Great Britain’s Team Audevard seize victory in the BMO Nations’ Cup for the first time in three decades on British Day at the 50th anniversary year of the Spruce Meadows Masters
Sunday 07 September 2025
Great Britain’s Team Audevard powered their way to the top of the podium in Saturday night’s feature BMO Nations’ Cup of Spruce Meadows on British Day to record a magnificent zero score and ending a 29-year drought of BMO Nations’ Cup wins for the British team. It couldn’t have played out better as VIP visitor HRH Sophie, The Duchess of Edinburgh was in attendance throughout.
“The spirit of this team is second to none, it’s come together so well this year. Three members of this team are the European silver medallists. And we’ve been building, building, but to have the win here, I’m so proud of them all.” Chef d’Equipe Di Lampard on her team winning the BMO Nations’ Cup.
The quartet were a dominant force throughout the 11-team competition, and they pulled off a zero score for the two rounds in the beautiful, vast green International Arena. But it was tight at the top – one error would have put them in a jump-off situation with Germany and The USA.
Never one to give anything away with his courses, Leopoldo Palacios (VEN) was at his brilliant best on his 12-fence, 15-effort track, demanding bravery and scope alongside rideability in his technically testing questions and a heartbreaker final fence approached on the angle.
Matt Sampson was first out for Team Audevard and Rachel Evison’s 16-year-old Clinton daughter Ebolensky was clearing the fences with effortless enthusiasm, but an unfortunate foot in the water as the mare jumped high and a tap at the back rail of the penultimate oxer put them on an undeserved eight faults.
Ben Maher gave his usual, flawless masterclass round on Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright’s Enjeu De Grisien, the 11-year-old showing power, scope and elasticity, giving every fence air to spare to come home clear.
Joe Stockdale followed suit with a clear round on Barbara Hester and Laura Stockdale’s 11-year-old Etoulon VDL stallion Ebanking, and Britain was just outside the leaders with one more rider rotation to go. However, Germany had already supplied three clears to sit on a zero score without Richard Vogel needing to start. The halfway stage score all depended on Donald Whitaker.
Donald pulled it off. He had to contain Reitsportanlage Dagobertshausen GmbH & CO.KG’s bold and exuberant Cornet Obolensky 12-year-old Millfield Colette, but they came home as the fastest clear of the class.
Team Audevard stood at the top of the leaderboard with Germany after round one, but The USA and Ireland were only one fence behind. It was still all to do as six teams advanced to round two.
Matt and Ebolensky were negotiating the track well and cleared the open water this time but fell foul on the last two elements of the combination to again come home on eight faults. Nonetheless, Germany’s counterpart Christan Kukuk returned on four faults as the two countries vied each other round for round.
It was Great Britain’s day and Matt’s Audevard teammates delivered, Ben and Joe posting superb clear rounds. Again, the pressure was on Donald Whitaker’s shoulders. Germany’s Richard Vogel, looking superbly calm throughout his round until Cloudio tipped the front rail of the final fence. Britain needed a clear to win.
Donald rode the round of his life, focusing on the course but allowing his mare her natural flair and enthusiasm, while is teammates stood taut and tense on the ‘Kiss ‘n Cry, jumping every fence with him. And he sealed the deal for a fairytale finish, punching the air with delight as the galloped through the finish. A magnificent win for Team Audevard’s Great Britain, basking in the limelight of victory 30 years in the making.
“It’s something you always dream of doing at Spruce Meadows, last to go and win it,” said Donald.
Ben Maher: “It’s British Day and I’ve been here many times and not managed to be sitting here. What an incredible day. We had to open the horses up early on and I think a key thing was, after the Canadian plank, slow down a little bit. And then the last fence just to hold the line a little bit. Richard went a little on the inside, it was easy to lose the line.”
“It’s the show that back home everyone’s watching,” said Joe Stockdale. “There’s so much hype around it, it’s great it’s worked out. It did ride how we planned, it was asking questions all over and it wasn’t finished until you went through the finish, so a good course.”
Matt Sampson explained: “It did ride quite as expected. The mistake I made in the first round is I did nine strides to the water jump. When we rode it, the nine was too short. Apart from that, there weren’t any killer jumps that took riders out. It started out quite long then quite a bit shorter. It was a great course.”
“It’s never over until they’re through the finish, but I was confident. Donald has been in this position before for us this year and he’s made progress throughout the year. Finally, we came together and did it!” said Di Lampard.
BMO Nations’ Cup 1.60m – 6 September – Spruce Meadows Masters
1st GREAT BRITAIN – 0 233.16 sec
Matthew Sampson & Ebolensky – (8) / (8)
Ben Maher & Enjeu De Grisien – 0 / 0
Joseph Stockdale & Ebanking – 0 / 0
Donald Whitaker & Millfield Colette – 0 / 0
2nd GERMANY – 4 232.56 sec
3rd USA – 4 234.34
Image: Spruce Meadows Media Mike Sturk
