andrews and Julie Andrews.

“How Easy did two shows as a four-year-old and won the four-year-old sport horse at the Highland Show, then we just hacked him about when he was five and let him grow,” explains Sandra. “I registered him when he was six and he immediately won a British novice, but this was just before my hip operation and this horse was too beautiful and sensitive for me to ride at the time – it broke my heart as he was so lovely, but I knew I wasn’t the right person to ride him.

“I kept a share in him but Julie Andrews did the next steps, then Rob Murphy took him to the next level before Sara bought him. He was always beautiful and they all live up to their Easy names.”

History in the making at the World Cup Final?

For Japan, the sole representative Shinichiro Sugiyama rides the aptly named Rising Sun, while from the Eurasian League, Nurjan Tuyakbaev hopes to become the first rider from Uzbekistan to win the World Cup crown. Angelos Touloupis of Greece (Lord Mexx) is among the entries from the Central European League.

This is the first time the World Cup Final showjumping has been held in Saudi Arabia, with a record-breaking 2.6million euros in prize money on offer at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center.

The first jumping competition begins on 17 April, continuing with round two the following day, with the winner decided on Saturday 20 April. You can keep up to date with all the action with H&H.

John Whitaker’s new horse goes viral, a teenager clears 1.85m and a warm-up fall doesn’t stop the world number one

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 18:06:33 +0000

Never has one rider’s new horse got people talking as much as John Whitaker’s potential Olympic hope Arqana De Riverland and the pair’s sublime clear round at CHI Al Shaqab in Doha at the weekend was shared all over social media as they continue to step up to the bigger classes.

Plus, we saw a 16-year-old rider clearing 1.85m to win her first CSI4* and a 24-year-old beating two Olympic legends in a World Cup qualifier, where the world number one rider bounced back from a warm-up fall to finish second. Read on for all this week’s showjumping news and results.

Showjumping news: “She’s going to be really competitive” says John Whitaker

A video of John Whitaker jumping clear on new ride Arqana De Riverland – touted as a prospect to take the 68-year-old to the Paris Olympics – was circulating far and wide on social media this week, such is the global love for our British showjumping legend. Their clear round at the CSI5* Al Shaqab in Doha was shared alongside hundreds of appreciation posts for John as they stepped up to 1.50m level at just their third show together, and he told H&H the mare was “jumping very well”.

“She’d been with her previous rider Juliette Faligot for seven years so she was a bit set in her ways, but she jumps brilliantly – just sometimes we don’t have that control yet and there’s been the odd misunderstanding, but I think we’re coming together more and more,” he said. “She’s really careful, she’s quick and I think she’s going to be really competitive.”

John also jumped into the placings with two masterful double clears on his Nations Cup hero Equine America Unick Du Francport at the show, including a fifth-placed finish behind winner Malin Baryard Johnsson (H&M Indiana) in the grand prix.

“He has had a rest and seems to have come back really well, we just did a couple of small shows in Belgium before we came out here and to get used to the mare too,” said John. “You walk the courses out here thinking ‘Oh this is big’, then everyone goes in and jumps clear. But he feels fantastic.”

Ireland’s Richard Howley was another rider making showjumping news by finishing in the ribbons, landing the 1.50m with nine-year-old multi-winner Zodiak Du Buisson Z.

“I am absolutely over the moon,” he said. “My horse is in great shape, he is really growing into this level so easily and week after week he is impressing me more. This gives me great belief for the future that my horse can win at grand prix level.”

Richard finished ahead of France’s Simon Delestre (Dexter Fontenis Z) and Mark McAuley in third on GRS Lady Amaro for Ireland.

The action continues at the same venue this coming week when the 2024 Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) season kicks off.

CSI5* Al Shaqab results

Teenager clears 1.85m to beat her older rivals

The youngest rider in the 12-strong field contesting Saturday’s six-bar on the Andalucia Sunshine Tour in Spain, British teenager Tabitha Kyle, smashed the opposition, throwing both hands in the air as she celebrated clearing 1.85m to win her first ever CSI4* class.

Tabitha, 16, was riding Su and Gordon Hall’s 16-year-old mare Desterly at her first international show after recovering from a neck fracture sustained in a car accident which meant she missed the last few months of 2023, her last year on ponies.

Andalucia Sunshine Tour results

Home-bred secures “unbelievable” World Cup glory for 24-year-old rider

Dutch showjumper Lars Kersten made showjumping news headlines as a surprise winner of the final leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup series of Western Europe in Gothenburg, Sweden, riding grey mare Hallilea. World number one Henrik von Eckermann bounced back from a collecting ring fall to claim the runner-up spot on King Edward, with fellow Swede Peder Fredricson third on 18-year-old Catch Me Not S after a seven-way jump-off.

The 24-year-old Dutchman, part of the Young Riders Academy, is trained by his father Pieter and was riding his father’s 12-year-old home-bred mare to beat two of the greatest Olympic riders in the world in a thrilling jump-off.

“That makes it even more special – I’ve been working with Hallilea all her life and she has been a big part of my career,” said Lars. “To grow together to this level and to win a World Cup in Gothenburg is unbelievable.

“The moment she turned five, I took her over and it’s special that we’ve done this journey together. We already had some nice placings, but almost nothing beats winning the World Cup here in Gothenburg – it feels a bit unreal!

“I’ve seen Henrik and Peder in so many jump-offs so I know they are capable of being faster than me,” he added. “To sit in front of these guys is not easy and most of the time I will be behind them, so today is a big, big day. But I think I was pretty fast and in the end it showed that it was not that easy to beat me, so I’m very, very pleased with my mare. She absolutely gave 100% today.”

Lars has also had training from his “idol growing up”, Marcus Ehning, and six-time Olympian Jos Lansink.

“I was told the Scandinavium Arena wasn’t an easy ring to ride in, but I found it quite comfortable,” he said.“Maybe it fits my riding, I’m maybe a bit of a light rider and I try to stay fluent throughout the turns, so actually maybe the [oval] shape of it suited me very well. And obviously the horse felt really great as well so it all came together.”

