The CSI2* 1.45m Centro Ecuestre Oliva Nova Grand Prix marked the beginning of Autumn MET 2026, where a total of 63 horse-and-rider combinations competed for the week’s most prestigious win. As the last rider in the 11-pair jump-off, Ireland’s Niall Talbot claimed the top spot riding Charming Dream Z (Carrera VDL x Cagliostro).

Riding the 11-year-old stallion, Talbot stopped the clock at 35.49 – 0.87 seconds faster than the runner-up. Jamie Wingrove (GBR) aboard Belvedere (Billy Congo x Pauldary’s Romeo) had to settle for second place at 36.36 seconds, while Malin Baryard Johnsson (SWE) and CCStud’s Liisolde (CCStud’s Fidelity x Indoctro) grabbed third place at 37.35 seconds. Fourth place went to Maksymilian Wechta (POL) and Mystique (Mylord Carthago x Concerto II), with Francesco Turturiello (ITA) and Silvana van’t Lusthof (Kaiser van het Lambroeck x Indorado) finishing fifth.

“I thought it was a really nice course,” Talbot said afterwards. “For the jump-off course, I think I was really lucky that I was the last to go so that I got to watch everybody. I could see what worked and what didn’t work, and then I knew where I could risk and where to be a little bit more careful. So I think it definitely helped me to go last.” 

“We have been coming here since the very first year; we come here religiously,” Talbot said about the venue at Centro Ecuestre Oliva Nova. “We’re here for this MET I, we’ll be back for MET III, and then we’ll be back again for the spring next year. We’re here quite often – it’s one of our favorite places to be.” 

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photo credit to © Hervé Bonnaud / www.1clicphoto.com.