A Season of Top-Class Competition Sets the Stage for the Longines EEF Series 2026 Final

Report: Emily Bevan

With the second – and final – semi-final wrapping up at the X-Bionic Sphere in Samorin, Slovakia last week, the line-up of ten teams for the Longines EEF Series final is confirmed.

Reigning champions Switzerland, three-time winners Italy and 2023 victors Austria are among the nations who have qualified for the final, which will take place at l'Institut Équestre National d'Avenches (IENA) on Sunday 6 September, but how did they get there and who else is in the running to lift the trophy this year?

Switzerland was in impressive form in the South-Central semi-final in Samorin, which was making its debut as a semi-final venue having hosted a Region Central qualifier in 2025. The Swiss clinched victory in the impressive grass arena without needing their final combination, Adrian Schmid and Chicharito 11, to jump in the second round.

Austria finished just four penalties in arrears to occupy second and secure their final spot. This result marked their first podium finish of the season, suggesting the former champions are perhaps peaking at the right time.

Italy is a regular fixture in the final and this year will be no different after they finished third in the semi-final to punch their ticket to the season finale.

The Italians won two qualifiers in three days when they successfully defended their title in the Region South qualifier in Thessaloniki, having led the competition from start to finish, and triumphed in the Region West qualifier in Deauville. They were ineligible to score points in Deauville but gained valuable experience as they look to secure a fourth title in the competition.

Belgium were comfortable winners in the North-West semi-final in Peelbergen, finishing on a score of six to give them a seven-penalty winning margin over runners-up Sweden. It was the first time Peelbergen had hosted a semi-final having previously successfully staged several Region West qualifiers.

Victory in Peelbergen was Belgium’s second win of the season having also finished at the head of affairs in the Region West qualifier in Lier. On home turf they fielded a highly competitive team with the aim of taking maximum points, a tactic which paid off as they were the only team to finish on a clean sheet.

With podium positions in Mannheim, Stutteri Ask, Deauville and Drammen to add to their brace of victories, Belgium has shown impressive consistency in the Series so far this year and will be ones to watch in the final.

Sweden equalled their best result of the season when they finished second in the semi-final. They also occupied the runner-up spot in the Region North qualifier in Stutteri Ask behind Denmark. Their semi-final result ensured they will contest the final for the second straight year.

Rounding out the podium in Peelbergen was Spain who recorded their best result of the season when it mattered most to qualify for the final. It will also be a second straight final appearance for the Spaniards.

France qualified for the final thanks to a fourth-place finish in the North-West semi-final. Their best result so far this year has been third place in the Region West qualifier in front of their own supporters in Deauville. 

Great Britain, who were second behind Belgium in the Region West qualifier in Lier, will make their third appearance at the final after they qualified by finishing fifth in the semi-final in Peelbergen.

Hungary were impressive in Samorin finishing fourth, just one penalty off the podium. The Hungarians achieved a top three finish in the Region South qualifier in Thessaloniki behind Italy and Germany.

Completing the final line-up are Netherlands who secured their place in the last 10 after they finished fifth in the South-Central semi-final. The Dutch have underperformed so far this year – their best result in 2026 has been a third-place finish at the Region Central qualifier in Budapest – and will be looking to make amends in the final.

This year’s competition got underway with the Region Central qualifier in Mannheim in early May. Germany proved the ones to beat after they were the only team to complete the two-round competition on a score of zero.

Not only did the result give the home fans something to cheer about but they also witnessed eventing greats Michael Jung and Sandra Auffarth show their prowess over the coloured poles as they turned their hand to showjumping.

The qualifier took place at the Reiter-Verein Mannheim Club which is celebrating its 100^th anniversary this year.

Germany was also in imperious form at the second Region Central qualifier in Budapest, taking victory ahead of Czech Republic and Netherlands. The Germans couldn’t reproduce that kind of form in their semi-final however and clocked up 21 faults in the opening round. Despite bouncing back to record four clear rounds in the second round they couldn’t regain the ground they had lost and finished in eighth, out of the qualifying spots so they won’t contest the final this year.

Drammen winners Norway came agonisingly close to qualifying for the final, just missing out by one penalty in the semi-final in Peelbergen. They had produced a memorable home victory in a rainy Region North qualifier, fielding veteran rider Geir Gullikson and the 13-year-old KWPN gelding Island VG as their jump-off combination. The 66-year-old gave the fans plenty to cheer about when he stopped the clock as the fastest of the four teams who had progressed to this stage.

In the other Region North qualifier, victory was awarded to Denmark, who successfully retained their title in Stutteri Ask before a home audience. Despite this impressive result, they had a day to forget at the North-West semi-final, finishing on 37 penalties in ninth position and missing out on a place at the final.

Ireland, who finished at the head of the leaderboard in the Region South qualifier in Scuderia La Caccia didn’t contest a semi-final so won’t feature in Avenches.

The Irish came out on top in a nail-biting jump-off against hosts Italy in Scuderia La Caccia, a new venue for the competition this season near the banks of Lake Garda.

After a series of nail-biting, exciting and dramatic qualifiers and semi-finals attention will turn to the climax of the competition, the final. Which of the 10 qualified nations will triumph in Switzerland in September? Will a previous champion reign supreme once again or will a new nation etch the name onto the winners’ trophy? Only time will tell. 

Qualified nations
Austria
Belgium
France
Great Britain
Hungary
Italy
Netherlands
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland

Where to Watch and Follow
For the latest updates, team announcements, and behind-the-scenes content throughout the 2026 Longines EEF Series, follow the Longines EEF Series website and the European Equestrian Federation. Join the conversation on the Longines EEF Series social media on Instagram and Facebook.

Download the Longines EEF Series press kit here.

Watch the all the live action and replays on ClipMyHorse.TV, the official livestream partner of the Longines EEF Series.

Full results from the regional qualifiers and semi-finals of the Longines EEF Series 2026 season can be viewed here.