Tim Gredley and Joe Stockdale conquer a difficult course to claim 5* Grand Prix podium places in Abu Dhabi
Monday 16 February 2026
British riders filled two of the top three places in the Emirates Jumping Cup presented by Longines in Abu Dhabi as Tim Gredley and Joe Stockdale proved consistent over the challenging two-round competition.
German course-designer Frank Rothenberger set a tough and challenging 1.60m track of 14-fences where the tight time allowed dominated the competition and 20 of the 50 riders retired. The top 13 riders returned for round two under the 25% rule in reverse order of merit, five riders carrying time faults joined by six on four faults apiece as only two initial clear rounds were produced.
“It was a big, difficult track with a tight time, but at least the time was consistent in the jump-off – no-one could go for a slow clear to win! The horses jumped fantastic in the heat that we have experienced this week out here,” said Showjumping Performance manager Di Lampard.
Tim, however, looked favourably on the course.
“Fortunately, with Medoc, the bigger and tougher it is, the happier I am; big jumping suits him and you always know with Frank [Rothenberger] you will get a proper test, and so it should be,” he said.
Drawn midway, Joe with his mother Laura and Barbara Hester’s 12-year-old stallion Ebanking (Etoulon x VDL Sheraton) made no such mistake second time out, their clear added to round one’s three time faults to take a temporary lead.
Nonetheless, Tim immediately relegated the pair with Medoc De Toxandria. Carrying two time faults from round one, he guided Unex Competition Yard Ltd and Rachel and Bill Gredley’s Der Senaat 14-year-old into a flawless round, also recording a quicker time. However, the podium place was filled with mixed emotions.
“I was second here last year with Imperial HBF [later sold to McLain Ward] and it was sad to learn he passed away last week – he was such a special horse, and one McLain was quoted as saying ‘one of the best he’d ever ridden’,” said Tim, who was nevertheless delighted with Medoc.
“He was unlucky in the Nations Cup with four faults in each round, but it put him right for the Grand Prix. He had a break after London Excel [London International Horse Show] and came back a better horse, and he’s enjoyed having the heat on his back out here in Abu Dhabi. The horses soon get used to the change in weather and return fitter and healthier, and he’s such a reliable horse – there are no chinks in his armour,” said Tim.
“He’s been a great sounding board as I produce the youngsters coming up. Being so reliable, he allowed me the to produce Imperial the right way without rushing, and now he [Medoc] is such a great horse, he’s done two championships, one last year with Matt Sampson. He’s 14 now but he feels amazing and if I make a good plan, he still has a few years and classes ahead of him.”
Two on one time fault each faulted second time out to drop down the line, but Brazil’s Luciana Diniz – also on one time fault – remained cool and composed to come home clear on Vertigo Du Desert, albeit in a slower time than the two Brits. When the two initial clears faulted, victory was handed to Luciana with Tim second and Joe third on the podium.
Tim is now a great advocate of the concept of the Longines League of Nations.
“It’s a very good format and the facilities at the venues are very good. Not everyone [spectators] understand the drop score format, and although this runs in the first round, the second round with only three riders and no drop score makes it much more exciting and, as competitors, it keeps everyone motivated. It is a positive step in the right direction.”
Katie Speller secured victory in the 2* Grand Prix with Z7 Pink Panther, the Cuick Star Kervec x Obos Quality eight-year-old she has produced from a novice. Eight of the original 41 entries jumped clear over the 13-fence, 16-effort 1.45m course to contend the jump-off, Katie commanding the win from the front with 0.63 seconds in hand.
Jack Whitaker eased D&H Valmy De La Lande into third in the 5* 1.50m Grand Prix qualifier, the Mylord Carthago 17-year-old slipping into a podium place 0.56 seconds off the pace in the 14-horse decider.
Ben Maher lands a five-star victory double with Ginger-Blue in Ocala
Ben Maher guided Jane Forbes Clark’s consistent mare Ginger-Blue to a double win in the five-star classes at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida.
After winning two five-star classes in Brussels last August and competing at the Longines Global Champions Tour in Austria in September, Ben decided to travel Ginger-Blue to Florida to rest for the remainder of 2025. The break has seemingly paid off as 15-year-old mare returned to competition in January at the Winter Equestrian Festival, Wellington International and clocked up four top three places, including a four-star double win. Ben switched from Wellington to Ocala this week for the five-star meeting to add another two five-star victories to this mare’s tally.