Henrik’s jump-off performance came only minutes after he slipped out of the saddle on landing over a warm-up fence on King Edward during the preceding rider’s round. Ever the professional, he put his unscheduled dismount behind him and his world championship-winning partner scorched round, but couldn’t quite catch the time set by the young winner.

“Maybe my horse jumped too well in the jump-off and he lost a bit of time,” Henrik said. “But this is a good way to lose.”

Peder Fredricson batted off questions about Paris this summer by saying, “Asking me about the Olympics in February is like asking how the weather will be in August! We are building up the horses but there is still a long way to go. It is for sure my main goal this year. I am giving all my horses in the stables a chance now and we will see in the next months how it is going.

“Lars is a great rider. It is nice to see the next generation doing so well.”

Among the top 18 riders who have qualified for the World Cup Final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in April are title-holder Henrik von Eckermann, who topped this year’s league, Steve Guerdat, Ireland’s Richard Howley and a quartet of British showjumpers; Robert Whitaker, Harry Charles, Scott Brash and Ben Maher.

Gothenburg Horse Show results

Showjumping news: “Dreams really do come true”

British showjumper Claudia Moore proclaimed that “dreams really do come true” when winning her first CSI3* 1.50m grand prix in the final week of the Moura Spring Tour in Valencia, Spain, riding Hardesther. The only other double clear came from another Brit, Chloe Aston, riding the Arko III nine-year-old Akito Von Rocherath Z.

“’Hardy’ is my horse of a lifetime, I trust her and didn’t overpush her as she’s naturally fast,” said Claudia, one of a strong contingent of British winners at this week’s show.

Moura Spring Tour results

Daniel Coyle wins the $100,000 grand prix on Farrel. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

There’s just no stopping Daniel Coyle, “I stared death in the face at the Liverpool”

Continuing a phenomenal winning streak, Irish rider Daniel Coyle made more showjumping news when he lifted the CSI3* $100,000 LeMieux grand prix at the World Equestrian Center, Ocala, Florida, this time riding Farrel, after a 15-way jump-off.

“On Farrel, you can turn on half a stride,” said Daniel of the 14-year-old KWPN gelding (Cardento 933 x Stakkato) owned by Ariel Grange.

“He’s an amazing horse to turn back to a vertical. He’s had a few years off but he’s very handy. Turning back so tight to the second-last jump, that’s all to do with the horse there. [Second-placed] Aaron Vale and I both took risks, but at the end it comes back to the horse and if you can nail it.

“I galloped to fence one and hoped everything came up good, I was really risky across the centre to the Liverpool – I couldn’t see the flags and I stared death in the face, but he pricked his ears and jumped it.

“The celebration in the end is the only part of the sport when we get to interact with the crowd,” added Daniel about his third win of this week; he also finished third behind Aaron Vale (Obi Wan) on another 14-year-old, Quintin. “It’s usually just the horse, the owners and the people, so when the audience comes out screaming and are having a great time, it makes it so special for us.”

Showjumping news: Vogel has the magic Touch again

Germany’s Richard Vogel, ranked 11 in the world, and United Touch S captured top spot in the $385,000 Lugano Diamonds CSI5* grand prix at Wellington International’s Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) after a four-way jump-off in which the quartet all produced double clears over Anthony D’Ambrosio’s tracks.

“I have been lucky enough to ride a lot of good horses in my life, but he’s outstanding,” said Richard. “When he leaves the ground, that power and scope is something very unique and I’m very happy to be in his saddle.”

Darragh Kenny had set the early standard on 17-year-old Holstein stallion VDL Cartello before the lead jumped first to US Olympic team gold medallist McLain Ward on 16-year-old Callas and Shane Sweetnam on James Kann Cruz, back from a break, settled for third.

“I was very lucky that I went behind all three of these guys, and I knew I had to risk it all,” said 26-year-old Richard, whose groom Felicia Wallin won the $500 grooms’ award presented by Double H Farm. “If I had a rail, I was fourth and if I was a slow clear, I was fourth so there was not so much to lose.”

WEF results

Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly are back in the winner’s enclosure. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Ben Maher is back at the top

And finally in this week’s international showjumping news round-up, world number two Ben Maher won the $116,000 Adequan WEF Challenge Cup round seven at WEF with Dallas Vegas Batilly, with less than a second separating the top three riders.

“I’m lucky with Tilly – she has a huge stride, so I was able to get going and make up some time,” said Ben, 41. “It was lucky for me that I stayed ahead today. It’s always difficult to win here, whether on Thursday or Saturday night. When you have riders like Kent Farrington and Richard Vogel coming behind you, it’s never over until it’s over.

“She’s been an incredible horse early in her career. She jumped great in the five-star a couple weeks ago and I felt she was on form, which is why we brought her back this week.

“My 18-month-old son Cooper can sit on her and she’s the sweetest horse ever. But when you’re on her, she has a lot of opinions. I have to be the passenger, not the pilot, and get her to do things by asking her, not telling her. We’ve come with a great relationship, and I want to bring out the best in her. We saw today that she’s a real fighter for me.”

‘I wasn’t sure I was the right rider for him’: perseverance pays off for the Olympic champion and a world championship medallist returns

Jennifer Donald — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 11:22:52 +0000

With temperatures plummeting at home, we are ever so slightly envious of all the riders competing somewhere warmer, and judging by this week’s international showjumping news and results, the British showjumping horses are clearly thriving.

So who has been in the ribbons around the world this week? Read on for our weekly round-up of international showjumping news and results.

A win for Stockdale, and Cacharel’s welcome return

Joe Stockdale is making his first visit to the competitive circuit of the United Arab Emirates, but quickly hit winning form with Barbara Hester and his mother Laura’s 10-year-old stallion Ebanking (Etoulon x VDL Sheraton) in a huge 80-starter speed class, the CSI4* Equitrans Logistics Diamond Tour 1.50m at the Al Shira’aa International Horse Show – Equitrans having handled the shipping of his horses from Europe.

The duo beat Ireland’s Shane Breen on Scarteen into second by well over a second. In third was Germany’s Christian Ahlmann on Otterongo Alpha Z.

