Great Britain’s Team Audevard take seventh place in a hard-fought Longines League of Nations in Abu Dhabi
Saturday 14 February 2026
British squad Team Audevard hung on to a podium place until the final rider at the first of the 2026 Longines League of Nations in Abu Dhabi, but luck went against them in the final moments and they dropped to seventh.
Eleven teams came forward to face a challenging 12-fence, 15-effort 1.60m track set by renowned course-designer Frank Rothenberger, asking relentless distance questions. Nonetheless, it was tight at the top with razor-sharp margins at the halfway stage; the top four separated by only one fence. France and Ireland filled the top two places on a zero score with the United Arab Emirates, under Chef d’Equipe William Funnell, and Great Britain in third and fourth on four faults. Four teams on eight faults apiece made the cut to join them and advance into round two.
“It was a course of very tight distances and the team worked well together, they just had a very unlucky four-fault day,” said Showjumping Performance Manager and Chef d’Equipe Di Lampard MBE.
Sandy McLean, 23, making his five-star team debut, gave a good account of himself as Team Audevard’s pathfinder. Riding Annabel Vere Nicoll and Breen Equestrian Ltd’s British-bred 10-year-old Cicero Z Van Paemel x Heartbreaker mare Calixte Heartbreaker Z – bred at Weston Lawns Stud – the inexperienced pair made only one mistake, coming home on four faults at the big oxer following the wall.
“Sandy gave a great performance, he’s very cool under pressure but the distance was a tight four strides,” assessed Di Lampard.
Tim Gredley came out next with Rachel Gredley and Unex Competition Yard Ltd’s 14-year-old Medoc De Toxandria (Der Senaat x Kelvin De Sainte Hemelle), also returning on four faults. But Britain’s final two gave the team a boost to keep them in the hunt; Jack Whitaker on Candice Reilly’s 12-year-old Jack JL (Quasimodo Z x Astrello) and anchor Joe Stockdale with his mother Laura Stockdale and Barbara Hester’s handsome 12-year-old stallion Ebanking (Etoulon x VDL Sheraton) providing flawless clear rounds.
The fight was on. As per 2025’s rule changes, round two was conducted over the same course, but this time only three riders from each team returned; and with no drop score available, the pressure was on as every score counted. There was no room for error, and only four partnerships posted double clear rounds.
As the most inexperienced of the quartet, Sandy bowed out at this stage, with Tim first up for Great Britain’s Team Audevard. Despite a supreme effort, he again came through the finish on four faults, with Jack also returning on four.
“After his first clear round, Jack was so unlucky to tap out the front bar at fence three,” said Di. “It meant enormous pressure fell on the final rider.”
Only a clear round would suffice for Team Audevard to remain in third and take a podium place. Alas, luck abandoned the team in the final stages when the middle element of the combination – a vertical – and the planks fell for Joe and Ebanking, dropping the team finished to seventh place on a team total of 20 faults.
France led all the way to take victory on eight faults, one fence in hand over Germany on 12 faults. Brazil, on eight in round one, added only four faults to leap up to third place on a total of 12, only 1.09 seconds in arrears. The next three teams all finished on 20 faults apiece with time deciding their places – Switzerland stood fourth on 16 faults with the United Arab Emirates fifth, Ireland, who faded away in round two, claimed sixth and Great Britain took seventh.
After the first of the series of four in the LLN of 2026, Team Audevard of Great Britain sit in sixth place [as the UAE were competing as the host country and not eligible for points] on 55 points on the Longines League of Nations Standings. France is at the top on the maximum 100 points ahead of Germany on 90 and Brazil with 80 points. The next leg of the LLN is scheduled on 17 – 22 March at Ocala, Florida, USA, followed by the qualifying legs in Rotterdam (NED) in June and Gassin-St Tropez (FRA) in September. The top eight teams head to the final in Barcelona, Spain, in October.
CSIO5* - Longines League of Nations Abu Dhabi – 13 February
1st FRANCE - 0+8 = 8
2nd GERMANY - 8+4 = 12
3rd BRAZIL - 8+4 = 12
4th SWITZERLAND - 8+8 = 16
5th UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - 4+16 = 20
6th IRELAND - 0+20 = 20
7th GREAT BRITAIN - 4+16 = 20
Sandy McLean & Calixte Heartbreaker Z – 4/DNS
Tim Gredley & Medoc De Toxandria - 4/4
Jack Whitaker & Jack JL - 0/4
Joe Stockdale & Ebanking - 0/8
Image: Longines League of Nations
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