The first win came in the $117,500 5* 1.55m. Eighteen from a field of 59 qualified for the jump-off over the 13-fence, 16-effort track designed by Bernardo Costa Cabral (POR). With Ginger-Blue’s natural speed and instinctive turning, Ben Maher sped through the shortened course but added a stride going to the final careful vertical – “which ruined a couple of people’s day today,” he said, after winning by 0.19 seconds. “That’s where I left the door open. It came close, but fortunately it stayed my way today.”
Ginger-Blue joined Ben eight years ago.
“We’ve had Ginger-Blue since she was seven years old, so we know each other very well,” said Ben on the Plot Blue x Royal Bravour 15-year-old. “She has jumped five-star grands prix, won some big competitions earlier in her career, but in the last two years, we decided to very much pinpoint her in certain classes that she finds a little bit easier.
“You can see she’s such a trier. She gives everything. She’s very careful, and she really enjoys her job. The new plan was to give her a couple of months’ break, just because she’s a little bit older horse, and not for any real reason other than she deserved it.”
Ben noted that he has been working to improve his strategy in recent jump-off classes: “I felt like I wasn’t taking enough chances – enough risk – in the latter part of last year, so I’ve been working on putting it into practice,” he revealed. “It’s starting to pay off, and the horses are trusting that.”
Having competed at the Longines League of Nations Ocala for the past two years, Ben decided to spend more time at WEC – Ocala in 2026 with two extra trips to compete.
“It’s an amazing facility,” he said. “This arena has an atmosphere in the way it’s been designed and built. It feels special to ride here, and I think also the horses feel special to compete here.”
The second win came two days later, the pair securing the $62,500 Mars Equestrian 1.50m speed. Thirty-two riders came forward, Ben again recording a narrow win with 0.08 seconds to spare.
“The double of verticals was early on, and I’m able to really ride at them. It’s slightly unconventional compared to some horses, where you have to be more careful, but I really trust her quality, and we know each other well. After that some of the distances were short, but I was able to just keep a little bit of outside line and keep traveling forward, which made the lines slightly quicker. They got very, very close, but luckily, it worked for us today,” said Ben.
“She’s amazing and she obviously likes it here in Ocala. She has a deceiving stride, one minute she can have quite a big stride, and then it can get small very quick, which is what makes her so fast.”
While Ginger-Blue is an easy horse to maintain and manage, Ben admits she does have ‘a little bit of attitude.’
“She knows that she’s good, knows her job in the ring, and we trust that. She seems to be enjoying her job and her life,” he added.
Harry Charles lands a 5* win in Doha
Harry Charles seized a 5* victory with Casquo Blue in Doha, Al Shaqab, Qatar.
Thirty-six riders came forward in the 5* Prix Hermes Sellier over a 13-fence, 16-effort 1.55m track designed by Uliano Vezzani (ITA) with 10 qualifying for a hotly contended jump-off. Drawn third, Harry set a sizzling target on the Chacco-Blue x Carthago X 16-year-old that proved unbeatable, taking the win by the narrow margin of 0.03 seconds.
Millie Allen galloped to the top in the 5* 1.50m speed with Quick Diamant HR, the eager 10-year-old mare (Diamant De Semilly x Quidam De Revel) with 2.48 seconds to spare over their 26 rivals.
Olli Fletcher scored a win in the 3* 1.45m Accumulator with Joker on the 11-year-old Krack Bleu C. Olli was quick and decisive, flying into the top spot by 3.81 seconds.
Georgia Tame wins the Small Grand Prix on the Andalucia Sunshine Tour
Georgia Tame jumped to the top in the 4* Small Grand Prix on the Andalucia Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, with Hello Vittoria.
Eighty competitors tackled the 13-fence, 16-effort 1.45m track but such were the technicalities, only eight posted initial clear rounds to advance to the jump-off. Georgia made short work of the shortened jump-off track in third draw on the 12-year-old Kannan daughter to take the win by almost two seconds.
Sophie Evans jumped to the top in the 4* Big tour 1.45m with CSIO Bel. Sixty-one riders came forward over the two-phase track, but Sophie was quicker than all of them, securing the win by 0.16 seconds on the Tinka’s Boy 14-year-old.
Brits landed a top two result in the 4* Six-Bar, William Rekert the sole rider to stay consistently clear to claim an outright win aboard Fifty Shades of Grey. Seven started in this competition and were reduced to five for the third round. Only William left all the verticals standing on the Cellestial x Carolus II 12-year-old Holsteiner to win, with fellow Brit Gemma Stevens sharing equal second on four faults with Envoy Merelsnest Z.
Image: UAE Longines Showjumping
