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From a weekend without five-star competitions, we immediately go into a weekend with not one, not two, but three five star shows to look forward to. Before looking ahead at the events to come, we take a dive into the past to have a look at how these competitions influenced the sport last year.
<h3>A Short Jump-off in Rolex GP at RWHS last year</h3>
Less than a week after the official Coronation of King Charles III, we head back to royal grounds for the Royal Windsor Horse Show, a CSI5* event with a Rolex Grand Prix on Sunday. The Royal Windsor Horse Show has been staged since 1943 but has only been a five-star event since 2017. While the first edition of the Rolex Grand Prix of Windsor in 2017 only had an Elo Field Strength of 584, by 2019 the beautiful venue attracted higher-rated combinations from all over the globe to stage a Grand Prix with an Elo Field Strength of 712. Due to the pandemic and Brexit, no doubt, there has since been a slight drop in the level of combinations that decide to travel to Windsor for the event. Last year&rsquo;s Rolex Grand Prix of Windsor had an Elo Field Strength of 690, but therefore wasn&rsquo;t any less thrilling.
There were no big surprises in the Rolex Grand Prix of Windsor last year, as all three podium finishers rated among the Top 5 highest-rated horses of the field. The biggest shock perhaps was the number of Round 1 clears, with only those three duos managing to keep all a clean scoreboard over a tricky track. Ultimately, it was Belgium&rsquo;s Gregory Wathelet who took the win on Nevados S (then 736), ahead of Max K&uuml;hner on Elektric Blue P (then 736). As last to go in a small jump-off and with podium finish guaranteed, Daniel Bluman and Ladriano Z (then 738) risked it all to take the win, but four faults saw them settle for third.
<h3>Youth over Experience at LGCT Madrid in 2022</h3>
Just like last year, the Royal Windsor Horse Show runs simultaneously with the fourth leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour in Madrid, the first of the European-based legs. The venue has been a part of the LGCT since 2013. Last year&rsquo;s edition was one for the books, when 23-year-old Sanne Thijssen took the biggest win of her career aboard the then 16-year-old Con Quidam RB (then 744). Sanne was the third-youngest rider ever to win a LGCT Grand Prix at that point in time. She beat more experienced riders like Marlon Modolo Zanotelli on VDL Edgar M (then 711) and Darragh Kenny on VDL Cartello (then 738), who clocked in at the exact same time in the jump-off and tied for second place.&nbsp;
While last year&rsquo;s LGCT Grand Prix had an Elo Field Strength of 695, the toughest LGCT Grand Prix to take place in Madrid had an Elo Field Strength of 714 and was held in 2019, when Martin Fuchs took the win on Chaplin (then 753).
<h3> A first five-star Nations Cup at San Juan Capistrano</h3>
There will be high-level sport in abundance this weekend as the second leg of the North American League of the Longines FEI Nations Cup will land at San Juan Capistrano, USA. While plenty of CSI2* and CSI3* have been organised at the venue previously, this is the first time they will host a CSIO5* event.&nbsp;
As we gear up for another action-packed weekend of equestrian sport, we can't wait to share the thrilling highlights and incredible stories that are sure to unfold.