“That was a super way to start, I was absolutely delighted with him,” Joe told H&H. “It’s very competitive here, there are some good riders and horses. I haven’t done this tour before but it’s great to get going outdoors earlier than normal and the horses are all fresh and loving it.”

After a six-month spell on the sidelines, it was great also great to see Joe’s world championship bronze medal-winning partner Equine America Cacharel back in the ring.

“I was just steady with her this week and we’ll play it by ear,” said Joe. “I came on this tour a bit with her in mind because I wanted to get her going after such a long time off. It wasn’t an injury or a lameness as such, it was just something minor, but enough that we wanted to be very cautious with her and get it right, rather than carry on jumping her and for it to develop into something major. So we decided to do a complete reset and come back when we knew everything was 100%. We played around with her shoeing and did MRIs and worked with the British vets, just to make sure it’s all where it should be. It’s really nice to have her back.”

Joe has also teamed up with a new eight-year-old, Laska JDV (Gaspahr x Namelus R), who was previously ridden by young Slovenian rider Gaj Riossa and caught Joe’s eye in Oliva at the end of last year.

“I literally only had him a couple of weeks before I brought him here, but I thought this tour would be a great start for him in terms of getting to know each other,” said Joe, who will be based in the UAE for the next six weeks and has been picked for the first of the region’s four-star Nations Cups in Sharjah at the end of the month on Ebanking.

“Laska is quite big so he’s got a bit of developing to do, but I have high hopes for him, he’s showed a lot of promise already. He’s a lovely horse to have in the stable, he has a great brain and he’s a joy to work with.

“The shows here so far have been top notch, really well organised, so it’s great to be here and so far, so good.”

The winner of the show’s CSI4*-W Longines Al Shira’aa FEI Jumping World Cup Grand Prix was Sophie Hinners from Germany riding nine-year-old Sinclair.

Al Shira’aa International Horse Show results

Ben Maher wins the CSI3* grand prix on Enjeu De Grisien (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Maher resumes his winning ways

Fresh from their World Cup success at the London International last month, Ben Maher and Enjeu De Grisien (Toulon x Andiamo) wowed the Florida crowd with victory in Saturday’s $140,000 Southern Arches CSI3* grand prix in week one of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Ben co-owns Enjeu with Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright and the duo beat US Olympic team gold medallist McLain Ward into second on First Lady.

“Enjeu is 10 now, we bought him when he was seven and he was a difficult young horse – very active and almost too much power for the body he has,” said Ben. “I struggled to get him under control and we were on different paths for a while, he didn’t really understand me and I didn’t understand him, but all of a sudden it just clicked. He was always a very talented horse – I just wasn’t sure I was the right rider for him. But as a rider we have to adapt and we have to understand our horses and change to what they like. We made those changes and one day to the next, it worked and he’s continued on to be in great form.

“At the moment I actually have a group of horses that are all ready to go like this. It’s the best team of horses I’ve ever had here. I’m very fortunate that I have multiple horses at the moment that can do this, so I’m just going to be careful, selective, not overjump them and make sure that we can have the best WEF possible without using the horses too much for the rest of the season.”

WEF results

A winning double for Kenny

Ireland’s Darragh Kenny secured a winning double at WEF, opening with victory on Irwin, an 11-year-old Kannan stallion, whom he describes as “an incredible horse”, then steering nine-year-old Serendepety (Emely x Escudo I) to victory in the $32,000 speed class

“These 1.45m speed classes [at WEF] are incredibly competitive and fast,” he admitted. “With such a large field of high talent it’s a bit of a luck of the draw of who gets the prize that day. That being said, I knew I could count on this mare to be quick and careful, so I followed the planned track and it ended up being enough.

“We bought her when she was five, then trained her until she was seven,” said Darragh, who now owns the mare in partnership with German Olympic champion Ludger Beerbaum. “The idea for her is to continue working towards the highest level, and so far it looks promising. I think she’s quite special. She’s a really careful but quick horse, and so much fun to ride. Over the past several years we’ve taken our time with her; there’s no rush in her success but we would love to step her up possibly into the 1.50m over the next few months and see how it goes.”

Mr President kicks off with a win

Scott Brash and Hello Mr President made a winning start to 2024, taking the CSI2& 1.45m grand prix on Spring MET in Oliva, Spain, after a 10-way jump-off.

“It was a nice class with a well-built course,” said Scott. “In the jump-off, my plan was just to keep it tight and smooth. Hello Mr President is a very fast horse naturally, so if I can let him run and jump, that suits him well. I’m happy with how he’s feeling at the moment.”

Pieter Devos and Mom’s Toupie De La Roque win the World Cup qualifier of Basel, Switzerland. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Teenage mare lands the World Cup of Basel

Belgium’s Pieter Devos and his barefoot 17-year-old mare Mom’s Toupie De La Roque won the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup of Basel, Switzerland. The pair were drawn third and produced one of just two double clears, quicker than Switzerland’s Janika Sprunger with Orelie.

“It’s the first show of the year and this gives a lot of confidence,” said Pieter. “It’s an important year, an Olympic year, and I’m going to do everything to be in the team and to have a fantastic year – like it started!

“She is still very fresh so I think she has a good season in front of her. We will for sure do everything to go to the World Cup Final – we now have to make a good plan for that but also for the season and for Paris this summer.”

Basel results

‘As good sport as you’ll see anywhere’: British one-two in spectacular London World Cup

Eleanor Jones — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 18:17:16 +0000

The London International Horse Show crowd was treated to a spectacle of sport such as is rarely witnessed, when Ben Maher and Enjeu De Grisien triumphed in a spectacular Longines World Cup jump-off.

The fact speed merchant Julien Epaillard finished fifth, on Donatello D’Auge, showed how fast the others had gone, and the lead changed hands three times in the last four rounds, with both Daniel Coyle (Legacy) and Scott Brash (Hello Jefferson) briefly powering to the front.

Watch Ben talk about his winning round in the video below

Julien, as is his wont, had put in a round that looked unbeatable on the 10-year-old gelding, and he held his lead despite strong challenges from Matt Sampson (Ebolensky) and Max Kuhner (EIC Up Toon Jacco Blue). Then Daniel came in and set the ring alight, turning the 13-year-old mare tighter and galloping faster than, surely, was possible. He took a second off Julien’s time, and looked set to take the title.

