Youth Teams Shine in Lier as Pony Team Secures First Place in the Nations Cup Final
Monday 22 September 2025
1fgroftfgq6wt.jpg "Youth Teams Shine in Lier as Pony Team Secures First Place in the Nations Cup Final")
Great Britain’s Pony riders excelled in the FEI Jumping Pony Nations Cup Final at Azelhof Horse Events in Lier, Belgium, with a commanding victory for the second year in a row.
Eight teams competed over a three-round competition with the scores resetting for all teams in the third and final round. Britain reigned supreme as the only team to remain on a zero score over the three rounds.
In the first qualifying round over a 1.25m speed track, pathfinder Hollie Gerken immediately put Britain on top with a clear round aboard Galaxy V. Second out Nellie Lock also proved foot-perfect with Catho van de Langvelden Z, strengthening the team’s position. Raphaela Dawson came home with a discard score of 38 with MHS Glow following a refusal, whilst Darcy Breen rode an all-important clear to keep the team in the mix with One Saharah.
Both Hollie and Nellie maintained their form to supply clear rounds in round two, another one-round competition over 1.25m. Ella Spencer took her turn with Gilton Des Islots and produced a well-riden clear round, whilst anchor rider Darcy added 22 faults to her score to be the drop score.
Drawn in the favourable final position, Great Britain once again proved unstoppable. Hollie made a major contribution in the first two rounds and succeeded in doing the same in the third and final round. The pressure was still on the rest of the team - Nellie once again remained penalty-free with Ella following suit and never looked like touching a pole to storm home clear and seal victory for Great Britain – the team could not be beaten. Although she didn’t need to start, Darcy opted to jump and rode a much improved round to be the drop score on eight faults.
Commenting on their win, Chef d’Equipe Clare Whitaker said: “The team did very well this weekend. The girls were absolutely excellent and rode very well to take a well-deserved victory, our fourth in the eight years of this competition. They were all great team players and even the French coach came over and said how beautifully they all rode.”
FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth Finals, Azelhof Horse Events, Belgium
CSIP Pony Nations Cup Final
1st Great Britain – 0/0/0
Hollie Gerken & Galaxy V – 0/0/0
Nellie Lock & Catho van de Langvelden Z – 0/0/0
Ella Spencer & Gilton des Islots- -/0/0
Darcy Breen & One Sahara – 0/22/8
Raphaela Dawson & MHS Glow – 38/-/-
2nd Netherlands – 4/0/4
3rd Sweeden – 4/8/8
Great Britain’s Junior team secured the top spot on the podium in the FEI Jumping Junior Challenge Cup Final at Azelhof Horse Events in Lier, Belgium.
Finishing on a total of 25 faults after the initial two rounds, Great Britain advanced to the Challenge Cup Final, where the team would start with a zero score again.
Pathfinder Sophie Campbell jumped a well-ridden clear to get the team off to an ideal start in this final with RSH Monbeg Marshall. Georgia Cooper-Hall and Sympathie 60 returned with nine faults as the drop score. Evie Dorise, erring on the side of caution to leave all the fences intact, incurred one time fault with Morginto.
Once again, the results would come down to the final rider. Emily Gulliver followed up her round one clear with another vital clear round with Glamor de Vie to keep Great Britain on a score of 1 and in contention for the victory. Riders on the sideline held their breath to see if Belgium would remain on a zero score, but when the penultimate part of the treble hit the sand, Great Britain knew they had secured first place.
Chef d’Equipe Clare Whitaker commented after the final: “The team were very unlucky in the two qualifiers, they were very low scoring across all the nations, but they came together very well in the challenge final. Emily and Sophie did very well, jumping clear in the final. Evie kept her cool in her first Nations Cup competition, and Georgia and Emily F were just unlucky with their rounds, but they all tried really hard, and I was really pleased with them.”
FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth Finals, Azelhof Horse Events, Belgium
CSIJ Junior Challenge Cup Final
1st Great Britain – 9/16/1
Sophie Campbell & RSH Monbeg Marshall – -/4/0
Georgia Cooper-Hall & Sympathie 60 – 4/8/9
Evie Dorise & Morginto – 10/-/1
Emily Gulliver & Galmor De Vie – 0/4/0
Emily Fisher & Ivanta – 5/EL/-
2nd Belgium – 5/12/4
3rd Poland – 8/18/5
Great Britain’s Children on Horses team finished second in the FEI Jumping Children on Horses Challenge Cup Final in a closely fought competition at Azelhof Horse Events in Lier, Belgium.
With three teams sitting on 12 faults after two rounds, Great Britain just missed out on a place in the final based on time and advanced to the Challenge Cup Final where all the team would start on a zero score again.
Britain’s trailblazer, Tabby Morgan-Evans, had provided a double clear in the first two rounds and continued this good form with a third important clear round aboard Bermudez BDA. Thomas Wormsley jumped a clear in round one but returned with eight faults this time out as the drop score with Tumbulgum DTS Z. Lucia Caroline put her round two faults behind her and jumped a perfect clear with Miss Bubbles to keep Great Britain in the hunt for a podium placing.
With the scores so close, the results came down to the final rider with Eleonora Ljungman jumping in the anchor rider position. A clear would see them fight for top sport with Denmark, four faults would land them second place, anything more and places would be determined by the clock. Eleonora and Jamaica EBH used all the experience they gained from the Europeans earlier this year and rode a flowing round but just knocked out to the back rail of the oxer to see Britain finish on four faults and in second place.
Following on from their success, Chef d’Equipe Clare Whitaker commented: “It was very similar with this team; they were unlucky in the qualifiers. Tabby jumped some good clear rounds, and we switched Lucia’s horses [for the final], and she also jumped very well. Eleonora was so unlucky to roll a pole; it is very unlike her horse, and Maisie and Thomas were also very unlucky. I think their horses were a bit tired after three days of jumping. But they all did a great job, and all worked hard as a team.”
FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth Finals, Azelhof Horse Events, Belgium
CSICh Children Challenge Cup Final
1st Denmark – 0/16/0 – 215.44 seconds
2nd Great Britain – 4/8/4 – 227.82 seconds
Tabby Morgan Evans & Bermudez BDA – 0/0/0
Thomas Wormsley & Tumbulgum DTS Z – 0/-/8
Lucia Caroline & Miss Bubbles – -/4/0
Eleonora Ljungman & Jamaica EBH – 4/0/4
Maisie Riley & Lorenzo – 4/8/-
3rd Czech Republic – 0/12/8 – 223.16 seconds
Commenting on the Young Rider team's sixth-place finish in the Young Rider Nations Cup Final, Clare said: “They went well, and the standard was very high. Scarlett and Tallulah both jumped very well on their first Nations Cup this year, Tallulah just having an unlucky time fault in the final, but they both learnt a lot. The boys, Charlie and Red, also tried really hard and were unlucky to have the odd pole across the three days.
“The other Nations had many of their European riders, whereas we went with fairly new teams for the Young Riders and Juniors, but they all competed very well. It was a great weekend, and everyone got on well, and I am very pleased with the results. It was a well-run show and the organisers and facilities there are just fantastic,” added Clare.
.jpg "Great Britain's Team Audevard Dazzle in the Longines League of Nations Claiming Gold in St Tropez")