#ThrowbackThursday: Revisiting the 2022 editions of Windsor & LGCT Madrid

Harry Charles has been an integral part of the British Jumping Team for the past couple of years. Still eligible for the U25 competitions, the young British star more than holds his own among the world&rsquo;s greatest riders. Today, no other rider has more depth in their string of horses than the young Brit. With 6 horses rated over 697 on Elo and some younger horses coming up through the ranks as well, Harry Charles is the best-equipped rider in the world today from an equine point of view.
Two of the highest-rated horses in Harry&rsquo;s string rank among the current Top 20 highest-rated horses in the world. Romeo 88 (758) was Harry&rsquo;s partner contesting his first ever Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021 and a year later at the Jumping World Championships in Herning. They were an essential part of the British Team that won Team Bronze in Denmark. The 14-year-old gelding hadn&rsquo;t competed internationally since the World Cup in London ExCel late last year but has recently appeared back on the scene at CSI2* Chepstow to prepare for the upcoming season.
It is however the newest addition to Harry Charles&rsquo; string that he has expressed the most excitement about. Late last year, Balou du Reventon (754) left the stables of Brian Moggre and joined forces with the young Brit. Although the duo haven&rsquo;t been paired up for very long, they have already achieved some impressive performances. They only competed in their first international competition in January 2023 and by February had already finished fourth in the World Cup competition of Bordeaux. This achievement made them eligible to contest FEI World Cup Finals in Omaha with a Top 10 finish as a result. With this summer&rsquo;s European Championships in mind, one could state Harry is giving Balou du Reventon a similar preparation as he did Romeo 88 for last year&rsquo;s World Championships. Just like Balou du Reventon has this year, Romeo 88 started 2022 off at the Tours in Spain before jetting off to compete at the World Cup Finals in Leipzig. He then didn&rsquo;t make another appearance internationally until late May when he competed in Hamburg, followed by Sankt Gallen and Aachen in June, to peak at the World Championships in Herning in August. Is Harry planning a similar preparation for 17-year-old Balou du Reventon ahead of the European Championships in Milano in September?
Not to be outdone by his stable mates, Casquo Blue stands his ground among Harry&rsquo;s two top steeds. Currently on an Elo of 732, which puts him just inside the Top 60 overall, Casquo Blue does not only maintain the highest clear rate at 150 and above in 4* and 5* competitions over the past 12 months, he also outperforms all of Harry&rsquo;s horses on the EquiRatings CAS metric. Casquo Blue jumped 21 150 classes and over at 4* level and above and managed to stay clear in 14 of them coming to a clear rate of 66.7%. Because the average clear rounds of those 21 courses is just 7.8, Casquo Blue sports a CAS rate of 6.2 as he has stayed clear in over 6 more classes than what is considered average.
At 17 years of age, Borsato still sports an Elo of 709. Although we haven&rsquo;t yet seen Borsato in international competitions so far this year, we didn&rsquo;t see them until later in the season last year as well when he jumped a couple of smaller classes in Saint Tropez to prepare for the bigger shows ahead like Windsor, Aachen and London. Superb management from Harry Charles&rsquo; part as the pair finished second in the Grand Prix on home soil in Windsor that year.&nbsp;
Another great partner for Harry Charles is Billabong du Roumois. The 12-year-old gelding is just a smidge away from passing the 700 mark on Elo, currently coming in at 699. Another relatively new partnership as they only got paired up a little over a year ago. Despite that, Billabong du Roumois has been a competitive ally for Harry, mostly in the 150-155 classes.
The next horse on Harry&rsquo;s list may no longer actually belong to Harry&rsquo;s string. Stardust (697) helped Harry take the win in the World Cup on home soil in London in 2021 and recorded three wins at 5* level in 2022. Since the latter part of 2022 however, Stardust seems to have joined Harry&rsquo;s sister, Sienna Charles&rsquo; string of horses. Yet, he won&rsquo;t find himself short of horses anytime soon with others like Aralyn Blue and Sherlock in the wings to keep him in business.
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At the young age of 23, Harry Charles has managed to accumulate an exceptional roster of horses, unparalleled by any other rider today. With six horses rated over 697 on Elo, Charles has proved himself as a force to be reckoned with in the jumping world. His partnership with top-rated horses like Romeo 88 and Balou du Reventon has produced remarkable results, and his careful management of each equine athlete highlights his dedication and skill. As he continues to develop his partnerships with these incredible horses, Charles is well-positioned to dominate the international show jumping scene for years to come.
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A Stellar Stable: Harry Charles’ String of Horses

Despite the absence of a CSI5* event on the show jumping calendar this past weekend, there was plenty of international sport to turn our attention to as riders prepare their horses for the upcoming season, test out new partnerships and make sure to give their young horses the chance to progress.
No five-star event to focus on this weekend, yet there was CSI4* competition in Montefalco, Italy. In the 155 Grand Prix, Pius Schwizer and Vancouver de Lanlore (737) emerged victorious, demonstrating once more that they are a force to be reckoned with in 2023. There was also a Top 5 finish for one of the Top 10 highest-rated nine-year-olds, Odense Odeveld (644) and rider Emanuele Camili.&nbsp;
One of the most exhilarating revelations this weekend was the return of Olympic Champion Ben Maher to the show ring after nearly three and a half months away due to injury. His comeback is not only exciting in itself, but it is also made even more remarkable by his choice of equine partner. After a 10-month hiatus from competition, the current Elo record-holder, Explosion W (798), has also returned to action. The duo made a successful comeback at CSI3* Opglabbeek, completing two rounds at 140 and 150 without knocking down a single rail.
In other news, it was recently announced that Marlon Modolo Zanotelli's Harwich VDL (680) had been sold to Norway&rsquo;s Geir Gulliksen. The newly formed partnership made their international competition debut at CSI2* Drammen this weekend, achieving a top-five finish in the 145 Grand Prix on Sunday. This promising start bodes well for the new team!
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Top Takeaways from a Weekend of Jumping without 5*