But Scott was to come, and he and his 2021 Olympic ride, back to his brilliant best, put their collective foot down, jumping the vast Agria oxer before the final line at an acute angle, and taking a fifth of a second off Daniel’s time. This must be the round that secured Scott and Jefferson their second London World Cup in a row – but Ben was still to come.

The nine-year-old gelding, owned by Ben, Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright, showed huge maturity, and Ben his superb horsemanship, as the crowd bellowed them down the long gallop to the last. As they finished half a second ahead of Scott, the roof of the ExCeL must have lifted.

“This is the class everyone wants to win,” Ben said. “It’s a great time of year and that’s as good sport as you’ll have seen anywhere in a long time.”

Ben has been riding the horse three years but it took time for the partnership to click.

“He was always a very talented, high-energy horse but we had a bit of a problem taming him,” he said. “He was a bit of a wild beast, a lot of energy in a small package, and I was frustrated with myself as a horseman because I thought he didn’t like me. But we kept going and figured it out, then today – it’s all there and it’s very exciting.”

Scott was delighted with Jefferson; Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham’s 14-year-old had had a break after Spruce Meadows in September, and had lost some muscle.

“It took time to get him back, then he went to Geneva last week and jumped good, but here he feels back on form,” he said. “I’m delighted he’s back where he can be.”

Watch Scott speak to H&H in the video below

Scott added that the electric atmosphere of the ExCeL is something very special.

“I think it brings out the best in the British riders; you want to give it your all,” he said. “I think that brings out the top sport.

“My horse jumped amazing, I’m delighted with him, and fair play to Ben, he jumped a fantastic round to win.”

Daniel and the 13-year-old mare he owns with Ariel Grange were the first to take a stride out between the double and the Liverpool; he said he knew something special would be needed to win the class.

“This time of year she seems to become a different animal, but if you ride her correctly she usually jumps like she did today,” he said. “I’m very lucky to have her. I probably could have cut the turns a little tighter, but after my round I just thought if I win, great, but if not, it’s not meant to be. Ben and Scott were brilliant, and the crowd got to witness the best sport you can get. I have loved my first time competing at the London International Horse Show, and I will certainly be back.”

Watch Daniel chat to H&H

‘Watch and learn, it’s so valuable’: wise words from the Rolex Grand Slam contender

Jennifer Donald — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 13:00:29 +0000

This Sunday (10 December), Swiss showjumper Martin Fuchs will be bidding to keep his Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping dream alive with victory at CHI Geneva.

Martin, 31, became the live Grand Slam contender after his outstanding grand prix victory at the Spruce Meadows Masters tournament riding Leone Jei and he will be lining up alongside some of the world greats in Sunday’s grand prix, a class he’s won twice before, after an “incredible year jumping at the highest level of the sport”.

“I am extremely excited to be coming into my home Major, CHI Geneva, as the live contender for the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping,” says the world number five ranked rider of “one of the best shows in the world”.

“Riding in front of a Swiss crowd, with all of their support is amazing.

“I love having my family and friends there supporting and watching me, it really motivates me to do well and make them proud.”

The team and individual European champion credits his team as “vital to my success”.

“So much goes on behind-the-scenes,” he says. “My parents have been fundamental in building a special team around me and this allows me to really focus on my training and doing well in the ring. I do not have to think about anything else apart from training and competing, as my team manages everything else.

“I have some great grooms that look after our horses, I would not have this amount of success without my grooms,” he stresses.

Martin Fuchs: ‘Growing up, you watch your idols compete and win’

Martin reveals the importance of the showjumping Majors in the calendar and how he has been inspired.

“They are the ones that every rider aims to win and dreams of competing at when they are growing up,” he explains. “They are the pinnacle of our sport – all the greats have competed at these Majors.

“Growing up, you watch your idols compete and win at the Majors. This makes you so motivated and driven to train and do well in competitions, so that one day you can join them at these venues and to be perhaps fortunate enough to win one.

“It is extremely important that this opportunity is offered to the next generation as they will gain priceless experience competing at a Major,” Martin continues.

“Competing alongside the best riders in the world allows you to watch and learn from them – which is so valuable. I was very fortunate when I was younger to compete at the Swiss five-star shows, which gave me the opportunity to ride at the highest level as a young rider, even though I wasn’t at the top level yet. I learnt so much from these incredible opportunities.

“When you go back home, you have so much you want to work on and many additional goals – it is inspirational.”

Away from the ring, Martin loves producing his young horses.

“It is incredibly rewarding watching a horse develop to the top level,” he explains. “It is a very satisfying part of our job. In our sport, you never get bored, each horse is so unique, which means that every day is different. This makes you become a better rider and horseman to try to get the best out of each individual horse as well as trying to provide them with the best life possible.”

CHI Geneva: not just the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping

As well as competing in Sunday’s 1.60m Rolex grand prix at CHI Geneva, Martin Fuchs will line up for Friday night’s 22nd Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final. His opponents are Shane Sweetnam (IRL), Harrie Smolders (NED), Max Kuhner (AUT), Simon Delestre (FRA), Julien Epaillard (FRA), Steve Guerdat (SUI), Kent Farrington (USA), world number one Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden and Great Britain’s world number two Ben Maher, who won the prestigious class in 2021 on Explosion W.

“This was one of my favourite classes to win so far in my career,” says Ben. “The competition is so unique and the crowd and atmosphere that’s created in Geneva is like no other indoor arena. Explosion showed that evening why he’s such a great champion.”

Other British riders heading to CHI Geneva this week are the rider in-form Harry Charles and Scott Brash, while Robert Murphy and Claudia Moore will be contesting the under-25 classes and eventers Alex Bragg and Kirsty Chabert will be tackling the popular indoor cross-country.

A strong Irish contingent of Bertram Allen, Daniel Coyle, Mark McAuley and Conor Swail join Shane Sweetnam among these year’s CHI Geneva entries, and other big names include Jessica Springsteen, Peder and Jens Fredricson, and Daniel Deusser, and H&H will be bringing you coverage all the action.

