Britain takes Royal Chase

Britain got off to an exceptional start at the Royal International Horse Show this morning with a win in the Royal International Chase, the first international class of the show.

Partnering Thesaura, Mark Armstrong jumped effortlessly around the first phase of the course and went on to complete the second phase clear in a time of 40.55 sec.

The Royal International Chase is the first international competition of the show and offers a £6,000 prize pot. As lightening struck the Hickstead electricity circuit and rain poured onto the international arena, a line-up of 48 world class riders tackled the first phase of the course, only attempting the second phase if they had gone clear within the time allowed.

Thankfully the rain was short lived but only 17 riders made it onto the second part of the course and just nine of them jumped clear. Christine McCrea (Vegas), from the USA took the early lead but was later trumped by Mark Armstrong whose time was a split second faster. France’s Roger-Yves Bost (Ideal de la Loge) finished in third place with Britain’s Robert Smith (Ronaldo) in fourth.

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