Although the CSIO5* of San Miguel de Allende in Mexico was the only competition to affect our Elo ratings last weekend, we did see some interesting shifts.
 By far coming in as the highest-rated horse of the entire field, Laura Kraut&rsquo;s Baloutinue came and delivered. The 13-year-old Olympian was the only horse to keep a clean sheet across two tough tracks in the Nations Cup and with that helped Team USA take the win. Thanks to this performance, his Elo has increased by 3 points, now sporting an Elo of 773 and overtaking Monaco N.O.P. (771) as the sixth highest-rated horse in the world right now.&nbsp;
We also see a small shift in the Elo-ratings for nine-year-old horses, likewise due to one of Laura Kraut&rsquo;s horses. Bisquetta Z produced a superb round in the 160 Grand Prix where the pair finished sixth ahead of several more experienced horses. Despite gaining 26 Elo points for this performance, Bisquetta Z is still rated as the fourth most successful nine-year-old so far this year on an Elo 679, just 6 points behind Richard Vogel&rsquo;s Cepano Baloubet (685) and the Top 3.&nbsp;
More significant changes can be spotted in the 10-year-old ranking, also by the hands of a US rider, Kent Farrington. He chose Landon to compete in both the Nations Cup and the Grand Prix, with victorious outcomes in both classes. These spectacular performances meant an 11 point increase in Elo, now sporting an Elo of 738 and entering the Top 3 of the best performing 10-year-olds in the world today, rating second only behind Shane Sweetnam&rsquo;s James Kann Cruz (761).&nbsp; &nbsp;
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EquiRatings Wednesday Weekly:  Shake-ups after San Miguel de Allende

The only 5* show to take place this weekend was the first leg of the North American League of the Longines FEI Nations Cup of in Mexico. The US riders came out in full force to this event to ensure a strong start to the Nations Cup season and hopefully gain qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.&nbsp;
 Especially Team USA regular, Laura Kraut came out in full force this weekend. On Baloutinue (770), currently one of the Top 10 highest-rated horses in the world, Laura produced the only double clear of the field over 2 tough Nations Cup rounds. This pair have been incredibly consistent over the last 2 weeks and will surely be an integral part of securing the Olympic qualification. For the Grand Prix however, Kraut counted on the just 9-year-old Bisquetta Z (653). Already ranked as one of the Top 5 highest-rated nine-year-olds in the world, they confirmed their position by finishing sixth in the CSIO5* Grand Prix.
 The winner of that Grand Prix was another of Team USA&rsquo;s young guns. Kent Farrington and Landon (727), already one of the Top 5 highest-rated 10-year-olds on Elo, took the victory after already being part of the US Team that won the Nations Cup two days prior. This performance will likely see him enter the Top 3.&nbsp;
 Hometown Hero Eugenio Garza Perez and his Contago (739) put in another superb performance on home soil, finishing third in the Grand Prix and therefore strengthening their position as the highest-rated Mexican combination. A great place to be as team selectors will already be keeping their eyes open for their picks for the Olympic Games in Paris next year. &nbsp;

Top Takeaways after San Miguel de Allende: Great Weekend for USA’s Young Guns

The first leg of the North American League of the Longines FEI Nations Cup is taking place in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, this weekend.
Team USA is determined to secure Olympic qualification this year ahead of Paris 2024 and has selected some of its strongest horse and rider combinations to represent the stars and stripes. Half of the team due to compete in San Miguel already have Olympic experience and know how to bring home the medals. Both Laura Kraut&rsquo;s Baloutinue (770) and Jessica Springsteen&rsquo;s Don Juan van de Donkhoeve (723) were on the Olympic team that won Silver at the Olympic Games in Tokyo two years ago and are set on qualifying the US team for Paris next year. These two powerhouse combinations are accompanied by the widely experienced Kent Farrington on his 10-year-old mount, Landon (727), as well as Bliss Heers and her trusted stallion Antidote de Mars (694). All four US horses rank in the Top 7 of the highest-rated horses in the field.
The home team Mexico has also ensured to bring their A-game this weekend. Hometown heroes Eugenio Garza Perez and Contago (739) are fresh off a superb weekend of competing on home soil in Mexico City and will surely look to extend that trend with their team in San Miguel de Allende. The Canadians have also made sure to send a strong team to Mexico, with Erynn Ballard and Gakhir (704) as their frontrunners. We will also see teams from Colombia, Chile, and Argentina compete in the FEI Longines Nations Cup of San Miguel de Allende this weekend.
&nbsp;