With thanks to Rolex Grand Slam Of Showjumping.

Scott Brash talks Hello Stud – and the young horses he has his eye on

Becky Murray — Sun, 22 Oct 2023 15:32:24 +0000

Scott Brash has been eyeing the future as he discusses his breeding operation Hello Stud, and some of the young horses he has high hopes for.

Last month during a Rolex round table at Spruce Meadows, Olympic team gold medallist Scott Brash spoke about past success and future stars, and revealed there is a special two-year-old that he has his eye on.

“I have a couple of two-year-olds currently – and I’ve come away thinking ‘This one could jump Spruce Meadows one day’,” he said at the time.

H&H spoke to Scott to find out more…

“The two-year-old I’m excited about is by Grandorado TN,” he told H&H.

“He’s a gelding, and he’s out of Hello Vittoria. It’s obviously early days, but he certainly looks like a nice one.”

Grandoraro is a 12-year-old son of grand prix-winning sire Eldorado. Grandorado currently competes at five-star level with Willem Greve, and in 2018 won silver at the world young horse breeding championships in Lanaken. Hello Vittoria is a promising nine-year-old who enjoyed wins with Scott last year in eight-year-old classes, including the Sparkassen Youngs Cup final in Aachen.

Scott said he started breeding horses in the background alongside competing, forming Hello Stud.

“We quietly started and we’re just trying to breed and produce the next one,” he said, adding that stallion Hello Vincent, who retired from competition earlier this year to concentrate on stud duties, has spent the season based at Stallion AI Services.

“We’ve been breeding from some of our top mares and I’m excited to see what the young ones can bring in the future, and I’m very happy to see the youngstock on the ground. I’ve always been interested in the breeding side, and when the top mares retired I thought it would be nice for them to have some offspring and keep their lines going. It will be exciting to see some of Ursula and M’Lady’s sons and daughters out there competing for I’m sure.”

“He looks really nice,” said Scott. “We’re looking forward to the future. He might jump a couple of small shows at the back end of the year or the start of his fifth year.”

Scott Brash: eight years on since he made showjumping history – and which horse he nearly picked over Hello Sanctos

Becky Murray — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 07:33:54 +0000

“There was certainly something different about the atmosphere,” says Scott Brash, looking back on the day he made history eight years ago when he became the first winner of the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping.

Scott won CHI Geneva in December 2014, CHIO Aachen in May 2015, and all that was left was to secure the win at the Spruce Meadows Masters. And he did just that with Hello Sanctos on 14 September 2015, taking home €1.3 million (then £950,000).

Last month Rolex celebrated the Grand Slam of Showjumping’s 10-year anniversary by hosting a round table event with Rolex testimonee Scott Brash at the Spruce Meadows Masters, where he discussed the highs of winning, what the Grand Slam has done for the sport, why Hello Sanctos was not necessarily his first pick for that historic day, and what the future holds.

Remembering that Sunday morning at Spruce Meadows in 2015, Scott says he arrived at the showground early to check out the course with no one else around, before riding Hello Sanctos in preparation for the grand prix that afternoon.

“I remember working him in and just knowing that he felt really good. I think he was probably the fittest I’ve ever had him in his life,” explains Scott.

“One of the great aspects of my riding style is that the more important the competition is, the more focused I become. I was certainly very focused on that day and totally focused on what was right for Hello Sanctos. I kept his same routine, because at the end of the day, he didn’t know that he was jumping for the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping, to him it was just another day and another course, so we just focused on beating the course.”

And what does the atmosphere feel like when someone is on the cusp of winning the sport’s richest prize?

“There was certainly something different about the atmosphere; I remember all the riders standing at gate while I was entering. Although I was very focused, you could see it and sense it,” says Scott.

“When I rode in, you could hear a pin drop. I don’t think there was much difference in the way my fellow competitors acted, but perhaps it was just a matter of respect such as providing me with more space in the warm-up – no one wanted to be in the way, which was appreciated.”

Scott and Hello Sanctos were the only combination to jump clear in the final round that day and Scott remembers feeling “all sorts of emotions”.

“One certainly was relief,” he explains. “However in a weird sense, one was sadness. My team and I had worked towards the goal of achieving the Rolex Grand Slam for such an extensive period, for it to suddenly be completed, it was emotional.

“We have some incredible photographs of that day, as you can imagine, and Hello Sanctos looked a million dollars. It was an amazing day in my career. I remember it so clearly; as an example of just how fit he was, even when we were walking out of the ring, I noticed he had not even broken a sweat, he was in that great a shape.”

But enjoying such highs can also be followed by lows – and added pressure explains Scott.

“After winning team gold at the London 2012 Olympics, and after completing the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping, I remember feeling a little low period, questioning what was next – but I think that’s very normal,” he says.

“I actually talked to Bruce Springsteen once about a musician’s career and why things can go wrong sometimes. He said that while performing, one experiences such an adrenaline rush and intense atmosphere, it can be a shock when walking off stage to nothing; there is naturally an experience of a low. I certainly felt this after winning those major events; there was absolute joy and fantastic celebrations afterwards and a couple weeks later, I naturally experienced a low.”

The talent of London 2012 team gold medal-winning Hello Sanctos was unquestionable, but Scott reveals the Quasimodo Van De Molendreef would not have been the first pick for Spruce Meadows that year.

“Hello Sanctos did not like jumping in the arena at CHIO Aachen – not everyone knows that,” explains Scott. “It was the one ring that he felt uncomfortable in. I attended Aachen with him, and while it wasn’t too bad I came out thinking ‘Why did it not go so well?’. I had two down in the grand prix, but it felt like I was riding for my life. I then met Katharina Offel, who rode him when he was younger, and she said, ‘He does not like Aachen does he?’. He had jumped there previously with Katharina and was eliminated. So that joined up the dots for me.

“When I won at CHI Geneva, I had two top horses, Hello Sanctos and Ursula XII. Ursula is made for the likes of Spruce Meadows and Aachen, and if she had been fit, I would have taken her to Spruce Meadows. So, it left me in the position of taking Hello Sanctos or not attending.”

