CCI5*-L Luhmühlen 2026: British One-Two for Caroline Harris and Emily King; Katharina Meyer Finishes Seventh

Caroline Harris celebrated the second five-star victory of her career in Luhmühlen. Riding D. Day, the British rider completed a clear round in the show jumping, thereby defending the lead she had earned on Saturday with the fastest cross-country round. It was the only cross-country round to finish within the ideal time. Fifteen of the original 20 horses were still in the running after the cross-country.

Riding D. Day, the British rider won the 5* competition in Pau, France, in 2024. The son of Billy Mexico navigated the course with ease and determination. “I’m still overwhelmed. He just has so much heart and gives it his all every time I ride him. I trust this horse completely and know that he’ll fight for me right to the end in show jumping, as long as I do my job properly. He usually does everything he can to avoid knocking down a rail. That’s why I just focus on maintaining a good canter and a steady rhythm. He loves the crowd—when he hears applause, he thinks everyone is there just for him. Riding into the roaring stadium after Emily’s clear round gave us an extra boost.”

Emily King’s Valmy Biats – When a 17-Year-Old Feels Like a 7-Year-Old

Second place went to Emily King with Valmy Biats. Before the jumping, she was just behind Harris and kept the eventual winner under pressure right up until the last jump. Valmy Biats, just 17 years old and already twice among the top five at Badminton, was clearly at home in the Lüneburg Heath: “On paper, he might be a bit older, but today he felt like a seven-year-old. He’s like Benjamin Button—every year he feels younger and better. He has such a great attitude and fights for me every day. His big heart is simply extraordinary.”

Boyd Martin: “Something’s happening here…”

Third place went to American Boyd Martin riding Shanroe Cooley, the horse on which American Elisabeth Halliday had suffered a serious accident. The pair delivered a solid dressage performance (35.7/11th), a confident yet fast cross-country round, and a clear jumping round. The multiple Olympic rider says the trip was well worth it: “When I arrived here, my initial goal was simply to finish with a respectable result. Then things went so well in the cross-country that I thought, ‘We’ve got a shot here—let’s go!’ I’m very, very satisfied. It takes an enormous amount of effort to get from America to Luhmühlen. That’s why I’m incredibly grateful to the owners, supporters, and trainers for making this trip possible. To be honest, I didn’t know exactly what we could achieve this weekend. Standing on the podium here in Luhmühlen has definitely exceeded my expectations.”

Winner of the hearts

Pure emotion accompanied Katharina Meyer and Aspen T throughout the days in Luhmühlen. The local favorite made her debut at the five-star level. After a mixed performance in dressage (41.4/20th), she and Aspen—who was bred on her own farm—delivered the fourth-best cross-country round with 4.4 time penalties. In show jumping, the pair remained clear—finishing seventh (47.8).: “Aspen was born and raised in Luhmühlen, and I’ve known him for sixteen years now—I’m just so grateful to him. Yesterday, I had the feeling that he already knew the cross-country course. He handled a lot of it on his own, and I’m incredibly proud of him. Today he was just as perfect in the jumping as well. I just tried to stay calm and ride as I always do. With my kids’ lucky pig in my pocket, I stroked Aspen’s nose before mounting and said, ‘Come on, let’s do this.’ Sitting alongside these legends still feels surreal to me—it’s a great honor. And then to finish seventh here with a clear round is just fantastic.”

Katharina Meyer struggled to hold back her tears time and again. Her emotional display—her happiness, which was obvious to everyone—even brought tears to the eyes of the seasoned veterans on the podium.

In the run-up to the event, many international riders had changed their plans and canceled their scheduled starts at the last minute. Insiders claimed that the ground conditions in Luhmühlen were to blame, despite all the organizers’ efforts. Winner Harris strongly disagrees: “It was simply a great week. The ground was perfect yesterday and today, and the course demanded focused riding from start to finish—we just had a fantastic week.”

Final Results: CCI5*-L Luhmühlen 2026