Jessica Springton in team gear on Don Juan vd Donkhoeve

Team USA kick off Nations Cup season with star line-up in Mexico

From outstanding performances that catapulted horses into the Top 10 to surprising drops in ratings, we cover all the significant changes you need to know in the equestrian world.
After finishing second in the LGCT Grand Prix in Mexico City, H&amp;M Indiana (781) has now tied with HH Azur as the fourth highest-rated horse in the world, with an Elo of 781. Malin Baryard-Johnsson's Olympic mount is just one or two strong results away from entering the Top 3 and potentially displacing Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z from the podium. Both Laura Kraut's Baloutinue (770) and Maikel van der Vleuten's Beauville Z N.O.P. (768) delivered superb performances in that same LGCT Grand Prix, solidifying their spots in the Top 10 highest-rated horses based on Elo.
The LGCT of Mexico City also prompted two significant shifts in the ratings for nine-year-old horses. It was a terrific weekend for US rider Laura Kraut, whose 9-year-old Bisquetta (653) produced an impressive result in the Saturday 1.55m feature jump-off class. This outcome saw their Elo increase by 32 points, now tying with Harry Allen's Calculatus as the fourth highest-rated nine-year-old in the world. Unfortunately, we also witnessed a 9-year-old drop out of the Top 10. Scott Brash did not have the weekend he hoped for with Hello Valentino (618), who now sees his Elo decrease by 49 points, ranking 19th in the world among his peers. Among the 10-year-olds, Katrin Eckermann's Cala Mandia (718) regained her spot in the Top 10 after two outstanding weekends of showjumping on the LGCT circuit.

EquiRatings Weekly: Main Movers After Mexico

When we look at the Top 10 highest Elo-rated horses of the moment, we can&rsquo;t help but notice their ages. Between aging horses and juggling horse and/or rider injuries, could we be seeing a shift among the Top 10? At 13 years old, KING EDWARD (803) is one of the youngest horses in the Top 10 of our Elo ranking. While he continues to climb the ranks, we see others start to fall behind.&nbsp;
Ben Maher&rsquo;s EXPLOSION W (798) was the first horse in history to ever reach an Elo of 804. He achieved this milestone two years ago after winning the Olympic Gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Right now, the chestnut gelding sports an Elo of 798, the second highest-rated horse of the moment. Yet we haven&rsquo;t seen this combination compete internationally since Aachen in July last year. Explosion W&rsquo;s return to competition has been postponed due to a rider injury for Ben Maher. While both horse and rider are due to make their competitive comeback soon, it remains challenging to envision them immediately regaining the same level of excellence they once displayed.
SCUDERIA 1918 TOBAGO Z (789) was the second of just two horses to ever achieve an Elo of 804. Earlier this year, Daniel Deusser and his chestnut stallion had been one of the combinations to beat at five-star 160, showing incredible consistency at this level. Unfortunately, since then Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z has been experiencing a slight drop in form. After not reaching the finish in the second round of the World Cup Finals, the stallion&rsquo;s Elo has now dropped down to 789. At 15 years old, could Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z be starting to feel the consequences of his age?
We also see two 17-year-olds among the Top 10 highest-rated horses on Elo. Regardless of her age, HH AZUR (781) is coming fresh off two back-to-back Rolex Major Grand Prix wins. McLain Ward is surely aiming this mare for the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen to become the second pair to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping. Despite being sidelined by an injury since November and undergoing surgery, the team supporting QUEL HOMME DE HUS (770) remains confident in his ability to make a triumphant return to competition, with the aim to take part in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. However, it's worth noting that since 2010, no horse aged 18 or older has participated in a major championship event.
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While some of these older horses could potentially be dropping out of the Top 10 soon, there are several younger horses ready to climb up the ranks. Simone Delestre&rsquo;s CAYMAN JOLLY JUMPER already ranks seventh in the world, but at just 11 years of age there is room for him to climb into the Top 5. Age mate LEONE JEI (762) has also been lurking just outside the Top 10 waiting for a spot to open up. One of the most exciting young horses we have discussed at length is JAMES KANN CRUZ (761) At just 10 years old, he is already rated as the 15th best horse in the world.&nbsp;
Will we see more young guns enter the Top 10 throughout this year or will experience hold its own?

