Press release from Longines EEF Series, edited by World of Showjumping

Switzerland will begin the defence of their Longines EEF Series title when the 2026 edition of the competition gets underway with the Region Central qualifier in Mannheim on Sunday. 
 
This year marks the sixth running of the Series which was created by the European Equestrian Federation (EEF) with the aim of helping to bridge the gap between national shows and international events and developing young riders and horses.
 
The Swiss team made history when they lifted the trophy for the first time on home soil in Avenches last September and will be hoping they can repeat the feat again this year. They will face stiff competition from the outset as host nation Germany, who finished third in last year’s final, 2023 champions Austria, and Netherlands, who won one of the 2025 qualifiers, will all be in attendance in Mannheim. As well as hosting the opening leg of this year’s competition, the Reiter-Verein Mannheim Club is also celebrating its 100th anniversary.
 
“We are pleased and proud that we are now - for the fifth consecutive time - the host location of the Longines EEF Nations Cup and that on the 100th anniversary of our club Mannheim is the only Nations Cup in Germany in 2026. This once again underlines the importance of Mannheim on the equestrian map,” said Peter Hofmann, President of the Reiter-Verein Mannheim and event director of the Mannheim Maimarkt Horse Show.

Longines EEF Series Regional Qualifiers

Region Central
CSIO3* Mannheim (GER): 29 April – 5 May 2026
CSIO3* Budapest (HUN): 24 – 28 June 2026

Region West
CSIO3* Lier (BEL): 6 – 10 May 2026
CSIO3* Deauville (FRA): 3 – 7 June 2026

Region South
CSIO3* Scuderia La Caccia (ITA): 13 – 17 May 2026
CSIO3* Thessaloniki (GRE): 3 – 7 June 2026

Region North
CSIO3* Martofte (DEN): 20 – 24 May 2026
CSIO3* Drammen (NOR): 10 – 14 June 2026

Semi-Finals:
CSIO3* Regions West - North - Peelbergen (NED): 2 – 5 July 2026
CSIO3* Regions South - Central - Bratislava (SVK): 8 – 12 July 2026

Final:
CSIO4* Longines EEF Series Final - Avenches (SUI): 3 – 6 September 2026

One of those to have benefitted from the experience and exposure that the Longines EEF Series was designed to provide is Germany's Sophie Hinners. The now 28-year-old, who honed her skills at CSIO3* level through the Series and won her first senior medal at the 2025 European Championships in Spain when Germany took team bronze, is set to represent her nation once again in Mannheim. Joining Sophie in the team are Hannes Ahlmann and Gerrit Nieberg and eventing legends Michael Jung and Sandra Auffarth.
 
“The event in Mannheim is a very special and traditional tournament,” said Sophie. “You realise that the event is organised by horse people and they all do it with real heart blood. The spectators are standing and sitting very close and if you enter the arena it is a very special feeling. Last year our German team won the Nations Cup and I was the starter in the jump-off. If we could repeat our victory that would be great! I plan to ride my gelding Event de L’Heribu. He has a lot of quality and is in a super shape.”
 
The Region Central qualifier in Mannheim, which takes place on Sunday 3 May, is the first of eight regional qualifiers that take place during May and June. There are four regions in the competition and each one hosts two qualifiers.
 
The best placed teams from the qualifiers go forward to the two semi-finals while the top five eligible teams from each semi-final progress to the final. The qualifiers and semi-finals are held at CSIO3* level.
 
Each competition follows the same format. Teams of four will compete over two rounds on identical courses under Table A against the clock format with the best three scores from each round counting toward the team total. In case of a tie after both rounds, one rider per team contests a jump-off to determine the winning team.
 
The final, which runs at CSIO4* level, will take place for the second consecutive year at the National Equestrian Institute of Avenches (IENA) in Switzerland on Sunday 6 September. The host nation can potentially contest the final as the 11th team if they attempted qualification.
 
IENA have secured the final through 2027 which means the title decider will take place in central Europe at an established venue well-known for its high standard and excellent facilities for at least the next two years. 
 
“I think with the short time and with the help of some great people, we managed to make an amazing show,” said event director Edwin Smits. “The public was there in big numbers for the finals, so we were extremely happy. We had optimal conditions with the ground, everything worked out fantastic, and it was a really worthy final. I'm looking forward to this year's finals. Last year we were lucky with the weather, so hopefully this year we are also get what we deserve - great riders, great sport and we are looking forward to getting it done again this year the same way.”
 
Last year’s competition came to an exhilarating close when Switzerland pipped France to the title in a nail-biting jump-off in front of their home crowd. Young rider Gaëtan Joliat was the hero after he piloted Olivier De Coulon’s Chelsea Z to a jump-off round which was over a second quicker than Frances’s Sara Brionne and Grand Duc Du Paradiso to clinch victory for the Swiss.