This September, the Agria Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials return to Oxfordshire, bringing together the best of the best from 14 nations, a brand-new team competition, and some of the most exciting rising stars in the sport.
When is Blenheim Horse Trials 2026?
Competition runs from 17th – 20th September 2026 in the grounds of Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, with the first horse inspection on Wednesday 16th September. The event hosts two feature classes: the CCI4*-L, one of the most prestigious long-format four-star events in the world, and the GFS Saddles eight- and nine-year-old CCI4*-S, where the up-and-coming horses of the future make their mark.
How to watch Blenheim Horse Trials 2026
As Blenheim’s official broadcast partner, Horse & Country will be streaming every phase live, from Wednesday 16th to Sunday 20th September.
Watch Blenheim Horse Trials 2026 LIVE on H&C+
- Wednesday 16th September: CCI4*-L first horse inspection
- Thursday 17th & Friday 18th September: Dressage
- Saturday 19th September: Cross-country
- Sunday 20th September: Final horse inspection and showjumping
H&C+ annual membership is £84.99, that’s just £7.08 a month. Watch on your phone, tablet, laptop or smart TV via the H&C app.
Who’s riding at Blenheim 2026?
Blenheim has always attracted a world-class field, and 2026 is no exception. With riders from 14 nations, 74 combinations in the CCI4*-L and 108 in the young horse class, this is the best of the best, and it promises to make for truly great competition.
World champions on home soil.
All four members of Britain’s gold medal-winning team from the recent World Championships are entered. Tom McEwen leads the CCI4*-L entries with five-star campaigner Brookfield Quality, while Laura Collett brings forward the exciting Balancero. Former Blenheim winner Zara Tindall rides Classicals Euro Star.
A famous family line.
Just days after Gemma Stevens and Chilli Knight won Burghley by the largest margin in almost 30 years, Gemma rides Chilli’s Jester, the 10-year-old full brother to Chilli Knight, in the CCI4*-L. In the young horse class she partners Chilli Morning IV, a clone of the legendary stallion Chilli Morning, who finished eighth in this class last year. Could Blenheim be the next chapter in the Chilli story?
Rising stars.
Keep an eye on under-25 talent Isabelle Cook with Cymoon “F” Z, and US rider Olivia Dutton, making her Blenheim debut on Jewelent. In the young horse class, two former young horse world champions start among the favourites: Tom McEwen’s Brookfield Danny De Muze and Izzy Taylor’s Barrington Alice.
There’s also a fresh test for every combination: Canadian Jay Hambly takes over as cross-country course designer this year.
What is the Blenheim Challenge?
New for 2026, The Blenheim Challenge pits Britain’s Rising Lions against the US Stars & Stripes, with a £50,000 prize fund. That’s more than the entire prize pot for the CCI4*-L itself.
Inspired by golf’s Ryder Cup, it runs inside the main CCI4*-L, so riders still compete for individual honours. Before each phase, riders are drawn head-to-head against a member of the opposing team. The better score wins a point for their team, and a tie means half a point each. With four points up for grabs in every phase, the team with the most points after showjumping takes the title.
The prize money has been privately raised and will be shared between the riders, their grooms, the winning nation’s youth programme and an equestrian charity. It’s a brilliant boost for the sport, and a whole new storyline to follow all weekend.
With world champions, rising stars and riders from 14 nations going head-to-head against the stunning backdrop of the Palace, Blenheim 2026 is one not to miss.
Stream Blenheim Horse Trials LIVE on H&C+ from Wednesday 16th – Sunday 20th September. Join H&C+ today from just £7.08 a month.
Want to know what makes Gemma and the Chilli horses so special? Go behind the scenes of her yard in our exclusive series Behind the Stable Door.