Henrik von Eckermann riding King Edward while patting him on the neck. Placed against a grid paper and newspaper background for artistic effect.

Changing of the Guard: Potential shifts among Top 10 Elo-rated horses

A superb weekend of showjumping with the sportive highlight in Mexico City where the Longines Global champions Tour settled for their third leg of the season, while Fontainebleau hosted a 4* event.
The Top 6 combinations with the highest win chances produced by the EquiRatings &nbsp;Jumping Prediction Centre going into the LGCT Grand Prix of Mexico City made it into the jump-off of nine. In the end, it was the pair with the lowest win chance among those (6%) that went on to claim the victory. David Will and My Prins van Dorperheide (725) beat an incredibly strong jump-off field with an electric round. They outperformed the favourites Malin Baryard-Johnsson and H&amp;M Indiana (777) who had to settle for second, while another Olympic combination Laura Kraut and Baloutinue (764) conclude their faultless weekend with a third place finish.
Michael Pender&rsquo;s HHS Fast Forward produced a surprising clear round in the LGCT Grand Prix to finish fifth. The 11-year-old Irish-bred entered on an Elo of just 621, one of the lowest in the field, but this performance will surely push them up the ratings.
On European soil in Fontainebleau, there were two underdogs on podium of the 155 CSI4* Grand Prix. As one of the higher rated combinations in the field Roger-Yves Bost and Cassius Clay VDV Z (695) claimed the win. However, Wilma Hellstr&ouml;m&rsquo;s Quinti von Hof (583) and Reynald Angot&rsquo;s Chrome d&rsquo;Ivraie (588) completed the podium as two horses rated under 600 on Elo. They beat powerhouses like Bibici (734) and Delux van T&amp;L (723), which will lead to a boost to their Elos.
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Top Takeaways from Mexico City & Fontainebleau

Torrential rains at the start of the week made it so that the Global Champions League would be run over just one round of showjumping in Miami Beach.
No opportunity for a schooling round in what is already considered one of the trickiest arenas to jump in, combined with a tough 160 track saw but few horse-and-rider combinations cross the finish line on a clean penalty sheet. Four teams finished on a team score of eight penalties and ultimately it was their combined time that decided who was to step on the podium. This is only the second time in the history of Global Champions Tour that the leading team has finished on 8 faults after one round of GCL, the first being in Cannes 2017.
Just nine combinations from 53 entries managed to produce a clear round. Evidently still in his winning ways from the previous weekend, Henrik von Eckermann took the individual win on GLAMOUR GIRL. Other clean rounds were produced by some of the favourites like the highest-rated horse in the field, H&amp;M INDIANA. MOM&rsquo;S TOUPIE DE LA ROQUE and the ever-so consistent GCL performer SOLID GOLD Z also left all rails in the cups. Maikel van der Vleuten is sure to be very satisfied from his trip to Miami Beach. Together with the star of his stable BEAUVILLE N.O.P. Z, the Olympic and World Championship bronze medalists put their best foot forward by producing a lovely clear in GCL and help their team Madrid in Motion secure the win. The following day, Maikel and Beauville N.O.P. Z came out again firing on all cylinders to produce another double clear to step onto the third spot on the podium in the LGCT Grand Prix of Miami Beach.
The LGCT Grand Prix of Miami Beach was of course the highlight of the weekend with electrifying sport. The previous year, Katrin Eckermann and the then just nine-year-old CALA MANDIA shocked the crowd by unexpectedly taking the win. This year they returned with slightly more pressure and expectation to do well. The pair proved they could handle it with ease and took their second consecutive LGCT Grand Prix victory in Miami Beach. This is is only the 7th time in the history of Longines Global Champions Tour that a rider manages to score back-to-back LGCT Grand Prix victories at the same venue.

Podium of 2023 LGCT Grand Prix of Miami Beach with Katrin Eckermann (first), Eduardo Alvarez Aznar (second), and Maikel van der Vleuten (third). Copyright: Stefano Grasso/LGCT Miami Beach

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