Royal Windsor Horse Show 2025 Wrap-Up

This prestigious four-day event held on the magnificent grounds of Windsor Castle featured world-class competition in numerous disciplines.

A coach-and-four on the road to Windsor Castle.

The Coaching Marathon proceeds down the Long Walk at Royal Windsor Horse Show. (RoyalWindsorHorseShow/Peter Nixon)

By: rEvolution | May 19, 2025

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you're listening to an article from horse sport.com. royal windsor horse show 2025 wrap-up by: revolution |. friday. the csi5* show jumping got underway today at royal windsor horse show, may 15-18, featuring some of the world’s top-ranked riders in the opening class, the pearl stakes. the highlight of the day, the defender stakes, provided a closely contested battle – much to the delight of the enthusiastic crowds in the castle arena. across the showground, international driving began with the dressage phase, while the showing arenas hosted several championship classes. in the great park, royal windsor endurance, supported by the kingdom of bahrain, featured cei3*, cei2*, and cei1* rides. out on the long walk, the coaching marathon offered a striking spectacle for windsor’s residents, as elegant carriages passed the iconic landmark on their way to the castle arena. advertisement scroll to continue with content additionally, the equestrian road safety awareness ride arrived at the show in memory of knockalla, a two-year-old racehorse tragically killed in a road incident in lambourn. as part of the british horse society’s ‘dead slow’ campaign and #projectedward, the ride promoted safer driving around horses, with riders making the journey from lambourn gallops to windsor over five days. in the afternoon, world-class competition took centre stage at royal windsor horse show with the csi5* defender stakes, as 31 of the sport’s elite riders tackled bernardo costa cabral’s demanding 15-fence course under glorious sunshine. it was great britain’s jessica mendoza who set the pace early on, delivering the first clear aboard her talented 12-year-old mare, in the air. hot on her heels, usa’s lillie keenan followed suit with an immaculate round on le louvre 5, ensuring early excitement for the crowds. as the class unfolded, 15 combinations – including an impressive eight from the home nation – secured spots in what promised to be a thrilling jump-off. among them were two of britain’s paris 2024 olympic team gold medallists, ben maher and harry charles, adding even more star power to the line-up. in true family tradition, the whitakers made their presence known with four relatives progressing to the second round. legendary showjumper john whitaker and his son robert were joined by donald and jack whitaker – the latter riding valmy de la lande, the mount owned by his father, michael. seven nations were represented in the jump-off, and brazil’s yuri mansur was the first to produce a double clear. ben maher and point break followed, but a wide turn before the double left the door open for the whitaker clan to make their mark. the crowd erupted as john whitaker, decorated with olympic, world, and european championship medals, surged into the lead with a time of 40.71 seconds. sweden’s petronella andersson laid down a valiant challenge but slotted into third place with a slower time, but it was john’s nephew and royal windsor horse show ambassador, jack whitaker, who put the pressure on. in a display of brilliance, jack took out a stride between the penultimate defender oxer and the final water tray fence to clinch victory in a time of 39.40 seconds – sealing a remarkable family triumph in front of an elated windsor crowd. a delighted jack commented: “i think i was a bit quicker in the middle of the jump-off, he [valmy de la lande] was flying around, and jumped amazingly. i feel very very happy to have won here on the first day of international jumping at royal windsor horse show.”. earlier in the day, the csi5* pearl stakes opened the international show jumping in style, with last year’s rolex grand prix winner, martin fuchs, coming out on top. 33 horse and rider combinations contested the 1.45m two-phase competition with italy’s lorenzo de luca setting a strong pace as first to go. fuchs took over the lead in the early stages with an immaculate round aboard love de vie, a nine-year-old mare competing in her first five-star class. only laura kraut could come close to challenging the swiss rider’s position, but her effort was only good enough for second place, with de luca finishing in third. speaking after his round, fuchs said: “i love this show, it’s great to be back, it’s a great crowd and there’s always an amazing atmosphere, so i always love to come here. it’s love de vie’s first five-star show. she’s a really talented mare and i have high expectations for her future, so it was wonderful to start with a win.”