Six Years of the Longines EEF Series: The Success Stories You May Have Forgotten

Report: Emily Bevan

With the final of the 2026 Longines EEF Series just a couple of weeks away, we look back at some of the competition’s most memorable moments and the stories behind them.
 
Ukraine’s podium finish
Ukraine produced one of the standout performances of the 2023 Longines EEF Series when they finished third behind Austria and Belgium at the final in Warsaw.
 
The Ukrainian quartet of Alisa Danilova riding Cossinelle, Mykola Pylypeiko aboard Karat, Anastasia Bondarieva on Calder and Oleksandr Prodan with Moneymaker van't Meulenhof had qualified by finishing second in the semi-final at Ebreichsdorf and then held their nerve under pressure in the final.
 
Few would have expected Ukraine to challenge the strong line-up of nations in the final. Yet, having been competitive enough to qualify, they delivered again on the biggest stage. They finished ahead of countries including Switzerland, France and the Netherlands.
 
The Ukrainian team posted an impressive first-round score of four, which included clear rounds from Mykola on the nine-year-old bay gelding Karat and Oleksandr riding the 11-year-old stallion Moneymaker van't Meulenhof. Their 17-fault second round was enough to secure third place and, with it, a memorable bronze medal for a Ukrainian team that had risen to the occasion when it mattered most.

Austria’s three consecutive podium finishes
Austria found remarkable consistency in the first three years of the Longines EEF Series, finishing third in 2021 and 2022 before landing the title in 2023.
 
Back-to-back podiums established Austria as one of the leading teams in the Series, and they turned that consistency into victory in 2023, ending Italy’s run of dominance in the competition.
 
Hot off the heels of a podium finish at the European Championships, the Austrian team arrived in Warsaw as favourites and lived up to their billing, taking victory after finishing on a score of zero.
 
Gerfried Puck on Equitron Naxcel V, Katharina Rhomberg riding Cuma 5 and Max Kühner with Elektric Blue P, who all produced double clears, combined with Alessandra Reich and Oeli R to lift the trophy.
 
“I said in Milan [at the European Championships] all I can give is good vibes, they have to ride and they have the training. They are excellent riders,” said chef d’equipe Angelika May at the time.
 

Italy’s supremacy
Italy dominated the early editions of the Longines EEF Series, lifting the trophy in both 2021 and 2022. They didn’t contest the competition in 2023 but returned in 2024 and secured their third title in four years. 
 
Such dominance in the Series is unrivalled. Only two other teams - Austria in 2023 and Switzerland in 2025 - have won the competition.
 
Italy’s strength in depth, strong team spirit and meticulous preparation have helped give them an enviable record in the competition. Not only do they regularly take the spoils in the final, but they are also frequent winners in the qualifying rounds.
 
“Italy’s success in the Longines EEF Series hasn’t come by chance. It’s a result of consistent observation, careful planning and the experience gained through riding in the competition,” said Mario Verheyden who took over the role as Italy’s chef d’equipe in 2025.
 
“Our success is a result of teamwork and shared communication. I work closely with Marco Porro [coach and selector of the Italian national showjumping team and former chef d’equipe] and we are constantly supported by the President of the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation, Marco Di Paola, and the Federation’s sport director, Francesco Girardi. We always speak to each other about everything, and we are a very good team.”
 
Switzerland wins on home soil
Switzerland thrilled the home fans when it claimed the Longines EEF Series title in front of a packed crowd in Avenches in 2025.
 
The hosts had been in front at the end of round one but an impressive second-round performance from France saw them force a jump-off.
 
The Swiss put their faith in rising star Gaetan Joliat and Chelsea Z, who had been the team’s drop score in the first round, in the jump-off. Stopping the clock more than a second ahead of Sara Brionne’s Grand Duc du Paradiso, Gaetan and the 12-year-old Belgian gelding secured Switzerland’s first victory in the competition.
 
“We hoped that it was going to be easier, but it wasn’t. It isn’t over till it’s over they say so that was really the case,” said Switzerland’s chef d’equipe Peter van der Waaij.
 
“It was very good to see how, for example, a guy that came back in second round with such a strong result. We knew that the jump off, he is very fast, and he can also keep it cool, so he really brought it home for the team and all three of the other riders also had fantastic contributions.”

Czech Republic’s breakthrough
The Czech Republic produced a surprise in the inaugural Longines EEF Series final, finishing runner-up to Italy after a dramatic jump-off.
 
Clear rounds from Vladimir Tretera on Gangster v/h Noddevelt and Filip Dolezal riding Coup de Coeur GP Madame Z helped the Czechs to a first-round total of four faults, leaving them level with Italy at the halfway stage.
 
In the second round, Vladimir and the 10-year-old KWPN gelding produced another fault-free round. Filip and Coup de Coeur GP Madame Z added four faults to the Czechs’ score, while Alena Machova on Chacco Bella and Jan Stetina riding Gylord posted clear rounds to keep the Czech Republic in contention.
 
Both teams finished the two rounds on four faults, meaning a jump-off was required to decide the winner. The Czechs selected Vladimir and Gangster v/h Noddevelt as their representatives, while Italy elected to use Piergiorgio Bucci and Cochello. Both combinations had been faultless throughout the competition.
 
Piergiorgio and Cochello maintained their fault-free run, producing a quick clear in the jump-off. The Czech Republic’s hopes of winning the title were dashed when Vladimir and Gangster v/h Noddevelt had a pole down.
 
Despite this disappointment, the runner-up position established the Czech Republic as a serious contender in European team showjumping. The result also earned the Czech Republic promotion to Division 1 for 2022.

Young guns
One of the aims of the Longines EEF Series is to give opportunities to younger riders and allow them to gain experience of competing under pressure in a team environment.
 
A new rule in 2025, designed to further strengthen that pathway, mandated that each team must field at least one U25 rider in their five-person squad. The rule formalised an approach that several teams had already adopted.
 
In 2021, Germany won the Longines EEF Series semi-final in Budapest with a relatively young team. Cedric Wolf, 23, Jana Wargers, 29, Sophie Hinners, 24, and Philipp Schulze Topphof, 23, outperformed their more senior and more experienced opposition when they finished the competition on a total of zero faults.
 
"I am delighted and unbelievably proud of this team, they all delivered a top performance today. They are quite young, but all talented, so that made my job easy,” said chef d’equipe Ralf Runge at the time.
 
Belgium followed a similar path in the 2025 Region North Qualifier in Drammen when they fielded a quartet of riders aged under 21. Bart Jay Junior Vandecasteele, Mathieu Guery, Evelyne Putters and Leon Brutsaert defied expectations, beating Norway in a jump-off to claim victory.
 
Together, these results demonstrate the competition’s role as a launchpad for the next generation of riders, several of whom are already representing their nations at senior championships.
 
Sophie Hinners, for example, was part of the German team that won bronze at the 2025 European Championships and is now competing in the World Championships in Aachen.

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