Text © World of Showjumping

Five-star action at the 2026-edition of Gothenburg Horse Show in Sweden kicked off on Thursday with a win for Great Britain’s Robert Whitaker and the 13-year-old stallion Equine America Vermento (Argento x Skippy) in the CSI5*-W 1.50m Prize of AJ Produkter.

With a time of 34.94 in a jump-off of nine, Whitaker took the top honours ahead of the host nation’s Thomas Ryan and Jezebeau BC (Thunder vd Zuuthoeve x Vancouver d’Auvray) in second in 35.73. Eiken Sato (JPN) with Campai 3 (Chacco-Blue x Landcapitol) placed third when stopping the clock on 38.94, while Wilma Hellström (SWE) on Eleven (Coltaire Z x Divin du Murier) finished fourth with a time of 40.04.

“There weren't many clears today and my dad John warned me about fence number four, so I was a little cautious there,” Robert Whitaker said in a press release from Gothenburg Horse Show. “Vermento is a versatile horse that is suitable for both outdoors and indoors. He is a lovely horse.”

A fence down in a time of 35.79 left Jodie Hall McAteer (GBR) and Key West (Otangelo x Phin Phin) to fifth in the end.