. saturday. his majesty the king joined their highnesses the duke and duchess of edinburgh for the third day of royal windsor horse show 2025, which took place today in the private grounds of windsor castle. the show was bathed in may sunshine on an action-packed day, where the international csi5* show jumping once again delivered world-class sport, with impressive wins from italy’s lorenzo de luca and last year’s rolex grand prix winner, martin fuchs. elsewhere in the great park, boyd exell continued his dominance in the caio4* driving world cup™ with a masterful performance in the marathon phase of the competition. it was also a significant day for the military, as the kingdom of bahrain services team jumping took centre stage in the castle arena this afternoon. additionally, the household cavalry best trooper was awarded to tpr corallini from the blues and royals and the c sub-section gun team claimed the king’s troop royal horse artillery best gun team supported by defender. following a packed schedule that featured several showing highlights, the day concluded with an international exhibition arena polo match, featuring teams from the equestrian federation of azerbaijan and guards polo club. in a thrilling first round of the csi5* kingdom of bahrain stakes for the king’s cup, it took eight combinations before the first clear was posted by none other than world no. 6 martin fuchs, riding his long-time partner, commissar pezi. at the halfway mark, the swiss star remained the only rider with a clean scorecard, despite several getting agonisingly close. among them were show ambassador jack whitaker, winner of the csi5* defender stakes which took place on friday, who finished fourth, and his uncle john whitaker who eventually placed third. both left all the fences standing but picked up a single time fault. the 13-obstacle course proved to be a test of accuracy and scope and featured multiple demanding treble combinations and technical related distances. even the most accomplished names in the sport, including triple olympic gold medallist ben maher and world top 10 rider richard vogel, couldn’t find a way through to the jump-off. it was not until the third-last rider, kim emmen, entered the arena aboard 10-year-old mare keavanta-c, that the crowd saw another clear – setting up a jump-off between the dutch rider and fuchs. first to go, fuchs laid down a typical masterclass in jump-off riding. with a daring sixpence turn back to the rolex vertical and a stride out to the final fence, he stopped the clock on an impressive time of 35.19 seconds and left all the poles in place. emmen followed with a strong effort but picked up four faults, handing fuchs his second csi5* victory of the week following yesterday’s win in the pearl stakes. a delighted fuchs reflected on the performance: “i’m very pleased with this win, commissar pezi jumped brilliantly – he is so fast – i took some tight turns and a stride out to the last, which helped put the pressure on and secure the win. both my horses and i love coming to my show. every time my horses enter the castle arena, they feel very special, and we always have great support from the british crowd, which is why i love coming back every year.”. the opening csi5* class of the day – the defender challenge stakes – saw the 10 best placed athletes from the first round go through to a jump-off in reverse order of merit. with four faults in the first round, ben maher was first into the arena to go against the clock, jumping clear to finish on a total of four. ireland’s michael duffy was the first to post a double clear, however it was laura kraut who really put the pressure on those to follow, taking over three seconds off duffy’s time. the penultimate rider into the arena, daniel deusser riding bingo ste hermelle, briefly took over the lead, however it was lorenzo de luca who claimed the victory as last to go, knocking another 0.18 seconds off the time. speaking after the class, the italian said: “i’m really happy with how he jumped, i know he’s really fast and careful, and being last to go i was able to watch a few, so i tried my best and it all worked out. this win means a lot, it’s such a good show, it’s always an amazing atmosphere and i love coming back year after year. i love the english crowd, thank you so much everyone.”