Scott Brash lands a five-star win and has the enthusiastic crowd on the edge of their seats alongside Harry Charles in a stupendous Grand Prix battle
Tuesday 11 August 2026
Scott Brash and the extraordinary Hello Jefferson gave the home crowd exactly what they came for at the Longines Global Champions Tour of London, storming to victory in the CSI5* 1.50m at Royal Hospital Chelsea.
With the grandstands packed and the London crowd finding its voice as the afternoon sport reached its climax, 14 combinations returned for a jump-off that demanded both speed and accuracy. By the time Scott entered the arena, Victor Bettendorf had set a formidable target of 40.30 seconds – but in front of a home crowd, and aboard a horse he knows inside out, Scott found another 0.19 seconds.
Hello Jefferson powered through the finish and the reaction was immediate, with the British crowd erupting as their home hero moved into the lead.
“When you’re on Jefferson you know you’ve always got a chance,” said Scott. “He’s been a remarkable horse for me, and on top of his experience he just loves his job - he wants to win and he wants to go again next week; he’s been an incredible horse for me.”
For Scott, winning in front of a London crowd made the moment all the more special.
“It’s amazing here, I’ve said it before and I'll say it again – there’s nowhere like London. The crowd get behind all us British riders and we are very grateful!”
The win came at the end of a jump-off where the pressure built with every combination and the penultimate fence became the undoing of several serious challengers.
Several riders had tried and failed to set a target, but Victor Bettendorf changed the complexion of the class. Riding Encore Toi du Linon, the Luxembourg rider was around a second down at the intermediate split but refused to settle. He opened up in the closing stages and went flat out through the final line, producing the first double clear of the jump-off in a rapid time.
Suddenly, there was a serious time on the board.
Riders chased hard, but Victor proved hard to catch, but the atmosphere shifted as Scott and Hello Jefferson entered the arena. The pair wasted no time. Scott kept the 17-year-old gelding moving from the outset, matching Victor's pace and finding the fractions he needed around the shortened track. Jefferson answered every question, and as they accelerated through the final line, stopping the clock a fraction quicker – just 0.19 seconds separated the two at the top.
There were still six combinations left to challenge, however, and the result was far from secure but no-one else came close. Scott had done it.
The super-cool Scott so nearly added the top-billed €1 million Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of London to his tally in front of his home crowd on Hello Folie but proved only 0.18 sec short in a breathtaking finish.
In front of a sold-out London crowd, the atmosphere reached fever pitch as 14 combinations went head-to-head in a world-class jump-off for one of the richest prizes of the season. With the historic façade of Royal Hospital Chelsea providing an unmistakable backdrop, packed grandstands, buzzing hospitality and three days of entertainment created an electric setting for the tenth stage of the 2026 Championship.
But when it came down to the final fractions of a second, Germany’s Christian Kukuk and Checker 47 were untouchable. The defending London champions stopped the clock with almost two tenth of a second to spare, denying the British crowd a home victory after Scott and Hello Folie had looked almost certain to have done enough. Fellow Brit Harry Charles completed an exceptional afternoon for the home riders, guiding Ballypatrick Tiberius, a Caligula x Messenger 10-year-old produced by Sussex-based Frenchman Gaspard Maksud, to a double clear for third.
With two British riders on the podium and barely a second separating the top three, London once again delivered sport at the very highest level.
Reflecting on just how close the battle had been, Scott was full of praise for Hello Folie and the way she responded when he asked her to attack the jump-off: “I’m absolutely delighted with her. She was absolutely exceptional today and, yeah, there’s nothing in it. We were beaten by a very experienced combination, so I can’t complain. Of course, it would be amazing to have a win here, but I’m delighted with the horse. She’s wonderful. She loves going against the clock, so you just have to ask her what to do and she says yes. She’s got her eyes on the fences for you and, yeah, she’s a joy to ride in a jump-off.”
Scott also paid tribute to the electric home support, with the sold-out crowd roaring him and fellow Brit Harry Charles around the arena: “I love, love, love when they get behind us. You just always want to deliver for them. Not quite today, but we’ve given them something to cheer about, and Harry was also fantastic. It was a good day, a good weekend.”
With an exceptional 14 combinations progressing to the jump-off, Scott highlighted the extraordinary strength of the field in London, joking: “Maybe you could say too many! It was still a big course. It just shows the standard here.”
Making his first five-star Grand Prix and jump-off appearance with Ballypatrick Tiberius, Harry was delighted with the young horse’s performance on one of the biggest stages of the season.
“Pretty amazing. It was a great effort from the whole team. In our first five-star Grand Prix and jump-off, it’s not really the preferred place to do it, but I think that makes it even more impressive,” he said. “I didn’t have the best draw, so we kind of had to go from the start. Sandra [Auffarth, GER, on Quirici H], who was in front at the time, was already really quick, and I just kind of let it off. Not every day you’re going to jump for one million quid!”
Scott with Hello Jefferson and Hello Folie also featured in the Global Champions League, contributing to the New York Empire’s second place. The Mexico Amigos and New York Empire both finished on four faults apiece, but the Amigos proved five seconds quicker.
