British team finishes second in first leg of Nations Cup

Britain finished second in the first leg of the inaugural Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in Abu Dhabi last week (20-23 February).

The Brits stood equal fourth at the halfway point, but thanks to three clears from Tina Fletcher (Hello Sailor), Joe Clee (Diablesse De Muze) and Robert Smith (Voila), they finished joint second with the Germans. The Netherlands won.

Unfortunately 19-year-old showjumper Yazmin Pinchen was eliminated twice in her first Nations Cup appearance. Her stallion Van De Vivaldi took great exception to a seemingly straightforward-looking green oxer late in the course and faced elimination in both rounds after two refusals.

The British team will next be seen when the European division one begins in May.

“It was a really good result for the first round — it’s very early days,” said performance manager Rob Hoekstra.

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