. sunday. the 2025 royal windsor horse show concluded today following four exceptional days of top-class equestrian sport. the highlight of the week, the csi5* rolex grand prix, saw an outstanding performance from belgium’s gregory wathelet who stormed to victory to claim the prestigious title for the second time. earlier in the day, luxembourg’s victor bettendorf secured victory in the csi5* manama rose show stakes and, after three thrilling phases, it was australia’s boyd exell – the world no.1 – who emerged victorious in the caio4* carriage driving world cup™ qualifier, his 15th title at this show. the final day also celebrated the rising stars of british equestrianism. olivia sponer triumphed in the defender under 25 jumping competition, england took top honours in the daks pony club mounted games final, and isabella walker won the show pony championship in the renowned castle arena in classic style. the csi5* show jumping concluded in a thrilling fight to the finish with the rolex grand prix. featuring 32 of the world’s best horse and rider combinations, bernardo costa cabral’s up-to-height 1.60m course proved challenging, with many top riders, including double olympic silver medalist peder fredricson, last year’s winner martin fuchs and crowd favourite john whitaker, incurring faults in the first round. in total, nine combinations went forward to the jump-off against the clock, each vying for a share of the €500,000 prize fund. first into the arena was kim emmen riding imagine n.o.p., her ride at the paris 2024 olympic games, however four faults left the door ajar for the remainder of the field. the first clear round came from eve jobs, a pan american games team bronze medalist, who guided her bay gelding, canto bruno, to a steady but faultless round. ireland’s billy twomey stepped up the pace, taking almost three seconds off jobs’ time, however his lead was short lived as britain’s reigning olympic team champion, harry charles, riding sherlock, made up another two seconds to take the pole position at the half-way point, much to the delight of the home fans. the standard kept improving as the round went on, with harrie smolders following charles into the arena and taking over the lead, with less than half-a-second splitting the two. robert whitaker looked to be up with the pace aboard vermento, but a wider turn to the penultimate fence put him behind charles and he finished in eventual fourth, repeating his result of last year. last into the arena was belgium’s gregory wathelet, a former winner of this class who finished second last year. the olympic team bronze medalist set off meaning business aboard bond jamesbond de hay, making the tightest of turns and with an impressive gallop down to the final rolex oxer to shave 0.06 seconds off smolders’ time and take the victory. a delighted wathelet said: “the last four years competing at royal windsor has been really good; winning in 2022, coming second in 2024 and winning again this year – so i’m very happy. i really enjoy riding here, it’s a great show and the crowd are really supportive.”. speaking about today’s competition, he continued: “i think the course today was very fair. it’s always an advantage to go at the end, you can see the results and see what route you should take. i saw everyone get faster and faster, but i knew my horse and his speed, i knew he likes going fast, so i took some risks, but you have to on a day like today.”. runner-up smolders added: “royal windsor is such a prestigious show with a great atmosphere. we’ve seen a massive rolex grand prix class today with a good amount of clears – which is a sign of a great course designer. my horse, monaco, has speed, but i felt like i could have gone a touch faster, and that was the difference between first and second.”. earlier in the day, the csi5* manama rose show stakes took place in the iconic castle arena. as a single-phase class, it was a true test of speed and agility for the 25 riders who faced the 1.50m, 12-combination course. first into the arena was shane breen riding bp arctic blue, who set the standard for those who followed, producing a stylish but steady clear in a time of 61.47 seconds. this was quickly usurped by richard vogel of germany, who shaved a second off breen’s time. winner of the csi5* defender challenge stakes earlier this week, lorenzo de luca, once again proved to be a master of speed with a quicker time of 59.22 seconds. however, victor bettendorf, riding the talented 11-year-old mare encore toi du linon delivered a smooth and well calculated round to finish in 58.08 seconds – a time that could not be matched by the remaining riders. speaking on his win, bettendorf exclaimed: “royal windsor is an amazing show – it is one of my favourites. i was early to go in the class and so i was nervous watching the remaining riders to see if they were going to be quicker than me. i have ridden my horse [encore toi du linon] for a year now, she is really careful, and i am very excited about her future. ”. results here. all competition reports here.

