Horse News From Around the World Today: 23 October 2026
British event riders have made an impressive start to the final five-star competition of the season, with Yasmin Ingham leading the opening dressage standings at Pau and six British combinations occupying places inside the provisional top ten.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Riesenbeck International have secured the 2026 Global Champions League team championship following a decisive victory beneath Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza. British showjumper Jack Whitaker also contributed to a top-five team finish.
Elsewhere, Jessica Mendoza is preparing for World Cup competition in Washington, while research involving three British institutions has raised interesting questions about how breast support affects rider comfort and position.
Here are the international equestrian stories making headlines on Friday 23 October 2026.
Yasmin Ingham leads Pau five-star as six British combinations finish inside opening top ten
Britain’s Yasmin Ingham has made an outstanding start to Les 5 Étoiles de Pau in France, taking the provisional lead after Thursday’s opening dressage session aboard Gypsie du Loir.
The 2022 world eventing champion produced a polished test with the ten-year-old mare, scoring 28.9 penalties to establish a 2.5-penalty advantage over American rider Hallie Coon and Kapriccio, who finished second on 31.4.
It was an encouraging performance for Ingham, particularly as Gypsie du Loir is making her debut at five-star level. The partnership finished fifth in the CCI4*-L at Bramham earlier this season, and their opening performance suggests they are ready to challenge at the sport’s highest level.
However, Ingham was far from the only British rider celebrating a strong opening day.
Bubby Upton and Cola moved into third place on 32.3 penalties, while Izzy Taylor marked her return to five-star competition with fourth place aboard Barrington Alice on 33.0.
Taylor’s performance was particularly significant following the serious leg injury she sustained earlier this year. After undergoing surgery and returning to competition during the summer, Pau represents her first appearance at five-star level in three years.
Willa Newton and Hartacker completed the provisional top five on 33.4 penalties. Sam Ecroyd and Mister Big Ears finished eighth on 34.1, with Heidi Coy and MGH Jessica ninth on 34.4.
According to the official Pau dressage results, six British combinations occupied positions inside the top ten after the first 17 riders had completed their tests.
More British contenders prepare for Friday’s dressage
The competition continues today, with several leading British combinations still to perform.
Tom McEwen is scheduled to ride Quintus, while Ros Canter and MHS Seventeen will also enter the arena. Emily King and Valmy Biats, runners-up at Luhmühlen earlier this season, are another partnership worth watching.
Tom Jackson returns with Plot Twist B after finishing second at Pau in 2025, while Taylor has a second opportunity to improve her position aboard SBH Big Wall.
The British riders face strong opposition from New Zealand’s Tim Price, who returns with defending champion Jarillo. His wife Jonelle is also competing with several horses, including former Pau winner Grappa Nera.
With most of the field still to complete dressage, Thursday’s positions remain provisional.
Saturday’s cross-country phase is expected to provide a significant challenge, with course designer Pierre Michelet introducing a new obstacle known as the Broken Bridge.
The competition concludes with showjumping on Sunday, when the 2026 Pau five-star champion will be crowned.
Read more: Pau Horse Trials 2026: British riders, horses and how to watch.
Riesenbeck International crowned Global Champions League champions as Jack Whitaker finishes fifth in Cairo
Germany’s Riesenbeck International have secured the 2026 Global Champions League team championship with a commanding victory at the inaugural Cairo competition, held against the spectacular backdrop of Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza.
Maximilian Weishaupt and Marco Kutscher delivered four faultless rounds between them to secure victory on zero penalties, confirming the overall team championship with one stage of the regular season remaining.
Weishaupt partnered Zuccero HV, while Kutscher rode Pik Eur le Mar NRW. Their consistency proved decisive against a competitive field that included several of the world’s leading international showjumpers.
Istanbul Warriors finished second on four penalties, with Belgium’s Abdel Saïd and France’s Simon Delestre producing a strong challenge. Prague Lions completed the podium, also finishing on four penalties.
Jack Whitaker contributes to Madrid in Motion’s top-five finish
There was British interest further down the standings, with Jack Whitaker representing Madrid in Motion alongside Luxembourg’s Victor Bettendorf.
Whitaker partnered Jack JL in the team competition, helping Madrid in Motion secure fifth place overall on 12 penalties.
The British rider and Bettendorf each collected four penalties in the second round, keeping their team among the leading finishers.
For Whitaker, the result adds another significant international appearance to a season that has seen him compete against some of the world’s most established riders.