When it comes to personalities, Scott says it was how clever Hello Sanctos was that “set him apart”, and Scott places huge importance on getting to know horses as individuals.

“Hello Jefferson [Scott’s current top horse] has all the attributes that one needs to win a grand prix. He is extremely talented; he is really sharp and strong minded which is great, but he has a busy brain, so he has to come out of the stable a lot more than in comparison to other horses,” he says.

“I have to put a lot of work into him compared with what I did with Hello Sanctos for example. However, Hello Jefferson is more experienced now, I believe as he grows older, he is developing into a better horse. Hello Sanctos, if I’m honest when I first tried him, I didn’t think he had the scope to ever manage Spruce Meadows – that just shows how amazing horses are. When a horse is confident and really trusts a rider, they can succeed and jump fences far bigger than one might think. We had a fantastic partnership and Sanctos really grew into his scope.”

And when it comes to stars of the future, Scott has his eye on a few.

“We are breeding from Ursula XII and a couple of our best mares at the moment, and we have been bringing some mares down to my yard in England from my family in Scotland, to break them in,” he says.

“I have a couple of two-year-old’s currently – and I’ve come away thinking ‘This one could jump Spruce Meadows one day’. This is certainly what I look for when I am trying horses. It could be viewed as a downside as you know the level of horse you need in order to win the big majors, so you can end up being slightly too selective. But Hello Sanctos is the perfect example – it can take time to make a horse, and we had to improve the scope in him from being confident to being experienced.”

Scott to this day remains the sole winner of the Grand Slam title – so can it be won again?

“It can definitely be won again – anything is possible, but everything has to go right on the day. In our sport we are working with a living animal, and sometimes things can go wrong that can be out of our control,” he explains.

“The year after winning the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping, Ursula XII was very close. She was second in CHIO Aachen, we won at Spruce Meadows, and came third in CHI Geneva. I remember thinking that we should have won Geneva – it is one of the rounds that still haunts me for losing by such a small margin. I was last to go with four tenths of a second too slow – I have never been so disappointed coming home from a show.”

Scott says the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping has been “amazing” for the sport.

“It has been a great opportunity for all the riders, and I think it has really improved our sport. The creation of the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping has given us all major goals to aim for during the year. It brings out the best horse and rider combinations, those that are at the top of their game want to be at these majors. We are all very thankful for it,” he says.

“The sport has significant expenses, something a lot of people may not realise, and it can be especially difficult to travel horses around the world. I believe that it is great to be rewarded in that sense for sure. The larger the purse, the higher the interest in the competition from riders and the audience. It attracts the best in the sport. But what I will say, when I was competing for the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping, even if there wasn’t a big prize money, I was still desperate to try and make history and to achieve the title.”

Groom David Honnet shares his travelling tips and reveals Scott Brash’s next superstar

Jennifer Donald — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 17:32:31 +0000

Showjumping super groom David Honnet, 35, has been working for British Olympic showjumper Scott Brash for seven years. He joined the Scotsman from Irish showjumper Cameron Hanley. Scott Brash’s groom, David, travels all over the world looking after Scott’s horses and most recently was at CHIO Aachen, Germany, where Scott and Hello Jefferson helped Great Britain to a second-place finish in the Nations Cup.

Speaking from Aachen, David explained the journey involved with three horses from Scott’s yard in Sussex.

“I travelled with the horses on Sunday morning, we left the yard and took the ferry – in total it was a 10-hour trip,” says David. “The trip went well, but since Brexit, everything takes a bit longer with the paperwork and checks. I got here to Aachen pretty late, and the show vets were really helpful.

“All the horses travelled well, they are all really used to it. Hello Jefferson has been everywhere in the world, so it was no problem for him. Hello Mango is also a very good traveller; she was in Spain for the beginning of the year, so she has done a few long trips. Hello Valentino is also a very good traveller.”

David’s advice if you find yourself with a horse who doesn’t travel well, is to “break it down, don’t do long days”.

“Only do small journeys, never more than 600 kilometres at a time if the horse is bad at travelling,” he explains. “If possible, I would travel through the night – it is always quicker and smoother. You usually do not experience as much traffic or get stuck on the roads, so if it suits your plan and the person driving is able to drive through the night, I would definitely recommend that.”

Scott’s top horse Hello Jefferson is in “really good shape” according to David, while nine-year-old Hello Valentino is still gaining experience and baby of the pack, eight-year-old Hello Mango, is “going to be a superstar for sure!”

“She had a very good beginning to the year in Spain, then we gave her a bit of a break to try to get an embryo from her, but it didn’t work, so she is back and feeling fresh and jumping well,” says David. “At only eight-years-old, she’s one for the future.”

Scott Brash’s groom David Honnet: “Safety first is key”

Facilities for grooms are improving all the time and Aachen, says David, is one of the best.

“My main concern when I get to shows is always safety first, and here everything is very safe and comfortable for the horses,” he says. “I have been to Aachen a number of times and there are always little improvements and the attention to detail for the horses is incredible. This morning I noticed a new wash bay and it’s things like this that make the show great.

“I have to say it’s the Sunday afternoon in Calgary and Aachen that have the most amazing feeling,” he says of some of the best shows in the world. “Then when you go clear, it is incredible – it is only an afternoon, but it feels like a week, there is so much emotion. It is really very special! Both Spruce Meadows and Aachen have two rounds and a jump-off, so those two grands prix feel really unique, there is so much emotion.

“Geneva and ‘s-Hertogenbosch are also incredible grands prix. CHI Geneva is the last big event of the year, so you want to finish on a high. The Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final adds to the prestige of the show.

“The grooms are a small and close community. Obviously, you cannot like everyone, and you need a strong character to do this job as there are a lot of big characters, but once you’ve got your friends, everybody helps each other. Once you find people you trust, you can ask them if you are struggling or if you need advice, like ‘how should I do that’ or, ‘what should I do if I have this problem’. I have been doing this job for years, but I remember at the beginning of the year I went to ask for advice from another groom because I had a difficult horse I needed help with, and that is what is so great about this community.”