Friday

The CSI5* Show Jumping got underway today at Royal Windsor Horse Show, May 15-18, featuring some of the world’s top-ranked riders in the opening class, The Pearl Stakes. The highlight of the day, The Defender Stakes, provided a closely contested battle – much to the delight of the enthusiastic crowds in the Castle Arena.

Across the showground, International Driving began with the Dressage phase, while the Showing arenas hosted several Championship classes. In the Great Park, Royal Windsor Endurance, supported by The Kingdom of Bahrain, featured CEI3*, CEI2*, and CEI1* rides.

Out on the Long Walk, the Coaching Marathon offered a striking spectacle for Windsor’s residents, as elegant carriages passed the iconic landmark on their way to the Castle Arena.

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Additionally, the Equestrian Road Safety Awareness Ride arrived at the Show in memory of Knockalla, a two-year-old racehorse tragically killed in a road incident in Lambourn. As part of the British Horse Society’s ‘Dead Slow’ campaign and #ProjectEDWARD, the ride promoted safer driving around horses, with riders making the journey from Lambourn Gallops to Windsor over five days.

A man on a grey horse jumping a fence at Windsor.

Jack Whitaker riding Valmy de la Lande, winners of the CSI5* Defender Stakes at Royal Windsor Horse Show. (RoyalWindsorHorseShow/Peter Nixon)

In the afternoon, world-class competition took centre stage at Royal Windsor Horse Show with the CSI5* Defender Stakes, as 31 of the sport’s elite riders tackled Bernardo Costa Cabral’s demanding 15-fence course under glorious sunshine.

It was Great Britain’s Jessica Mendoza who set the pace early on, delivering the first clear aboard her talented 12-year-old mare, In The Air. Hot on her heels, USA’s Lillie Keenan followed suit with an immaculate round on Le Louvre 5, ensuring early excitement for the crowds.

As the class unfolded, 15 combinations – including an impressive eight from the home nation – secured spots in what promised to be a thrilling jump-off. Among them were two of Britain’s Paris 2024 Olympic team gold medallists, Ben Maher and Harry Charles, adding even more star power to the line-up.

In true family tradition, the Whitakers made their presence known with four relatives progressing to the second round. Legendary showjumper John Whitaker and his son Robert were joined by Donald and Jack Whitaker – the latter riding Valmy de La Lande, the mount owned by his father, Michael.

Seven nations were represented in the jump-off, and Brazil’s Yuri Mansur was the first to produce a double clear. Ben Maher and Point Break followed, but a wide turn before the double left the door open for the Whitaker clan to make their mark. The crowd erupted as John Whitaker, decorated with Olympic, World, and European Championship medals, surged into the lead with a time of 40.71 seconds. Sweden’s Petronella Andersson laid down a valiant challenge but slotted into third place with a slower time, but it was John’s nephew and Royal Windsor Horse Show Ambassador, Jack Whitaker, who put the pressure on. In a display of brilliance, Jack took out a stride between the penultimate Defender oxer and the final water tray fence to clinch victory in a time of 39.40 seconds – sealing a remarkable family triumph in front of an elated Windsor crowd.

A delighted Jack commented: “I think I was a bit quicker in the middle of the jump-off, he [Valmy de La Lande] was flying around, and jumped amazingly. I feel very very happy to have won here on the first day of International Jumping at Royal Windsor Horse Show.”

Earlier in the day, the CSI5* Pearl Stakes opened the International Show Jumping in style, with last year’s Rolex Grand Prix winner, Martin Fuchs, coming out on top. 33 horse and rider combinations contested the 1.45m two-phase competition with Italy’s Lorenzo de Luca setting a strong pace as first to go. Fuchs took over the lead in the early stages with an immaculate round aboard Love de Vie, a nine-year-old mare competing in her first five-star class. Only Laura Kraut could come close to challenging the Swiss rider’s position, but her effort was only good enough for second place, with de Luca finishing in third.

Speaking after his round, Fuchs said: “I love this show, it’s great to be back, it’s a great crowd and there’s always an amazing atmosphere, so I always love to come here. It’s Love de Vie’s first five-star show. She’s a really talented mare and I have high expectations for her future, so it was wonderful to start with a win.”

Saturday

His Majesty The King joined Their Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh for the third day of Royal Windsor Horse Show 2025, which took place today in the private grounds of Windsor Castle.

His Majesty The King alongside his brother His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh at Royal Windsor Horse Show. (RoyalWindsorHorseShow/Peter Nixon)

The Show was bathed in May sunshine on an action-packed day, where the international CSI5* Show Jumping once again delivered world-class sport, with impressive wins from Italy’s Lorenzo de Luca and last year’s Rolex Grand Prix winner, Martin Fuchs.

