Royal Windsor Horse Show got underway today in the private grounds of Windsor Castle, as world-class competition, championship-winning riders and exceptional young horses set the tone for four days of top-level equestrian sport and entertainment. Across Show Jumping, Showing and Dressage, the opening day delivered a packed programme of competition and displays, attracting strong crowds and showcasing both established stars and rising talent in one of the sport’s most iconic settings.
In Show Jumping, Lottie Tutt emerged as one of the standout performers of the day, securing two victories in The Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Castle Arena, while William Rekert claimed his first Royal Windsor Horse Show win in the feature LeMieux National 1.40m Open Jumping Competition aboard Fifty Shades Of Grey.
Elsewhere, the Showing classes delivered one of the strongest opening days seen at Royal Windsor for many years, with victories for Jayne Ross and KBF Lucia in The Coloured Ridden Championship sponsored by the Leeman Family and Hannah Horton and Its Lush in the Working Hunter Championship. There was also success for His Majesty The King, with his former racehorse First Receiver. The Defender Dressage Masterclass also drew large crowds, as Carl Hester MBE, Becky Moody and Richard Davison shared insights into the preparation and performance behind elite Freestyle Dressage ahead of this summer’s FEI World Championships in Aachen.
TUTT DOUBLES UP AS REKERT LANDS WINDSOR FEATURE
Competition in The Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Castle Arena began with the Redpost Equestrian Senior Foxhunter – First Round, a closely fought two-phase class that set a competitive tone for the opening day of Royal Windsor Horse Show. From a strong field, 24 combinations jumped double clear, with Lottie Tutt taking victory aboard The Billy Stud’s Billy Becks in a time of 32.44 seconds. William Funnell followed close behind with another double clear on The Billy Stud’s Billy Papillion, stopping the clock in 32.65 seconds, while The Billy Stud horses made a notable impression across the leaderboard, securing five of the top 10 placings.
The 12 highest placed six-year-old horses from this class qualified for the Walwyn Novice Jumping Championship later in the day. Taking place over two rounds, four of the 12 starters went through to a jump-off. First into the arena to contest the shortened course against the clock was Jasmin Clark riding Pamir, however the pair picked up faults at the double, leaving the door ajar to those that followed. Jay Halim and Alfie Bradstock also picked up faults, leaving Lottie Tutt to claim her second victory of the day as the only double clear, this time riding Billy Murphy.
A delighted Tutt said: “It’s been a really good day for us, I only started riding him about six weeks ago, so this is really special. I think he’s [Billy Murphy] going to go a long way in this sport, I think he’s going to be a really top horse in the future. It’s a great class for these six-year-olds – to come into this arena and get this experience under their belt is brilliant.”
The LeMieux National 1.40m Open Jumping Competition brought together some of the country’s leading national and international riders, including Show Ambassador Joe Stockdale and European Championships team silver medallist Matthew Sampson, to contest the pinnacle Show Jumping class of the day. More than 50 horse and rider combinations took on the challenging single-phase competition, with just 11 producing coveted clear rounds. William Rekert, who placed second in the class last year, set an early standard with a clear round in a time of 31.30 seconds with his 12-year-old gelding Fifty Shades Of Grey. Despite strong challenges from the remaining combinations, including Sally Goding, who looked set to threaten the lead aboard Red Head, Rekert could not be caught and claimed his first win at Royal Windsor Horse Show.
Speaking on his win, Rekert said: “He [Fifty Shades Of Grey] has been a super horse for me, and it’s great to come back to Royal Windsor and go one better than last year. He was new to me last year, but this year we had experience on our side – I could use his stride and carefulness to my advantage. I managed to do one less to the last fence which may have made the difference today. It is great to win here today – it is a brilliant arena, I am not sure it gets better than this!”
ROYAL SUCCESS HEADLINES OUTSTANDING DAY OF SHOWING
As an event that has attracted more than 1,300 entries across over 120 classes for 2026, today marked one of the strongest opening days of Showing at Royal Windsor in recent years. Staged across four arenas, the competition delivered standout performances throughout the day.
The Coloured Ridden Championship sponsored by the Leeman Family proved to be one of the closest-fought contests of the afternoon. Emerging victorious was Jayne Ross and the magnificent KBF Lucia, a nine-year-old mare who truly comes alive in the show ring.
A delighted Ross said; “Winning at Royal Windsor Horse Show never loses its excitement – it is so special. A lovely horse like this [KBF Lucia] rises to the occasion, but stands still when she has to. It’s just lovely. It doesn’t get better than this.”
The Working Hunter Championship tested even the most accomplished combinations with a demanding course. From the four that progressed to the Championship, it was Hannah Horton and Its Lush – an 18-year-old bay gelding and the oldest horse in the line-up – who claimed the Champion title.
Meanwhile, the RoR Tatterstalls Thoroughbred Ridden Show Horse Championship supported by Royal Windsor Racecourse, celebrated the versatility of the Thoroughbred breed and the opportunities available to them beyond racing. Katie Jerram-Hunnable and His Majesty King Charles III’s First Receiver, who finished Reserve Champion last year, returned in style to secure the Championship title in the Adelaide Arena.
