Another win for Nick Skelton and Big Star in Florida

Nick Skelton and Big Star have once again topped the class in Florida – winning the $32,000 ( £20,000) Suncast 1.50m championship jumper classic.

The pair won on Sunday (26 February) during the seventh week of the Winter Equestrian Festival at Palm Beach, which runs until 1 April.

There were 54 entries in the class but Nick and Big Star, owned by Beverley Widdowson, came out in front after an 11-horse jump-off.

Second place went to fellow Brit Ben Maher, on Quiet Easy 4. Ben and Quiet Easy 4 finished in 34.39s but Nick and Big Star nipped ahead in 33.29s.

“I know Big Star’s quick,” said Nick. “When you let him go, he can go! He has a big stride and in a big ring like that you can go.

“The course was quite a running course in the jump-off, so it was easy to let him go. He still keeps his shape, even if he’s going quickly.”

He added that Big Star, known as “Henry”, is a “sweet horse and well-behaved”.

“You wouldn’t know he was a stallion. He has a really good temperament,” he said. “You can stand him with the mares and everything. He’s not a noisy stallion. He nearly neighs every time he goes in the ring. I don’t know why, but that’s the only noise he makes.”

Nick and Big Star previously won the $80,000 ( £50,00) Adequan CSI** grand prix on 4 February.

The pair are now due to compete in the $75,000 ( £48,000) FEI Nations Cup on Friday (2 March) night. It will be Big Star’s first Nations Cup competition.

For a full report see Thursday’s issue of H&H (1 March).

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