Elsewhere in the Great Park, Boyd Exell continued his dominance in the CAIO4* Driving World Cup™ with a masterful performance in the Marathon phase of the competition.

It was also a significant day for the military, as the Kingdom of Bahrain Services Team Jumping took centre stage in the Castle Arena this afternoon. Additionally, the Household Cavalry Best Trooper was awarded to Tpr Corallini from The Blues and Royals and The C Sub-Section Gun Team claimed the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery Best Gun Team supported by Defender.

Following a packed schedule that featured several Showing highlights, the day concluded with an international exhibition arena polo match, featuring teams from the Equestrian Federation of Azerbaijan and Guards Polo Club.

In a thrilling first round of The CSI5* Kingdom of Bahrain Stakes for The King’s Cup, it took eight combinations before the first clear was posted by none other than World No. 6 Martin Fuchs, riding his long-time partner, Commissar Pezi. At the halfway mark, the Swiss star remained the only rider with a clean scorecard, despite several getting agonisingly close. Among them were Show Ambassador Jack Whitaker, winner of The CSI5* Defender Stakes which took place on Friday, who finished fourth, and his uncle John Whitaker who eventually placed third. Both left all the fences standing but picked up a single time fault.

The 13-obstacle course proved to be a test of accuracy and scope and featured multiple demanding treble combinations and technical related distances. Even the most accomplished names in the sport, including triple Olympic gold medallist Ben Maher and World Top 10 rider Richard Vogel, couldn’t find a way through to the jump-off.

It was not until the third-last rider, Kim Emmen, entered the arena aboard 10-year-old mare Keavanta-C, that the crowd saw another clear – setting up a jump-off between the Dutch rider and Fuchs.

First to go, Fuchs laid down a typical masterclass in jump-off riding. With a daring sixpence turn back to the Rolex vertical and a stride out to the final fence, he stopped the clock on an impressive time of 35.19 seconds and left all the poles in place. Emmen followed with a strong effort but picked up four faults, handing Fuchs his second CSI5* victory of the week following yesterday’s win in The Pearl Stakes.

A delighted Fuchs reflected on the performance: “I’m very pleased with this win, Commissar Pezi jumped brilliantly – he is so fast – I took some tight turns and a stride out to the last, which helped put the pressure on and secure the win. Both my horses and I love coming to my Show. Every time my horses enter the Castle Arena, they feel very special, and we always have great support from the British crowd, which is why I love coming back every year.”

The opening CSI5* class of the day – The Defender Challenge Stakes – saw the 10 best placed athletes from the first round go through to a jump-off in reverse order of merit. With four faults in the first round, Ben Maher was first into the arena to go against the clock, jumping clear to finish on a total of four. Ireland’s Michael Duffy was the first to post a double clear, however it was Laura Kraut who really put the pressure on those to follow, taking over three seconds off Duffy’s time.

The penultimate rider into the arena, Daniel Deusser riding Bingo Ste Hermelle, briefly took over the lead, however it was Lorenzo de Luca who claimed the victory as last to go, knocking another 0.18 seconds off the time.

Speaking after the class, the Italian said: “I’m really happy with how he jumped, I know he’s really fast and careful, and being last to go I was able to watch a few, so I tried my best and it all worked out. This win means a lot, it’s such a good show, it’s always an amazing atmosphere and I love coming back year after year. I love the English crowd, thank you so much everyone.”

A man jumping a Rolex fence on a bay horse.

Gregory Wathelet riding Bond Jamesbond de Hay were winners of the Rolex Grand Prix. (RoyalWindsorHorseShow/Peter Nixon)

Sunday

The 2025 Royal Windsor Horse Show concluded today following four exceptional days of top-class equestrian sport. The highlight of the week, the CSI5* Rolex Grand Prix, saw an outstanding performance from Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet who stormed to victory to claim the prestigious title for the second time.