David on being Scott’s groom: “We are both calm people”

Scott is well known for being the only rider to have won the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping and, although David wasn’t working for Scott at that time, he was watching on the sofa “hoping for him to win it”.

“At the time I had no idea I was going to work for him one day,” says David. “In 2016, when he once again won the CP International, presented by Rolex, in Calgary, we were watching at home with his mother and we went crazy when he won. Scott and I are both calm people and there is rarely any tension. We have some very sharp horses, and so the cooler you stay the better it is for the horses, they don’t need you to put any stress on them.”

Of the team behind Scott’s success, David says they all trust each other and that’s what makes them so strong.

“Within the team, you need so much quality and skill – I have some, Scott has some, and then the people at home do as well,” he reveals. “Our team trusts each other and this probably is what makes the difference.”

Another secret to their success? Treats!

“It’s something that is common to all the groom and horses – we all give them treats when they come out of the ring, so that is something that I always have in the bag,” he says. “There is no lucky charm, they just need a treat when they come out.”

With thanks to Rolex.

Water woes and a valiant climb: Britain’s showjumpers narrowly foiled in Aachen Nations Cup thriller

Martha Terry — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 06:12:28 +0000

Britain narrowly lost out to Switzerland in a pulsating finish to the Nations Cup 1.60m class at CHIO Aachen. After two rounds in the hallowed main stadium in front of a 40,000-strong crowd, the Brits finished on eight faults, behind the Swiss (Steve Guerdat, Edouard Schmitz, Niklaus Schurtenberger and Martin Fuchs) on four.

But it was not without controversy. In round one, the British second rider Harry Charles was given a late four faults for a foot in the water, which neither he nor the rest of the team believed he’d had. They appealed to get the penalties removed, but no footage could show an unimpeded image to review.

This meant Harry’s eight faults had to count, which left the team languishing in seventh of the eight nations. But they stormed almost to the top in the second round, courtesy of clear rounds from Harry, Ben Maher and Scott Brash. Harry put his initial frustration aside to celebrate what he described as “the best night in showjumping”.

“These are the nights we do it for, and I think to come back like that in the second round, help out the boys out and push us close, I’m very proud,” he said. “I was disappointed by the decision with the water jump in the first round. Obviously they saw something that no one else did. He [Romeo 88] was definitely not in the water jump so it was a hard pill to swallow. But happy to come out and put it right in the second round. We’ve been third last year, second this year, so it looks like next year we should be winning.”

Aachen Nations Cup showjumping: how it unfolded

Pathfinder Ben Maher kicked off the British challenge and set the standard for the whole field with a neat clear on Dallas Vegas Batilly, a 10-year-old mare he’s been riding since last autumn. This first rotation of riders proved the cleanest of phase one, with four more clears out of the seven. Faults came thick and fast in the next two rotations.

Harry was first in the second group and had a frustrating start on Ann Thompson’s Romeo 88 when he knocked down part of the orange double at fence three. Then came the controversial faults at the water. Tim Gredley also had an early fence down and a water penalty, aboard Medoc De Toxandria, but Scott kept Britain in the running with an immaculate clear aboard Hello Jefferson.

Meanwhile, France, Switzerland and Sweden were battling it out at the top after round one, with each team logging just one fence down apiece. Things didn’t go so smoothly for the Netherlands. Although they started well with Marc Houtzager’s clear on Holey Moley, Lars Kersten’s Emmerton stopped when on a bad stride to the double at fence three. They re-presented but the gelding had had enough, causing Lars to somersault off, removing the bridle in the process.

The class built up to a dramatic conclusion in round two under the night sky. Clears from both Ben and Harry meant Britain started to edge her way up the leader board, while her fellow eight-faulter teams fell by the wayside.

Among the leading trio, Sweden put in a couple of mediocre rounds to drop out of the reckoning. France’s number three Marc Dilasser looked set to put a good result on their record until the penultimate fence, when Arioto De Gevres stood off and paddled through the “ocean waves” triple bar. This put him too far off the final upright, and after trying to chip in a little one, he stopped, catapulting Marc into the turf – and also lost his bridle. When Hello Jefferson produced another catlike clear, it left both France and Switzerland needing clears from their final rider to be assured of victory.

“He was fantastic,” said Scott of the 14-year-old owned by Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham, whose two rounds were copybook. “The first round I felt I was a smidgen too deep to the water, so I tried to make that improvement second time round and he felt really, really good.”

France’s Kevin Staut had endured a disappointing 16 faults in round one, and it didn’t improve much in the finale. He lowered three on Visconti Du Telman, and France dropped right down to seventh. But there was never a moment’s concern for Switzerland as Martin Fuchs clocked his second perfect clear on the 10-year-old Commissar Pezi to seal the Swiss victory, their first since 2002.

Martin showed his trademark coolness under pressure, and put this down to his “amazing horse”.

“Steve [Guerdat] told me just to do the same as the first round, and I entered the ring with so much confidence,” said Martin. “I said, ‘Pezi, I’ll give my best, and I know you’ll do yours so let’s try to win this Nations Cup’. Before the last line I started to get a little bit nervous, with two more fences to jump, but we’ve won the coolest Nations Cup there is, with a great team, my father as team trainer and an amazing chef d’equipe in Michel Sorg. It’s an amazing night.”

Behind Britain, in third, was Belgium after also making an impressive second-round climb.

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John Whitaker ‘never gets used to winning’, Bosty takes a sideways approach and Scott Brash wins a cake

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 16:21:24 +0000

This week, we enjoyed five-star showjumping as far afield as Mexico City, where the Longines Global Champions Tour rolled into town, and there were sombreros galore. Meanwhile back on home soil, some of Great Britain’s top riders gathered to contest the CSI2* show at Chard, Somerset.

Flying Frenchman Roger Yves Bost performed his trademark acrobatics to win a grand prix on home soil and Scott Brash was last seen digging into a chocolate cake won in a five-star class. Here is your weekly round-up of all the international showjumping news highlights and results from across the world.