Mark McAuley couldn’t be more delighted following his debut with the New York Empire team after the mid-season transfer window. “It’s a beautiful setting, to be here in the centre of London is a special feeling. It's been a few years since I was last here, but the location, the vibe, the show, it’s all top tier.”
Teammate Scott Brash reflected on the sporting action: “I was super-pleased with Folie today in round two, she jumped super, and having Marc on the team with a great group of horses around him, it’s great to have him on board.”
New York Empire powered by Lugano came agonisingly close to victory. Roared on by the home crowd, Scott Brash bounced back from four faults in Round One on Hello Jefferson with a superb clear aboard Hello Folie, while Mark McAuley was once again flawless with Clooney van Spalbeek Z. Matching Mexico's four-penalty score, the team settled for second after finishing just over five seconds slower.
Jodie Hall-McAteer twice featured on the five-star podium. The 10-year-old La Gupardie (Van Gogh x Carrera VDL) jumped into third in the first 5* 1.60m for Jodie over course-designer Uliano Vezzani (ITA) 13-fence speed track to finish third more than five seconds behind the winner, Italy’s Piergiorgio Bucci on Palliter VD N.Ranch.
Jodie guided the 16-year-old Chatman daughter Kimosa Van Het Kritrahof into second in the final day’s 35-strong 12-fence, 14-effort 5* 1.45m speed, almost two seconds behind The Netherlands’ Sanne Thijssen’s Farah Z. Jack Whitaker eased Skyfall OS into fourth.
The two-star classes also threw up British winners. James Whitaker on the Argento 11-year-old Just Call Me Henry outpaced his brother George on Peanut in day one’s 50-strong 2* 1.40m speed by 1.21 seconds. Twenty-four hours later in the 2* 1.45m speed, the results were reversed; George and the 13-year-old Peanut (Barrichello x Quasimodo Z) got the better of James and Henry with 0.72 seconds to spare.
Only three of the original 33 competitors survived round one of the 2* 1.45m Grand Prix with two Brits in the frame. Flossy Polland jumped the 10-year-old mare Northbound into second two seconds behind the winning time, and fellow Brit Holly Williams finished third on the 13-year-odl One Jewel.
Grace Healey headed a 51-horse 2* 1.30m with immediate jump-off by 1.85 seconds on the 15-year-old Destina De Mesnil Z. Red Morgan led a British top three 2* 1.25m two-phase with the Chacco-Blue x Manhattan 18-year-old True Blue III with 0.88 sec in hand over second-placed James Emblen’s Carl 61 with Gemma Wright in third on Mooiland. Scarlett Turner seized a 1.20m victory by 1.84 seconds on the 14-year-old Chankar Mail with Tia Posner (Happy-Fomia) and Michaela Whitaker (Croft Lassina) in second and third; and Tessa Dollar topped the concluding 1.20m speed aboard the 14-year-old Contarno by 0.33 sec over second-placed Tia and Happy-Fomia.
Rachel Proudley returns to wow the Dublin crowds in the Puissance
Defending Puissance champion Rachel Proudley returned to Dublin Horse Show to again finish at the top of the podium with Easy Boy De Laubry in front of a packed grandstand.
On this occasion, Rachel had to share the honours with Ireland’s Jordan Coyle and Eristov.
In 2025, Rachel made history as the first woman in 60 years to win the Puissance at Dublin over a 2.15m wall. A year later, the Yorkshire 22-year-old was again in the frame. Nine competitors faced the big red wall in front of an enthusiastic audience and by round five, they had been whittled down to only three, Rachel pitted against two determined Irishmen.
This year, the wall reached the lofty heights of 2.25m, but much to the groan of the crowds, this time the wall toppled for each competitor. Rachel and the Elvis Ter Putte 12-year-old Easy Boy shared first prize equally with Jordan Coyle on Eristov after the bricks hit the floor for both.
“He’s such an amazing horse. He’s so brave, and I think that’s what makes it easier, because he’s always so game at the wall. He never has any hesitation, and he’s got so much jump that he’s going to keep going. All I have to do is sit quiet and keep waiting, and then he does all the hard work at the end of it,” said Rachel.
Mandy Beger flies the British flag in Austria with a double win
Mandy Beger (nee Goosen) scored a victory double on the final day of St Margarethen CSI2* in Austria, claiming both top-billed 2* Grand Prix and the Bronze Tour Final.
Based in Germany, Mandy was one of 37 competitors to face the 2* 1.45m Grand Prix course, where only six posted initial clears to advance to the jump-off. Riding Starlet for breeder Tina Goosen, who now jointly owns the Big Star x Tinka’s Boy 10-year-old with June Bennett, Mandy used the mare’s scope and stride to win by two seconds.
Mandy also secured victory in the Bronze Tour 1.25m Final on the 11-year-old Amarone (Flashpoint x Graf Granno), another bred by Tina Goosen, topping the 20-strong speed class with 1.17 seconds to spare.
Image: Longines Global Champions Tour
