The CCI4*-S Meßmer Trophy brought an exceptional weekend of sport to a close at the Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials 2026. Four Australian combinations were in action on the final day, with three producing clear rounds.
Australian Olympian Andrew Hoy and Vassily de Lassos produced a trademark clear show jumping round to complete their weekend, finishing in sixth place on a total of 37.5 as the highest placed of the Aussie contingent. They were one of only seven combinations to go clear and under time on a tight track.
It was the best international four-star score in two years for Andrew and seventeen-year-old Vassily de Lassos (Jaguar Mail x Jalienny), who is owned by Dreams Come True V LLC and Linda Mars.
Fellow Olympian Kevin McNab also produced a clear and under time show jumping round with 10-year-old Faro Imp (Wathnan F One USA x Master Imp, owned by James and Sofia von Moltke), finishing on a score of 47.1 for 13th place. This combination was strong through both jumping phases; however, the dressage unfortunately didn’t go to plan, with crowd applause before entering the arena unsettling Faro.
Isabel English and nine-year-old Cil Dara Bombay S (Balou du Rouet x Diarado) jumped clear with just 1.6 time faults, bringing their total to 52 for 22nd place. Cil Dara Bombay S was bred in Australia and is owned by Sarah English, Sofia von Moltke, and Jenny and John Curtis.
Grace Kay elected to retire Bluefield For Cello in the final phase after having several rails down, while Hannah Klep withdrew Tulara Chicouve prior to the show jumping due to the gelding developing cellulitis after the cross country.
Dream result for Krajewski in the CCI4*-S Meßmer Trophy
Olympic Champion Julia Krajewski delivered a brilliant performance to claim victory in the international four-star class on a score of 27.7 with Uelzener’s Nickel and, in doing so, successfully retained her German National Championship title.
Second place also went to Krajewski, this time aboard Tullabeg Platinum on 34.4 penalties, while a delighted Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Carlitos Quidditch K completed the podium in third on 34.6. Their result secured the silver medal in the German National Championships.
Christoph Wahler and D’Accord FRH finished on 44.0 penalties to take the bronze medal. Krajewski underlined her outstanding form with a wire-to-wire victory aboard the experienced Uelzener’s Nickel. The pair maintained their lead throughout all three phases, producing one of the standout performances of the weekend.
“It feels really, really cool to win here,” said Krajewski after securing the title. “I’ve said it many times before – Luhmühlen is my favourite event. It has such a welcoming atmosphere, yet at the same time it is absolutely world-class.”
Reflecting on her winning partner, she added: “Nickel needs a few competitions at this level to reach his peak form. That’s why we built his season carefully during the spring, and this weekend everything simply came together.” The newly crowned German Champion was keen to highlight the long-term planning behind her success. “People might think I’ve simply defended my title, but there are 365 days of work, training and planning behind a result like this. When you see Nickel continuing to improve and Pauli taking such a huge step forward over the past few months, that makes it incredibly special.”
For silver medallist Malin Hansen Hotopp, the spotlight firmly belonged to her horse. Carlitos Quidditch K once again demonstrated his consistency and enthusiasm across all three phases to deliver a career-highlight result. “I’m delighted with the whole week here in Luhmühlen and, of course, with my horse,” said Hansen-Hotopp. “He is so focused and always does a fantastic job. He’s simply unstoppable and genuinely enjoys everything he does – that’s his greatest strength.”
Bronze medallist Christoph Wahler experienced a weekend of mixed emotions. After retiring his first ride on the cross-country course, he bounced back in style with his top horse D’Accord FRH to secure a place on the national championship podium. “I was really looking forward to this first competition after his break,” explained Wahler. “He’s reached an age where you jump five fences in the warm-up and immediately know he’s ready to go. Leaving the start box, I was slightly concerned he might be a little over-enthusiastic, but in the end he was fantastic to ride.”
Caroline Harris claims CCI5*-L victory
Great Britain’s Caroline Harris secured the second five-star victory of her career on Sunday, maintaining her overnight lead with a clear show jumping round aboard D. Day to claim the prestigious Longines CCI5*-L title (31.1).
Having moved into pole position after a superb cross-country performance on Saturday, Harris held her nerve in the final phase to seal victory in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Luhmühlen. Addressing the spectators during the prize-giving ceremony, Harris reflected on a memorable week: “It’s been such a great week. The ground was perfect yesterday, the track kept us on our toes the whole way round – it’s been brilliant from start to finish.
The British rider was full of praise for her long-time partner, who once again rose to the occasion when it mattered most. “I’m still in shock. He’s just all heart and he’ll give me everything he’s got, every time I ride him. I truly trust that horse and I know he’ll try his heart out in the jumping as long as I ride him well. He normally does everything he can to keep all the poles up. So I just try to focus on getting a good canter and keeping a good rhythm. He loves a crowd, so when he hears clapping, it feels like everyone’s here to watch him. It was great to come in after Emily had jumped so well.”
Fellow Briton Emily King delivered another outstanding performance with Valmy Biats to finish runner-up (33.8). King kept the pressure on the eventual winner right until the final fence and secured a well-deserved second place. “He was on springs – he’s incredible. On paper he’s a little bit older, but he felt like he was seven. He’s like Benjamin Button; every year he feels younger and better. He is so gritty and fights for you every day. His heart’s incredible. He loves his job, he’s a superb athlete physically, but he also gets up every morning wanting to work. In the tough moments in every phase, he just grits his teeth and keeps fighting. It’s an absolute honour to work with a horse like that.”
American rider Boyd Martin with Shanroe Cooley completed the podium(38.1). The pair demonstrated their five-star credentials throughout the week, combining a solid dressage test, a determined cross country performance and an impressive clear show jumping round to secure third place.
“I’m very, very pleased. It’s such a huge effort to come all the way from America to Luhmühlen, so I’m incredibly grateful to the owners, supporters and coaches for backing the trip, because it’s a massive undertaking to come across the ocean. I really didn’t know what to expect, but he was brilliant in all the lead-up events, and it felt like we were starting to click a little bit more. To come to Luhmühlen and finish on the podium really exceeded my expectations.”
Local rider Katharina Meyer made her five-star debut, delighting the home crowd by finishing seventh with a faultless show jumping round. Riding a horse she has known virtually all his life, the German rider tried to hold back her tears after the competition. “I’ve bred Aspen, so he was born and raised in Luhmühlen and I’ve known him for sixteen years now. I just want to thank him. Yesterday it felt like he already knew the cross-country course. He did everything on his own and I’m so pleased. Today he was foot-perfect as well. I just tried to stay calm and stay out of his way. I had my child’s lucky charm in my pocket, so I stroked his nose before getting on and told him, ‘Let’s make the most of it.’ I feel like such a rookie sitting next to these legends – it’s such an honour. To finish seventh and jump a clear round today is simply amazing.”
Source: Turniergesellschaft Luhmühlen press release, edited by Equestrian Life