‘He’s going faster by the day’

Leading French showjumper Roger Yves Bost won the GL Events grand prix at the CSI4* Fontainebleau with the 13-year-old Cassius Clay VDV Z, who he describes as “13 years old but getting faster by the day!” “Bosty” topped the 1.55m 14-strong jump-off by well over a second, performing his trademark acrobatics in the saddle – appearing to almost ride sideways over the towering vertical (pictured top) – to slice the shortest route home in front of a thrilled home crowd. “Cassius has been in good form over the past few shows, but it is not often he goes so fast in a jump-off,” he said of their first win together.

Fontainebleau grand prix results

Win your cake and eat it

At the 5* Longines Global Champions Tour of Mexico, British rider Scott Brash won a competitive 1.50m two-phase on Lady Harris’ and Lady Kirkham’s 14-year-old Hello Mr President. As well as the €13,050 prize-money he picked up for his success, Scott was presented with a fabulous equine-themed cake back at the hotel.

Trofeo Mercedes Benz results

John Whitaker and Equine America Unick Du Francport winning in Fontainebleau, (Image credit: PSV – J.Morel)

‘You never get too used to winning’

British jumping legend John Whitaker, who turns 68 this year, won the Prix CWD 1.50m jump-off class at the CSI4* Fontainebleau on his great campaigner Equine America Unick Du Francport, who is back from a break. “Despite my age, you never get too used to winning, because in this sport, you lose more often than you win,” said John, who was first to go against the clock in a six-way jump-off. “Today’s course was tough – only six combinations finished clear out of 70 starters, which is not very many. It was a technical course, which also had to be completed in a short time, which means you have to take risks.

“It’s quite difficult to win from first position, so I had a plan in my mind but I was worried about [second-placed] Max Kuhner because he’s been in top form this year. But it was one of those rounds where everything went to plan; it was smooth, quick and controlled. It’s a nice feeling when it goes to plan!”

When asked if he’d made plans around next year’s Olympic Games in Paris, John said: “I don’t know yet. This year I’m 68 and if someone had told me 10 years ago that I still had the chance to go to the Olympics, I wouldn’t have believed it. So it’s not really in my mind. But if the horse is jumping like today, then anything is possible!”

Prix CWD results

Grand prix glory for Sienna Charles

At the CSI2* grand prix at Chard, Somerset, Sienna Charles topped a mammoth 23-strong jump-off with the 14-year-old gelding Valkiry De Zance. You can read the full report from the show in next week’s magazine, in the shops Thursday 4 May.

Chard grand prix results

The Mexico City LGCT grand prix podium featuring David Will, Malin Baryard-Johnsson and Laura Kraut (Image credit: creditUnknown)

First LGCT grand prix for David Will

German showjumper David Will landed his first Longines Global Champions Tour grand prix in Mexico City aboard My Prins Van Dorperheide. Malin Baryard-Johnsson and H&M Indiana cannoned home for second place, just ahead of US rider Laura Kraut on Baloutinue.

“My horse made it easy for me today, he jumped unbelievable in front of this incredible crowd,” said David, who picked up the series’ third golden ticket for the Super Grand Prix in November. “The horse already deserved to win last week in Miami, but I made a mistake to the last fence in the jump-off so I am thrilled I made up for it today.”

Laura Kraut said her Olympic silver medal-winning partner Baloutinue “is a winner to me.”

“I am very happy there were two women on the podium, that’s important to me for people to realise the women are just as strong as the men,” she said.

Malin now leads the LGCT championship on 99 points, with Maikel van der Vleuten holding onto second with 94 points and Abdel Saïd catapaulting up the rankings to third on 79 points.

LGCT of Mexico City grand prix results

Howley soars to grand prix victory

And finally in this week’s showjumping news, Irish rider Richard Howley landed the Spring MET IV 2023 concluding CSI3* grand prix aboard rising star Consulent De Prelet Z.

“He’s a naturally quick horse, he is very careful so you can really trust him at the jumps,” said Richard, who also won a two-phase this week with the eight-year-old stallion Kolwa . “Consulent was in super shape and it felt like he could give a good result, so we had a go and the jump-off went our way.

“He is a very good horse and I plan to do some big things with him this year.”

William Funnell continued his good form at the show, finishing fifth on Equine America Billy Diamo, having earlier won a speed class with the 10-year-old Equine America Billy Marmite.

MET grand prix results

Scott Brash sets Britain’s World Cup dreams alight

Becky Murray — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 14:04:26 +0000

Scott Brash is keeping Britain’s World Cup dreams alight as he lies in second place behind world champions Henrik Von Eckermann and King Edward.

Last night (5 April) the opening round of the showjumping World Cup final took place in Omaha, USA. 40 starters from 19 nations tackled Bernardo Costa Cabral’s 13-fence track.

Scott Brash and his Tokyo Olympic and World Championships ride Hello Jefferson were seventh to jump and went into the top spot, with a time of 59.23sec. Germany’s Daniel Deusser and Tobago Z looked like they might threaten Scott’s lead, but the pair had to settle for second place. It was last-in Henrik Von Eckermann and King Edward who closed the evening on top, stopping the clock on 59.09sec.

“I’m very happy with Jefferson, I thought he jumped fantastic”, said Scott of the 14-year-old gelding. “He’s amazing, he’s capable of winning anything. I’ve always believed in him and it’s just about things going right on the day. So far, so good.”

“He’s a quick horse but he gets tense so I try to do the round that’s comfortable for him. I was very happy with the first half and then just at the end he got a little bit keen, he lost his relaxation a bit, but he jumped the last good and hopefully we can keep him settled for tomorrow.”

Henrik made use of being the last rider to jump.

“It was an advantage to watch a little bit to see how much risk you really need to take without getting too crazy,” he said.

“I got my plan done. Scott’s horse is completely different so I just did my plan that suited my horse. To the triple bar [fence 6] I could do one less, he did nine, I did eight, so I knew there I’d have a bit of time, and on the other ones I kept the pace going. We did nine to the last when many did 10. These small things meant that I was in front.”

Harry Charles is the only other Brit competing in the showjumping World Cup final; he lies in 17th on Balou du Reventon. Ireland’s Denis Lynch and Brooklyn Heights are in 18th, and Daniel Coyle and Legacy are 25th. Last year’s winner Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei are 22nd, after having two fences down.

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