Ireland’s Sian Coleman returns to five-star with Carrowgar Je T’Aime Max. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Since the rise of short-form video on social media, it often feels like we watch the sport in 30-second increments. At today’s CCI5* first horse inspection at the Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials, we truly kind of did.
Just 21 horses and riders presented in front of the ground jury, comprised of President Nick Burton (GBR) alongside Christian Steiner (AUT) and Edith Schless-Störtenbecker (GER) – a significant dip down from the 31 initially entered for this week’s competition.
Boyd Martin and Shanroe Cooley. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
But while this might be the smallest Luhmühlen field in recent memory, it’s also an interesting one, and since the late withdrawal of 2025 champions Ros Canter and Izilot DHI, it’s one that’s wide open to win. There are two five-star winners still in the mix; Jonelle Price comes forward with 2022 Pau champion Grappa Nera as one of her two rides, alongside 2024 Pau victors Caroline Harris and D. Day.
Seasoned five-star campaigners Emily King and Valmy Biats, who finished fifth at Badminton last year, also made the trip after a slightly topsy-turvy spring campaign, and will look to set the record straight this week, as will Tim Price’s Happy Boy, who was fourth at Pau last season, after an up and down spring.
Hallie Coon and Kapriccio. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
There are also some very competitive first-timer entrants in the hunt: Boyd Martin will campaign the former Liz Halliday ride Shanroe Cooley as part of a US two-hander, which also features an exciting entry from British-based Hallie Coon and Kapriccio, who she took on from Zimbabwe’s Julia Norman and with whom she’s won at four-star already this spring. Great Britain’s Sam Ecroyd has been busy making a name for himself as a preternaturally efficient cross-country rider, and will bid to catch the time once again – as he did at Pau last year with Boleybawn Lecrae – aboard the delightfully-named Mister Big Ears.
If this seems like a lot of lead-up to a buried lede, that’s because not an awful lot happened at this afternoon’s trot-up. It came, it went, everyone passed, and now we’re looking ahead to a grand total of… nine tests tomorrow in this class. Our pathfinder will be Jonelle Price and Grappa Nera at 14.30 local time (13.30 BST/8.30 a.m. EST); we’ll see US representative Hallie Coon at 15.26 (14.26/9.26 EST); we’ll wrap up with Tim and Happy Boy at 15.34 (14.34/9.34 EST).
One of two German entrants in this class: Heike Jahncke and Mighty Spring FRH. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Fortunately, in the interest of balance and filling out a live-stream – it’s Horse&Country TV this week, if you want to plan your viewing schedules now! – we’ll also have eyes on the CCI4*-S, which runs throughout the morning on both dressage days. That class is always a hugely important one here, as it incorporates the German National Championship and serves as a final selection trial ahead of this summer’s FEI World Championships. We’ll see 23 of that classes competitors deliver their tests tomorrow, beginning at 9.30 a.m. local time (8.30 a.m. BST/3.30 a.m. EST) with Germany’s Malin Hansen-Hotopp and Callfield first up to bat.
Jonelle Price and former Pau winner Grappa Nera. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
We’ll be bringing you plenty of stories from across both classes tomorrow, plus a look at the course that awaits our small but mighty field on Saturday. In the meantime, you can check out our Ultimate Guide to Longines Luhmühlen right here. Keep it locked onto EN – and as always, Go Eventing.
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