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Brash is better than ever in Paris and a fiery mare with a ‘humungous heart’ scores on tough US debut

Jennifer Donald Jennifer Donald

    • In another busy week of international showjumping, two brilliant mares took centre stage. Go girls!

    First up, globetrotting Millfield Colette made her USA debut a winning one in the five-star Longines League of Nations show in Ocala Florida, with a brilliant ride from British showjumper Donald Whitaker. Then on Sunday, Scott Brash was back at his brilliant best, winning the prestigious Hermès grand prix in Paris with 13-year-old Hello Chadora Lady.

    Read on for this week’s international showjumping results and news round-up.

    International showjumping results: a sensational sixth grand prix for Brash

    The world number one rider, Scott Brash, celebrated an outstanding sixth international grand prix victory of 2026 with the Frankel-esque Hello Chadora Lady in Paris.

    Emerging from a turbulent few weeks involving his horses returning to Europe from Doha, Qatar, after the start of the Middle East conflict, Scott contested last week’s Dutch Masters before arriving in France for the prestigious Saut Hermès. He left €120,000 (£104,000) richer thanks to a scorching victory in Sunday’s Hermès grand prix.

    “Chadora was exceptional,” said Scott, who pivoted round this stunning glass-roofed venue at exceptional speed with the mare owned by Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham to win by more than a second.

    There was a dead heat for second between Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs with Conner Jei and Dutch rider Harrie Smolders riding Mr Tac, the horse who won this class three years ago with Victor Bettendorf.

    “It was a pretty unique course by Santiago Varela, as well as being respectful of the horse,” said Scott, who had racked up an outstanding five grand prix wins in Doha, one with Hello Chadora Lady in January. He also partnered this daughter of Chacco-Blue to win the Rolex IJRC top 10 final in Geneva in December.

    There was further British success when Olivia Sponer (Kockie W) and Claudia Moore (Lover Boy SVO) partnered up to win the Les Talents Hermès team competition for under-25 riders.

    Donald Whitaker headlines this week's nternational showjumping results by winning a five-star with Millfield Colette on their USA debut in Ocala, Florida.

    Donald Whitaker and Millfield Colette win on their USA debut in Ocala, Florida.

    Impressive Longines League of Nations performance

    Germany won the second leg of the Longines League of Nations. Competing at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, USA, the squad beat Ireland and Belgium to top the podium.

    “I had a smile on my face when I jumped these two rounds,” said German team rider Christian Kukuk, who jumped double clear with his Olympic gold medal-winning partner Checker 47. The German team incurred just four faults across two rounds of jumping, one fence ahead of Ireland.

    Great Britain finished fourth; Jess Mendoza (In The Air), Joe Stockdale (Ebanking), Jack Whitaker (Jack JL) and Donald Whitaker (Millfield Colette) were flying the British flag this time.

    “I’m happy, it was a good result, we were just a bit unlucky in places,” said chef d’equipe Di Lampard.

    Making their debut on US soil, Donald and Millfield Colette won the $63,000 Wheels Up grand prix qualifier on the opening day of the show.

    “I did think it was tough enough,” said Donald. “It took a bit of jumping with a lot of related distances and a lot of choices to be made. It was quite strong for the first day. She’s naturally fast, so sometimes the problem is that you end up going too fast because she’s trying to win, and I’m actually trying to slow it down and do the nicest round I can.

    “She’s very fiery. She’s a bit of a typical mare in a way. She likes to have people around her, but she likes to boss them around as well. She has a humongous heart. Like today, going in that ring, she just grows. You feel it the second you start trotting; her head comes up, and she can’t wait to get going. She’s incredible.”

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    Jennifer Donald
    Jennifer Donald

    H&H showjumping editor
    Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
    Jennifer Donald

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