Home favourites Cairo Pharaohs also enjoyed a memorable competition. Egyptian riders Nayel Nassar and Sameh El Dahan finished seventh overall, giving the home crowd plenty to celebrate during the tour’s first visit to the historic venue.
Individual championship battle continues
Although Riesenbeck International have secured the Global Champions League team title, the separate Longines Global Champions Tour individual championship remains undecided.
Belgium’s Abdel Saïd entered Cairo leading the individual standings, with Austria’s Max Kühner among those challenging for the overall title.
The competition continues today with five-star individual classes, including a 1.55m competition offering €170,000 in prize money.
Saturday’s feature Grand Prix carries an impressive €1 million prize fund, making it one of the most valuable competitions of the international showjumping weekend.
The season then moves to Rabat, Morocco, from 30 October to 1 November, where the remaining individual championship positions will be decided.
The official Global Champions League report confirms Riesenbeck International’s championship victory and Madrid in Motion’s fifth-place finish.
Jessica Mendoza among World Cup contenders as Washington prepares for $340,000 Grand Prix
British showjumper Jessica Mendoza is among the international riders competing at the Washington International Horse Show in the United States this week.
The prestigious indoor competition, taking place from 19 to 25 October, hosts the third qualifier of the 2026/27 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup North American League.
Saturday’s feature competition, the $340,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Washington, will bring together leading riders hoping to collect valuable qualifying points towards the World Cup Final.
Mendoza faces formidable opposition, including American Kent Farrington, who entered the week ranked second in the world, and Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam, ranked third.
Five-time Olympic medallist McLain Ward is also among the entries, alongside Laura Kraut, Daniel Bluman, Rodrigo Pessoa and Lillie Keenan.
World Cup qualification points at stake
The North American League began in Traverse City, where Switzerland’s Beat Mändli and Qoachella secured victory with the competition’s only double-clear performance.
New Zealand’s Sharn Wordley subsequently won the second qualifier in Puebla, Mexico, aboard Brin d’Or de Haute Melen Z.
Washington provides another opportunity for riders to strengthen their positions before the series continues to Toronto and Los Angeles later this year.
For Mendoza, who has enjoyed success on the American circuit, the competition offers another chance to test herself against some of the sport’s leading combinations.
Friday’s programme includes the $63,000 Accumulator Costume Class, while Saturday’s World Cup Grand Prix will be the principal sporting attraction.
The Washington International Horse Show is celebrating its 68th edition this year, with almost $1 million in prize money available across the event.
British research highlights importance of breast support for female riders
Research involving Hartpury University, University Centre Sparsholt and the University of Portsmouth has provided further evidence that appropriate breast support may influence rider comfort, position and symmetry.
The study, published in September in the International Journal of Equine Science and highlighted in equestrian reporting this week, examined how different types of breast support affected female riders during simulated riding and running.
Researchers recruited 21 female equestrians, who completed exercises using an equine simulator in walk, trot and canter, alongside treadmill running.
Participants were assessed under four different breast-support conditions, including everyday bras, two types of sports bra and no breast support.
Motion-capture technology allowed researchers to measure breast movement and rider position, while participants also reported levels of comfort and exercise-related breast pain.
Sports bras associated with improved rider position
The researchers found that both sports bra designs reduced breast movement and discomfort during trot and running compared with everyday bras or no support.
Improvements in torso position were also recorded during trot, while riders demonstrated the greatest symmetry when wearing an encapsulation sports bra.
The findings are particularly relevant to female equestrians, as relatively little research has focused specifically on breast support during horse riding compared with other sports.
However, the researchers emphasised that individual comfort preferences varied considerably.
The study was also relatively small and used an equine simulator rather than live horses. Further research involving larger groups and real-world riding conditions will therefore be needed.
The findings do not establish that a particular bra will improve competitive performance, but they suggest that appropriate support deserves greater consideration as part of rider comfort and equipment choices.
What are today’s biggest international horse news stories?
The leading international equestrian stories on Friday 23 October include Yasmin Ingham’s provisional lead at Pau, where six British combinations finished the opening dressage session inside the top ten.
In Egypt, Riesenbeck International have secured the 2026 Global Champions League team championship, with Britain’s Jack Whitaker contributing to Madrid in Motion’s fifth-place finish.
Meanwhile, Jessica Mendoza is among the leading international riders competing at the Washington International Horse Show, where a $340,000 World Cup Grand Prix takes place on Saturday.
Away from competition, research involving British universities has highlighted the potential importance of breast support for rider comfort and position.
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