League of Nations Final in Barcelona: Germany Defeats Brazil in a Shootout

There was plenty to jump at the Nations Cup Final of the 2026 League of Nations. Airy oxers, a triple combination—oxer, two gallop strides, oxer, one gallop stride, and a vertical—just before the finish line. An open water jump and many distances set at six gallop strides. Plus, fantastic obstacles featuring motifs typical of Barcelona—the Sagrada Familia Cathedral as a turning point, and Gaudí buildings from Parc Güell. And the rain, which had battered the Catalan capital yesterday with over 150 liters per square meter, also showed some mercy to the riders.

Germany Takes the Lead After Just the First Round

The German team had already made its intentions clear in the first round. Marcus Ehning/Coolio, Jörne Sprehe/Toys, and Richard Vogel/Cloudio rode clear rounds. Iron Dames my Prince and Sophie Hinners had to deal with a knockdown. However, because the regular Nations Cup format—four riders, one discard—was still in effect in the first round, Germany entered the second round without any faults, where they had to tackle the same course once again.

Marcus Ehning and Coolio kicked off the competition, just as they had when winning the title at the World Team Championships in Aachen. The Holsteiner cleared the 15 jumps with ease. Jörne Sprehe did the same with Toys. Sprehe praised her gelding: “Toys has been jumping really, really well all season long, and today he did a fantastic job once again. Thanks to my teammates for letting me ride here in this great team in Barcelona.”

Cloudio delivers maximum excitement to the spectators

Two clear rounds—all that was needed was a third clear round, and Germany would have been the winner of this year’s Longines League of Nations final after two rounds. That’s because the rules differ in the second round: only three combinations compete. One round’s score is not counted.

Richard Vogel’s Casall son, Cloudio, got off to a confident start. The gray horse maintained a relatively fast base pace. But one pole wouldn’t cooperate. “Unfortunately, I let him down a bit on the second round—I was too far away at an oxer, and he knocked down the back pole,” said Vogel. Because Germany, as the leading team, had the last starting position, it was clear: The 2026 Nations Cup Final would be decided in a jump-off. Brazil, the only nation to emerge from the seven rides with four penalty points, would face Germany.

Major Tom isn’t quite “completely uninhibited” yet in the early stages

Rodrigo Pessoa kicked things off; his horse Major Tom by Vagabond de la Pomme lived up to his name in the second round and truly jumped “completely uninhibited.” But in the jump-off, the dark chestnut had a knockdown at the very first fence. Olympic champion Pessoa reacted and kicked it into high gear. Apart from the mishap at the first jump, Major Tom flew through the jump-off course, which featured several long stretches for galloping as well as a few tight turns.

The strategy paid off, but it was exciting right up to the last second

Vogel watched Pessoa’s ride from the warm-up arena. “The strategy was to get my warm-up jumps out of the way before Rodrigo jumped, so I could see exactly how he was doing, and then use the second starting position to my advantage.” The strategy worked. Cloudio jumped confidently and with ease. At the final jump, he had the stadium holding its breath once again. The gray horse touched the bar on the final jump with his hind leg. It wobbled for a long time on the support, but stayed down. By then, “Richie” had already crossed the finish line, and Germany was declared the winner of the League of Nations Nations Cup Final.

Richard Vogel summed it up with his usual level-headedness, but also with a twinkle in his eye: “Cloudio was crucial for the team in the first round, and then—yes, thank goodness—I was able to make up for it in the second round (the jump-off). We made it more exciting for ourselves than it needed to be. But I think it made for some thrilling sports action for the audience.”

Cloudio – Best Horse of the 2026 Series

Otto Becker was happy. He quickly tied on a tie in the warm-up arena before heading to the award ceremony. “Teamwork makes the dream work—this team has done it again: All the riders delivered outstanding rounds today, and I’m glad that Richie pulled it off in the jump-off at the end. It’s a great feeling; it’s the finale of this season,” said the national team coach.

And the horse of the season ultimately sealed the victory. No horse was more successful than Cloudio in the 2026 Longines League of Nations season. “So I think if anyone deserves this victory, it’s Cloudio,” said Richard Vogel. “And once again, my teammates did a fantastic job.” Sophie Hinners was also delighted with the team spirit.

Alongside Pessoa, the second-place Brazilian team included Stephan de Freitas Barcha/Chevaux Primavera Imperio Egipcio (0/0), Joao Victor Castro Aguilar Gomes de Lima/Cashpaid (0/0), and Pedro Junqueira Muylaert/Gemme Villers (4/-). Third place went to Belgium (Pieter Devos/Primo DV (0/0), Emilie Conter/Portobella van de Fruitkorf (0/4), Abdel Said/Wathnan Bonne Amie (1/0), and Roy van Beek/Cavoira H OLD (4/-).

Results of the League of Nations Final, Barcelona 2026