No Products in the Cart
Every week in showjumping writes its own theater, and this one was brimming with emotion from a three-decade drought broken in Calgary to a 20-year-old sealing national glory at home. These are the moments that made me lean forward, cheer out loud, and remember why I love this sport.
My favorite classes this week:
There are victories, and then there are moments that feel like history catching up with itself. At Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ in Calgary, Team Great Britain Matthew Sampson (GBR), Ben Maher (GBR), Joseph Stockdale (GBR), and Donald Whitaker (GBR) ended a 29-year drought by winning the $441,200 BMO Nations’ Cup CSIO5*. The International Ring, already legendary for its atmosphere, roared as the Duchess of Edinburgh looked on and the Union Jack rose once again in triumph. Germany and the United States pushed them hard, both finishing just a rail behind, but Britain’s zero scoreline across two tense rounds left no doubt. The weight of nearly three decades lifted in that instant, leaving riders and fans alike visibly emotional. For me, it wasn’t just about Britain’s return to the top step, it was the look of pride on the riders’ faces and the release of a nation’s pent-up anticipation. It was pure Nations’ Cup magic.
Official Results
Not far behind in drama was the Longines EEF Series Nations Cup Final in Avenches, Switzerland. The home team carried the weight of expectation into a showdown that could hardly have been scripted better. After two full rounds, Switzerland and France were tied, sending the title to a jump-off. Just 20 years old, Gaëtan Joliat (SUI), with Chelsea Z, was thrust into the pressure cooker. His clear, ice-cool round delivered Switzerland the win and ignited the crowd into deafening celebration. Italy, three-time winners of the series, never found their rhythm this year and placed seventh, underscoring the magnitude of Switzerland’s breakthrough. What struck me most was the youth of Joliat stepping into a global spotlight in front of home fans, handling the kind of pressure that usually buckles seasoned veterans. The air in the IENA arena was electric, every Swiss rail cleared, sending tremors through the stands. It was one of those rare victories where national pride and youthful nerve met in perfect balance.
Official Results
Of course, another highlight for me was Nina Mallevaey (FRA) and her mare My Clementine claiming the $116,050 Tourmaline Oil Cup CSIO5* at Spruce Meadows. What made this class unforgettable was its brutality: Leopoldo Palacios’s 1.60m course left even the most decorated names adding faults. In the end, Mallevaey was the only rider to leave all the rails in the cups a solitary clear that seemed to stun even her. Andreas Schou (DEN) and Willem Greve (NED) followed with time faults, but it was the French rider’s perfect composure that carried the day. Watching her guide My Clementine through those towering fences without a single mistake felt like seeing someone carve their name into Spruce Meadows history. There’s something chilling in the hush of the crowd as each fence falls for others, only to erupt when one rider defies the odds. Mallevaey’s season has already been extraordinary, but this win burned brightest for its sheer defiance of difficulty.
Official Results
Back in the U.S., the $125,000 Core Specialty Insurance Grand Prix CSI3* at HITS Hudson Valley became a masterclass in pressure riding. Kent Farrington (USA), currently ranked World #1, delivered exactly what you’d hope from a rider carrying that title. Paired with Grass de Mars, he found himself in a five-horse jump-off against a sharp field. Irish challenger Philip McGuane (IRL) and Orphea HQ stopped the clock in 39.20 seconds, daring anyone to go faster. Farrington answered with a 39.14-second sprint, winning by a whisker, just six one-hundredths. The atmosphere was electric, the kind of gasps and groans that ripple through a crowd when margins are that razor-thin. For me, the thrill wasn’t only the speed, but the confirmation: the World #1 showed why he wears that crown. It was an emphatic reminder that excellence under pressure isn’t just a title, it’s a skill, and Farrington has it in spades.
Official Results
Finally, the story that tugged hardest at me came in Traverse City at the $32,000 GGT Footing Welcome CSI3*. Hunter Holloway (USA) and her beloved mare Pepita Con Spita returned to the winner’s circle after a long battle with injury. Against a quality field, the pair faced Callie Schott (USA) and Uricas v/d Kattevennen in a jump-off decided by the barest sliver of time, 0.05 seconds. The gasp from the crowd as Holloway’s time flashed on the board said it all. What resonated most was not the razor-thin margin alone, but the comeback arc: a partnership that once lit up international rings, finding their rhythm again after months of uncertainty. These are the victories that remind us why we follow the sport not just for the prestige, but for the stories of resilience, patience, and sheer joy when horse and rider finally get their moment again.
Official Results
What stays with me from this week isn’t just the trophies, but the faces. Whitaker and Maher with pride written across them in Calgary, Joliat with nerves of steel beyond his years in Avenches, Mallevaey’s stunned smile in the International Ring, Farrington’s clenched fist after six-hundredths, and Holloway’s emotional reunion with Pepita Con Spita. It was a week of comebacks, breakthroughs, and history rewritten, the kind that makes showjumping more than sport, but a story we live together.
