Jesse Campbell and Speedwell. Photo by Leszek Wójcik / Strzegom Spring Open.
In the midst of Kentucky, we failed on getting you updates from the Strzegom Spring Open II (Poland), which concluded on Sunday. The following press release from Strzegom has been edited with some additional information.
Over four days, nearly 320 combinations from 25 nations competed at the Morawa, Poland venue. The high sporting level and close competition meant that final results were decided by fine margins — above all on the challenging cross country courses and the final show jumping rounds.
This year’s edition once again confirmed its strong sporting status, attracting the world’s top riders. Among the participants were Olympic medallists, including Germany’s individual Olympic champion from Tokyo, Julia Krajewski, as well as France’s Karim Florent Laghouag and Nicolas Touzaint, both multiple Olympic team medallists.
CCI4*-L Comes Down to the Winner
The premier competition of the event, the CCI4*-L, was decided in the final show jumping phase. New Zealand’s Jesse Campbell with Speedwell, a former ride of his late wife, Georgie. Jesse and “Arthur” delivered a clear round to secure victory with a final score of 27.1 penalties. Jesse’s last Long format win came in 2023, when he won the 3*-L at Lignières with Shadow Sister, but the 4*-L victory has been more elusive. He’s gotten to the podium steps in the past with other horses, and he’s won a couple of 4*-S events, but this would be his first true CCI4*-L win.
A favorite horse of Georgie’s, Speedwell now has three competitive 4*-L finishes under his belt, including a fifth place finish at Royal Jump in Chaumont en Vexin, France. Georgie had produced the horse to the Advanced level, and it was under Jesse’s tutelage in her honor that Speedwell now has poised himself for a very real shot at the New Zealand squad for this summer’s FEI Eventing World Championships at Aachen. Jesse spent the winter tinkering with a few things in the 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding’s training; he’d lowered three rails and lost out on what would have been a victory at Boekelo last fall. “It’s incredibly satisfying to see the hard work from the winter pay off and finally put the ghosts of Boekelo to bed,” Jesse posted on social media. “Arthur was brilliant from start to finish, and it’s been such a great feeling building that trust more and more each day. I’m really excited to see what the rest of the season has in store for this very special horse.”
France filled the remaining podium steps in the CCI4*-L, with two Paris Olympic medalists making their respective bids for Worlds this summer. Nicholas Touzaint and Diabolo Menthe (partners for a team silver in Paris) are making a strong bid for the Championships squad for France, though one lowered rail on Sunday would slip them from first after cross country into second overall on a score of 30.0. Teammate Karim Floren Laghouag brought forward the 13-year-old Dream de Vieve, a horse he’s produced since 2020 and has dabbled in all sorts of cross training such as FEI show jumping as well as Indoor Eventing. He’s been quite lightly campaigned in FEI eventing, and this 4*-L was his first Long and just his second 4* level competition. He finishes the weekend on a score of 32.0.
Show Jumping a Deciding Factor for CCI4*-S
Samantha Lissington and Delarado. Photo by Leszek Wójcik / Strzegom Spring Open.
The final results of the CCI4*-S were also determined in the show jumping arena, where key changes occurred at the top of the leaderboard.
New Zealand’s Samantha Lissington, riding Delarado, claimed victory with a score of 30.2 penalties. Samantha Lissington has kept her strong form from 2025 going with her string of horses and this 12-year-old Anglo-European mare has some competitive results already including podium finishes at the CCI4*-Ls both here at Strzegom as well as at Royal Jump in France.
Germany’s Julia Krajewski on Tullabeg Platinum, a relatively new ride just acquired in early 2025, moved up to second place (31.5), while overnight leader Malin Hansen-Hotopp and her Olympic horse Carlitos Quidditch K dropped to third after one rail down, finishing on 31.9 penalties.
Samantha Lissington and New York. Photo by Leszek Wójcik / Strzegom Spring Open.
Samantha Lissington also took home the CCI3*-L win with New York, an 8-year-old KWPN gelding purchased from Spanish rider Ricardo Montalvo Sanchez at the end of 2025. This is New York’s second FEI competition with Samantha, and the future looks bright for this rising star.
The next opportunity to follow world-class eventing in Strzegom will come in June during Strzegom Horse Trials, which will include, among others, a prestigious Nations Cup competition.
Strzegom Spring Open II CCI4*-L (POL): [Website] [Scores] [Live Stream Replays]
