Press release from FEI, edited by World of Showjumping

It was a showdown to remember as the penultimate qualifying leg of the Longines League of Nations™ took place on Friday at CHIO Rotterdam (NED), staged in the historic Kralingse Bos. With the advantage swinging between nations and pressure mounting with every round, the competition delivered a rollercoaster of emotions culminating in a thrilling three-way jump-off between Great Britain, the United States of America and Switzerland.

Ultimately, it was Di Lampard’s quartet of Harry Charles with LT Holst Freda (Colman x Casall), Ben Maher with Catelly (Catalido x Ephebe for Ever), Sienna Charles with Chawton (Typhoon S x Caletto II) and Jessica Mendoza with Summerhouse (Guidam Sohn x Indoctro) who took top honours, with Charles and LT Holst Freda delivering the decisive jump-off clear in 31.18 seconds.

All three jump-off combinations left the fences standing, but Charles’ time proved just enough to edge Great Britain ahead of Team USA’s Marilyn Little and La Contessa (License x Cornet’s Prinz), who crossed the line clear in 31.25 seconds, while Jason Smith and Picobello van’t Roosakker (Kassander van’T Roosakker x Canabis Z) completed for Team Switzerland with another clear in 31.64 seconds.

For Lampard, the result reflected not only the strength of her team but also the quality of a competition that built to such a thrilling conclusion. “I’ve every confidence in this squad that we keep rotating, and we’ve got a great team here,” she said. “I think it was a wonderful day of sport and a fantastic course that was fair to the horses as well. To finish with three teams in the jump-off. Wow.”

Course designer Bart Vonck (BEL) built a superb 12-fence, 15-effort track that tested combinations from start to finish. The day opened promisingly when pathfinder Karl Cook (USA) and Caracole de La Roque (Zandor x Kannan) produced a foot-perfect clear, but the pressure of the format soon began to show. Across the two rounds, every fence except the opening obstacle fell at least once, underlining the precision required around a course that asked questions from the outset and rewarded those who found the answers.

The first round suggested the Dutch side might be ready to repeat their Rotterdam success of last season. In front of Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands and a vocal home crowd, the defending champions looked well placed leading the charge, while Switzerland were also firmly in contention. At the halfway point, both the Netherlands and Switzerland were on zero faults, with the battle for the top eight already tight behind them.

But round two is where the Longines League of Nations™ format truly proved influential. Only the best eight nations returned, and with France and Germany missing the cut after disappointing round one totals, the door opened for a dramatic reshuffle.

With no discard score, the pressure tightened and the leaderboard shifted rapidly as early contenders began to collect penalties, while others climbed back into contention. By the time the third-line athletes had completed, Great Britain, the USA and Switzerland were locked together on eight faults, forcing a jump-off for victory. 

Charles and his new partner LT Holst Freda were first to go against the clock, with the combination tested under these conditions for the first time in only their third show together. Charles made the most of the mare’s scope and honesty, attacking from the opening fence, keeping the turns tight and stopping the clock in what proved to be an unbeatable 31.18 seconds.

Little and La Contessa gave everything for the USA, finishing just 0.07 seconds behind, while Switzerland’s Smith and Picobello van’t Roosakker could not match the British time.

“You know, that’s the great thing about this format. We were on the cut line at round one, and everyone rallied together, and we managed to get ourselves into a jump-off,” explained Charles.

The victory carried added meaning for Charles, who shared the podium with his sister Sienna while also marking a major early milestone with his brand-new mare. “All credit to my teammates and my incredible horse, Freda. To walk into an atmosphere like that is so impressive. I’m very proud of her and I’m so lucky to have her.”

Great Britain’s victory also came with a strong family connection. Harry and Sienna Charles were both part of the winning team, continuing a British Jumping legacy shaped by their father, Peter Charles, who won team gold for Great Britain alongside Ben Maher at the London 2012 Olympic Games. In Rotterdam, with their father in attendance and watching on, the Charles siblings stood on top of the podium with his former Olympic teammate, adding another major British win to the history books.

The result also moves Great Britain one step closer to defending their Longines League of Nations™ Final title in Barcelona (ESP) in October, with only one more qualifier left to decide the top eight teams.

Germany still lead the Longines League of Nations™ standings on 230 points, with Great Britain now second on 225 points following their Rotterdam victory, while Ireland remain third on 205 points.

The series now moves to St Tropez-Gassin (FRA) in September for the fourth and final qualifying leg.