Earlier in the day, Luxembourg’s Victor Bettendorf secured victory in the CSI5* Manama Rose Show Stakes and, after three thrilling phases, it was Australia’s Boyd Exell – the World No.1 – who emerged victorious in the CAIO4* Carriage Driving World Cup™ Qualifier, his 15th title at this Show.

The final day also celebrated the rising stars of British equestrianism. Olivia Sponer triumphed in The Defender Under 25 Jumping Competition, England took top honours in the DAKS Pony Club Mounted Games Final, and Isabella Walker won the Show Pony Championship in the renowned Castle Arena in classic style.

The CSI5* Show Jumping concluded in a thrilling fight to the finish with the Rolex Grand Prix. Featuring 32 of the world’s best horse and rider combinations, Bernardo Costa Cabral’s up-to-height 1.60m course proved challenging, with many top riders, including double Olympic silver medalist Peder Fredricson, last year’s winner Martin Fuchs and crowd favourite John Whitaker, incurring faults in the first round.

In total, nine combinations went forward to the jump-off against the clock, each vying for a share of the €500,000 prize fund. First into the arena was Kim Emmen riding Imagine N.O.P., her ride at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, however four faults left the door ajar for the remainder of the field. The first clear round came from Eve Jobs, a Pan American Games team bronze medalist, who guided her bay gelding, Canto Bruno, to a steady but faultless round.

Ireland’s Billy Twomey stepped up the pace, taking almost three seconds off Jobs’ time, however his lead was short lived as Britain’s reigning Olympic team champion, Harry Charles, riding Sherlock, made up another two seconds to take the pole position at the half-way point, much to the delight of the home fans.

The standard kept improving as the round went on, with Harrie Smolders following Charles into the arena and taking over the lead, with less than half-a-second splitting the two. Robert Whitaker looked to be up with the pace aboard Vermento, but a wider turn to the penultimate fence put him behind Charles and he finished in eventual fourth, repeating his result of last year.

Last into the arena was Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet, a former winner of this class who finished second last year. The Olympic team bronze medalist set off meaning business aboard Bond Jamesbond de Hay, making the tightest of turns and with an impressive gallop down to the final Rolex oxer to shave 0.06 seconds off Smolders’ time and take the victory.

A delighted Wathelet said: “The last four years competing at Royal Windsor has been really good; winning in 2022, coming second in 2024 and winning again this year – so I’m very happy. I really enjoy riding here, it’s a great show and the crowd are really supportive.”

Speaking about today’s competition, he continued: “I think the course today was very fair. It’s always an advantage to go at the end, you can see the results and see what route you should take. I saw everyone get faster and faster, but I knew my horse and his speed, I knew he likes going fast, so I took some risks, but you have to on a day like today.”

Runner-up Smolders added: “Royal Windsor is such a prestigious show with a great atmosphere. We’ve seen a massive Rolex Grand Prix class today with a good amount of clears – which is a sign of a great course designer. My horse, Monaco, has speed, but I felt like I could have gone a touch faster, and that was the difference between first and second.”

Earlier in the day, The CSI5* Manama Rose Show Stakes took place in the iconic Castle Arena. As a single-phase class, it was a true test of speed and agility for the 25 riders who faced the 1.50m, 12-combination course.

First into the arena was Shane Breen riding BP Arctic Blue, who set the standard for those who followed, producing a stylish but steady clear in a time of 61.47 seconds. This was quickly usurped by Richard Vogel of Germany, who shaved a second off Breen’s time. Winner of The CSI5* Defender Challenge Stakes earlier this week, Lorenzo de Luca, once again proved to be a master of speed with a quicker time of 59.22 seconds. However, Victor Bettendorf, riding the talented 11-year-old mare Encore Toi du Linon delivered a smooth and well calculated round to finish in 58.08 seconds – a time that could not be matched by the remaining riders.

Speaking on his win, Bettendorf exclaimed: “Royal Windsor is an amazing Show – it is one of my favourites. I was early to go in the class and so I was nervous watching the remaining riders to see if they were going to be quicker than me. I have ridden my horse [Encore Toi du Linon] for a year now, she is really careful, and I am very excited about her future. ”

Results here.

All competition reports here.