Joe Stockdale banks his first 5* Grand Prix win in the feature 5* Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi with Ebanking
Tuesday 13 January 2026
Joe Stockdale landed the top prize in Abu Dhabi with his mother Laura and Barbara Hester’s Ebanking to record the first 5* Grand Prix win for both horse and rider.
“He’s been knocking on the door for a good result, it was good to get the box ticked winning his first five-star Grand Prix,” said Joe.
Forty-one riders came forward in the President’s Cup UAE Showjumping Grand Prix presented by Longines but only five mastered the 1.60m course to advance to the jump-off.
“The course was well designed but tricky with the emphasis on technicalities and carefulness; the second but last line of water tray to double caught out half the class,” explained Joe.
A clear was yet to be recorded when Joe entered the arena midway in the third draw and, although he finished slightly outside the times recorded by the previous two riders, he posted that all-important clear round on the Etoulon x VDL Sheraton 12-year-old stallion. It earned victory with the sole double clear.
“I tried to keep trim enough to put pressure on and took a couple of risks, but not to risk having a fence down. I left a little bit out there knowing it could be beaten, but that tricky line was kept in the jump-off so I didn’t think there’d be too many clears. Ebanking has been unlucky and just missed out on a win a few times, he really deserved this,” said Joe.
Joe also picked up second in the 42-entry 5* 1.50m speed aboard Laska JDV, the Gasphar x Namelus R 10-year-old finishing 1.07 seconds behind the winner, Belgium’s Abdel Said on Arpege Du Ru.
It was a show of firsts for British riders as Sandy McLean recorded his first five-star win in the world ranking 1.50m with Calixte Heartbreaker Z.
“it’s definitely a night I won’t forget in a long time, and I owe Breen Equestrian and Team Z7 a massive thank you for these opportunities,” he said.
Sixteen of 33 starters provided initial clears to return for a competitive jump-off. Sandy was not daunted and guided Breen Equestrian and Annabel Vere Nicoll’s 10-year-old Cicero Z Van Paemel x Heartbreaker mare – bred by Georgia Wells at Weston Lawns Stud – into a 0.13 second win over Sweden’s Henrik Von Eckermann with Qasirah Van De Reistenstock.
The pair had taken second in the 43-strong 5* 1.45m two-phase 24 hours earlier with 1.65 seconds to spare.
Sandy was on form in the Seven-year-old classes on the For Pleasure x Voltaire stallion Z7 for T, heading the first 32-horse 1.25m two-phase by only 0.04 seconds and finishing second in a 12-horse decider 24 hours later 0.23 seconds off the pace.
Katie Speller dominated the Six-year-old series, claiming the top two places in day one’s 1.20m two-phase with BE Ballantine (Golden Hawk x Balloon) and Z7 Leela (Z7 Dubai Castlefield x Obos Quality), 1,41 seconds separating the two. Katie picked up first and third on day two in a six-strong jump-off, winning by more than four seconds on Z7 Leela and taking third with BE Ballantine.
Scott Brash conjures up a winning Grand Prix double in Doha
Scott Brash saved the best until last and doubled his efforts in Doha to claim a magnificent Grand Prix double for a final day payday, winning the 5* Grand Prix on Hello Jefferson while Hello Chadora Lady topped the 3* Grand Prix.
It was close the in the feature 5* Grand Prix at the H.H. Father Amir’s Prix in Al Shaqab as 38 riders battled it out over course-designer Bernardo Costa Cabral’s (POR) 13-fence, 16-effort 1.60m track. Nine posted initial clears, Harry Charles considered unlucky with one time fault to be denied a jump-off place with last week’s winner, Casquo Blue, but his wife Eve Jobs (USA) was in with a shout and claimed a podium place in third on Canto Bruno.
Second on Hello Folie seven days earlier, Scott relied on his 17-year-old seasoned campaigner Jefferson (Cooper Van De Heffinck x Irco Mena), owned by Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham, and used his penultimate draw to claim the lead and victory by 0.12 seconds.
“He’s incredible, he’s now 17 but feels like a young horse; he loves jumping and always jumps good in the big arena at Doha, I’m delighted how he’s feeling,” said Scott. “I didn’t get the perfect jump-off, after number one he came round the island and spooked at it so I had to take one more stride before the vertical and one more stride to the next [fence] so I knew I was a little bit down on the clock but I managed to make it up to the last, and he jumped fantastic.”
Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham’s Hello Chadora Lady was in flying mode in to take the 3* Grand Prix for Scott. The 12-fence, 15-effort 1.50m course reduced the 47 starters to 16 for the jump-off, although one withdrew at this point to leave 15 against the clock. Scott again dominated as the quickest of the 10 double clears, easing the 13-year-old Chacco-Blue x Nintender mare into a 1.15 second win.
Harry scored a win in the world ranking 5* 1.50m two-phase with Bandit, the Obos Quality 004 x Cruisings Micky Finn 11-year-old outpacing their 21 rivals by 0.31 seconds. Fellow Brit Millie Allen came the closest to take second aboard Quick Diamant HR.
Millie claimed her own win in the 31-horse 5* 1.45m speed, the Diamant De Semilly x Quidam De Revel 10-year-old mare claiming 0.10 seconds over second-placed Eve Jobs on Kannandillo.
Sam Hutton takes a win in The USA
Sam Hutton claimed victory in the 3* 1.45m in Ocala, USA, with Etincelle D’Ellipse.
Nine competitors contended the jump-off in this Winning Round competition with Sam edging ahead on AS Farms USA Inc’s 12-year-old Apache D’Adriers x Galoubet A mare to win by 0.06 seconds.
Image: Erika Rasmussen
