The team of Ben Maher<\/a> (Enjeu De Grisien), Adrian Whiteway (Chacco Volo), Jessica Mendoza (Summerhouse) and Georgia Tame (Be Golden) finished on a total of 12 faults, a single pole behind winners Germany, and five faults ahead of Belgium, completing the same team podium<\/a> as at the European Championships<\/a> a week beforehand \u2013 just with the first and third swapping places.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fantastic to be on the podium,\u201d said British Equestrian showjumping performance manager Di Lampard. \u201cIt was close in the end, and we had new riders again; it\u2019s even bigger when they step up in a team for their home Nations Cup, and I couldn\u2019t be more delighted with how they\u2019re progressing.\u201d<\/p>\n Britain had ended round one in third place on eight faults; first and second in respectively, Ben and Adrian had jumped superb clears but Jessica and Summerhouse\u2019s eight for a foot in the water and a rail down had to count as the luck was not with Georgia, who finished on 16. Germany was on a team total of four; dropping Marcus Ehning\u2019s (Priam Du Roset) eight, they had clears from Rene Dittmer (Corsica X) and Marco Kutscher (Catelly), so only had to count Stefan Engbers\u2019 (Baju NRW) four for clipping last element of the triple combination.<\/p>\n
Ireland had also gone into round two on four faults, thanks to clears from David Simpson and his 2023 Hickstead Derby winner Pjotr Van De Kruishoeve<\/a> and Sean Monaghan and Toyger. Cian O\u2019Connor (Canbella Blue PS) and Jordan Coyle (Chaccolino) had a rail each but with one of those the discard score, and Belgium in fourth on nine faults, it was all to play for in round two.<\/p>\n Ever the ultimate horseman, Ben jumped another clear with the super 11-year-old gelding owned by Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright. Adrian, making his five-star Nations Cup debut with Deborah Cox\u2019s big-striding scopey stallion whom he has produced since he was four, came back in flying form but was unlucky to clip the narrow Uffington White Horse vertical for four.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m thrilled,\u201d Adrian said. \u201cI think we were unlucky; we did exactly the same as in the first round, but that\u2019s showjumping, and for our first attempt, I\u2019m over the moon. Ten years ago this show, I went in that ring for the first time and won the winter novice final, last year I scraped into the five-star classes, this year I\u2019m on the team. It\u2019s been a hell of a year.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m pretty level-headed but this is really special; I\u2019ve watched this competition since I was a kid and to be on the team, and not mess it up, is a bit surreal. He\u2019s an incredible horse; I\u2019m so proud of him, happy with the result and so grateful to Deborah for all her support.\u201d<\/p>\n Rene and Stefan had clocked up another clear and four for Germany respectively so Jessica knew she had to go clear. And she and her own 10-year-old gelding came back in top form to jump a faultless round and keep Britain in the mix. There was the brief prospect of a jump-off \u2013 which Jess would have been the one to contest \u2013 as Marco and Catelly again jumped clear for Germany, but although Georgia rode beautifully, the FGH Deckers and RE Deckers-Blom\u2019s 10-year-old looking full of jump and class, she clocked up eight faults to seal second, which meant Marcus Ehning did not have to jump again.<\/p>\n Di paid tribute again to the strength in depth in British showjumping, after two silver medals \u2013 and four riders in the top 12<\/a> \u2013 at the Europeans, and this result a week later.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re steadily getting stronger,\u201d she said. \u201cBen was masterly, Jess came back to jump a fabulous clear and kept us in the hunt, and I couldn\u2019t be more pleased with Adrian. This is encouraging \u2013 the future is looking bright!\u201d<\/p>\n A special moment<\/p>\n German chef d\u2019equipe Otto Becker said the team was delighted.<\/p>\n \u201cBut first I want to thank the Bunn family,\u201d he said. \u201cFor us Germans, Hickstead is always special, and it means a lot to win here.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the most congratulations and thank you to my team. They did an amazing job today, and rode lovely rounds. It\u2019s tough to win here; last week we were third and we were happy with that, but we are more happy to win here today.\u201d<\/p>\n Marco said it had not been the plan to jump Catelly in the Nations Cup, but he had had a bad fall from Aventador S in the opening international class, so swapped rides.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we changed the plan, and I\u2019m very satisfied with my horse,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019d never jumped an open water, so I was a bit doubtful, and now very happy being double clear and winning this Nations Cup with my teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n Belgium added eight to their first-round score to finish on 17; Niels Bruynseels and Origi VD Vosberg jumped the only clear so although the team could drop Annelies Vorsselmans\u2019 (Trezeguet) eight faults, they had to count four apiece for Roy van Beek (Cavoiro) and Frederic Vernaet (Paulus-L). But this was enough for them to climb from fourth to third, as the luck was not with Ireland in round two. Cian and David had two rails each and Sean and Jordan one apiece, which meant a total of 20, and fourth place.<\/p>\n \u201cOur greatest supporters\u201d<\/p>\n Hickstead director Edward Bunn added his congratulations to the German team.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been nine years since they last won here, but they\u2019ve been here for every Nations Cup; they\u2019re our greatest supporters, so it\u2019s good to see them win.<\/p>\n \u201cCongratulations to Kelvin Bywater and Ben Townley on their course; I thought it was a very fair course and produced a great result, and importantly, Vicki Wentworth from Agria for their continued support of this fabulous competition. Without sponsors like Agria, we wouldn\u2019t be able to invest in Hickstead, keep putting money into the facilities and making it one of the best venues in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n You may also be interested in:<\/strong><\/p>\n \t\t\tGreat Britain wins silver at the European Showjumping Championships in Spain. \t\t\tCredit: Peter Nixon\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tCredit: Future\t\t<\/p>\n
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\n<\/p>\n![\"Eleanor](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/eleanor-jones-mug.jepg_-100x100.jpeg\")
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H&H news editor<\/strong>
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\n\t\t\t\tEleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
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