Great Britain Reclaims Nations Cup Trophy From Germany at Hickstead

Great Britain has reclaimed the Edward, Prince of Wales Trophy, delivering a masterclass in pressure-cooker showjumping to win the 2026 Agria Nations Cup at Hickstead. Anchored by a flawless final ride from Olympic champion Ben Maher, the host nation finished the two-round CSIO5* competition on a total of eight faults, comfortably ahead of runner-up Ireland. The victory marks a triumphant return to form for the British squad on home soil, securing their third Nations Cup title in West Sussex in the past four years.[1][2]

The win carries special weight for the British team, who were eager to avenge last year's narrow defeat. In 2025, a formidable German squad played spoiler, snapping Great Britain's back-to-back winning streak and taking the trophy across the Channel. This year, under the strategic guidance of chef d'équipe Di Lampard, the quartet of Jessica Mendoza, Tim Gredley, Adrian Whiteway, and Ben Maher left nothing to chance, leading the eight-nation field from the opening round to the final buzzer.[3][4]

The foundations of the British victory were laid early on Friday afternoon. Pathfinder Jessica Mendoza, riding Summerhouse, set a confident tone with a clear opening round. Tim Gredley followed suit aboard his veteran campaigner Medoc De Toxandria, navigating the challenging Hickstead turf without a penalty. While Ben Maher and his new mount Catelly picked up four faults at the open water jump, and Adrian Whiteway's 16-fault round on Chacco Volo was discarded as the drop score, Great Britain reached the halfway mark in pole position with just four faults.[2][4]

Behind them, the leaderboard was tightly packed, leaving no room for complacency. Brazil sat in second place on eight faults, while Ireland and the United Arab Emirates were tied for third on 12. Canada, making their first appearance at the Hickstead Nations Cup in 44 years, hovered on 16 faults, just ahead of the defending champions, Germany, on 17. The demanding course took its toll on the rest of the field, with European heavyweights Belgium and France accumulating 21 and 24 faults respectively, failing to qualify for the second round.[4][5]

As the afternoon shadows lengthened, the pressure mounted in the second round. Mendoza clipped a rail to add four faults to the British tally, and Whiteway incurred eight, meaning the hosts desperately needed clear rounds to keep the surging Irish team at bay. Cometh the hour, cometh Tim Gredley. The veteran rider, who was part of the winning British teams in both 2023 and 2024, delivered a spectacular double clear—one of only two in the entire competition—to steady the ship and keep Britain's destiny in their own hands.[1][2]

Ireland, however, refused to quietly concede. Their anchorman, Conor Swail, entered the arena aboard Clonterm Obolensky knowing his team needed perfection to stay in the hunt. Swail delivered the day's second double clear, capping off a resilient Irish fightback that left them on a final total of 16 faults. The math was suddenly brutally simple for Great Britain: Ben Maher, the final rider of the day, could afford a single rail down, but any more would force a jump-off against the energized Irish squad.[1][5]

Maher, a three-time Olympic champion accustomed to the intense pressure of the anchor role, did not flinch. Though he typically rides as the pathfinder for the British team, Lampard's tactical decision to move him to the final slot paid massive dividends. Guiding Catelly with precision, Maher cleared every obstacle flawlessly, crossing the finish line to a roar from the home crowd and sealing the victory with an eight-fault team total.[1][5]

"Typically, I'm the first rider on the team, but today I was switched to ride last," Maher reflected after the trophy presentation. "It was a different position and there was certainly pressure, but it was fantastic to finish it off for this amazing team. Catelly jumped incredibly." Gredley, maintaining his perfect Hickstead record, echoed the sentiment: "Hickstead is the Holy Grail for me. I love jumping here. To come here, produce a double clear and win with the team is brilliant."[4][5]

While the British celebrated, it was a sobering afternoon for the defending champions. Germany struggled to find their rhythm on the West Sussex turf, ultimately slipping to sixth place. Despite a brilliant clear round from Philipp Weishaupt on Lady Concern du Rezidal, uncharacteristic errors from teammates Hans-Dieter Dreher, Marcus Ehning, and Kendra Claricia Brinkop left the 2025 winners out of contention early on, serving as a stark reminder of the sport's razor-thin margins.[6]

The final standings saw Canada, Brazil, and the UAE all tie on 24 faults, with Canada clinching third place on time—a remarkable podium finish after a four-decade absence. For Great Britain, the triumph provides a massive injection of confidence as the global equestrian calendar turns toward the upcoming FEI World Jumping Championships in Aachen. As Hickstead Director Edward Bunn quipped during the celebrations, "Football doesn't need to come home because showjumping definitely has!"[2][3]