The seven eventing five-stars in 2026.

The 2026 season on 21 October

The Adelaide organiser describes its event as one of seven five-stars in the world, and Wikipedia lists the same seven. Wikipedia also explains why they are called five-star: in 2018 the FEI added a new introductory level at the bottom of the star scale, so the events rated CCI4* until then became CCI5* from 2019. How the levels work is on levels and classes, and how eventing is scored on eventing.

Adelaide (Adelaide Park Lands, April)

Wikipedia traces the event to 1997, as a three-star horse trials; it rose to four-star in 2002, was renamed the Australian International Three Day Event in 2007 and run in late November, became five-star in 2019, and was then renamed the Adelaide Equestrian Festival and moved to April, first running in the new slot in April 2023. The organiser calls it the only five-star in the Southern Hemisphere.

2026: run with the Oceania Championships on a course by Mike Etherington-Smith, the five-star went to Oliver Barrett and Sandhills Briar on 35.3, ahead of Sam Woods (SS Eight Count) 37.6 and Andrew Cooper (Sharvalley Thunder) 39.9. Australia won the senior Oceania team gold with Sophia Hill, Sam Jeffree and Hannah Klep (Adelaide Equestrian Festival, 28 April 2026).

Recent winners: 2025, Hazel Shannon (AUS) and Willingapark Clifford on 45.9, reported in organiser and Horse Network headlines (search summaries) as the pair's fourth Adelaide win; 2024, David Middleton (AUS) and WEC In The Money; 2023, Shane Rose (AUS) and Virgil; 2020 to 2022 not held; 2019, Shannon and Willingapark Clifford (Wikipedia for 2019 to 2024).

Not to be confused with the November event. A separate Australian International 3 Day Event runs at Rymill Park, Adelaide, from 13 to 15 November 2026. Its organiser describes CCI and national-level classes and does not claim five-star status; an Experience Adelaide tourism page, seen in search, still calls it five-star.

Kentucky (Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, April)

2026: Will Coleman and Diabolo won on 28.1, his first five-star win, ahead of Caroline Pamukcu (USA) and HSH Blake on 28.6 and David Doel (GBR) and Galileo Nieuwmoed on 30.8. The winner is on the event's trophy page; the scores and podium come from search summaries of US Equestrian and Horse and Hound.

Recent winners (the event's own trophy list): 2025 Michael Jung (GER), fischerChipmunk FRH; 2024 Oliver Townend (GBR), Cooley Rosalent; 2023 Tamra Smith (USA), Mai Baum; 2022 Jung, fischerChipmunk FRH; 2021 Townend, Ballaghmor Class; 2020 did not run; 2018 and 2019 Townend, Cooley Master Class; 2015 to 2017 Jung, fischerRocana FST.

Badminton (Gloucestershire, May)

2026: Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo led from start to finish, with Tim Price (NZL) and Falco second and Harry Meade (GBR) and Annaghmore Valoner third. Your Horse reports that Lordships Graffalo became the first horse to win Badminton three times, in 2023, 2025 and 2026. Search summaries of Eventing Nation give the final scores as 25.7 for Canter and 33.9 for Price; we have not read that report.

Recent winners (Your Horse list): 2025 Canter, Lordships Graffalo; 2024 Caroline Powell (NZL), Greenacres Special Cavalier; 2023 Canter, Lordships Graffalo; 2022 Laura Collett (GBR), London 52; 2020 and 2021 cancelled (COVID-19); 2019 Piggy March (GBR), Vanir Kamira; 2018 Jonelle Price (NZL), Classic Moet; 2017 Andrew Nicholson (NZL), Nereo; 2016 Jung, La Biosthetique-Sam FBW; 2015 William Fox-Pitt (GBR), Chilli Morning.

Luhmuhlen (Lower Saxony, June)

Wikipedia says Luhmuhlen first ran at the then top level in 2005, the first such event in mainland Europe. 2026: held alongside the German four-star short-format championship, it went to Caroline Harris and D. Day, her second five-star win, with the only cross-country round inside the time; Emily King (GBR) and Valmy Biats were second and Boyd Martin (USA) and Shanroe Cooley third (equi-pages, 22 June 2026).

Recent winners (Wikipedia, with Eventing Nation via search for 2024 and 2025): 2025 Canter, Izilot DHI; 2024 Lara de Liedekerke-Meier (BEL), Hooney d'Arville; 2023 Collett, London 52; 2022 Felix Vogg (SUI), Colero; 2021 Mollie Summerland (GBR); 2020 cancelled.

Burghley (Lincolnshire, September)

Wikipedia dates Burghley to 1961. 2026: Gemma Stevens and Chilli Knight won by 13.4 penalties, which the organiser calls the biggest winning margin since Blyth Tait in 1998. Katie Magee (GBR) and Treworra were second and Caroline Pamukcu (USA) and HSH Blake third. The organiser reported Stevens's dressage score of 29.6; search summaries of Horse and Rider UK say the pair finished on it, the only combination to do so, and that it was her first Badminton or Burghley title. The organiser also noted that British riders had won the five previous editions.

Recent winners (Wikipedia): 2025 and 2024 Canter, Lordships Graffalo; 2023 Townend, Ballaghmor Class; 2022 March, Vanir Kamira; 2020 and 2021 cancelled; 2019 Pippa Funnell (GBR), MGH Grafton Street; 2018 Tim Price (NZL), Ringwood Sky Boy; 2017 Townend, Ballaghmor Class; 2016 Chris Burton (AUS), Nobilis 18; 2015 Jung, La Biosthetique-Sam FBW.

Maryland (Fair Hill, Elkton, October): cancelled in 2026

US Equestrian announced on 10 March 2026 that the October 2026 five-star would not run. The Fair Hill Foundation, on 12 March, called it a deliberate pause to build structures, resources and leadership for the long term, aiming to return in 2027; a three-star long-format competition was to run at Fair Hill in October 2026, subject to approvals (Horse Sport). One page on the event's own site still listed dates of 15 to 18 October 2026 in a search summary, which conflicts with the cancellation; we follow the announcements.

Past winners: 2025 Felix Vogg (SUI) and Cartania on 28.7, ahead of Monica Spencer (NZL) and Boyd Martin (USA) (Practical Horseman, 19 October 2025). Search summaries of Horse Illustrated and others, which we could not open, give 2024 to Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class, 2023 to Austin O'Connor (IRL) and Colorado Blue, 2022 to Tim Price and Coup de Coeur Dudevin, and the first edition, 2021, to Boyd Martin and On Cue.

Pau (Domaine de Sers, October): scheduled for 22 to 25 October 2026

Listings give 22 to 25 October 2026, with dressage on Thursday and Friday, cross country on Saturday and jumping on Sunday (JDS; An Eventful Life via search). We did not reach the organiser's own site, so whether it runs as scheduled is unconfirmed. No 2026 result is given here.

Recent winners: 2025 Tim Price and Jarillo on 30.9, ahead of Tom Jackson (GBR) and Boyd Martin (NZ Equestrian, 26 October 2025); 2024 Caroline Harris and D. Day, her first five-star win (Horse and Hound and Eventing Nation headlines); 2023 Canter, Izilot DHI; 2022 Jonelle Price, Grappa Nera; 2021 Tim Price, Falco; 2020 Collett, London 52; 2019 Tom McEwen (GBR), Toledo de Kerser (Wikipedia, with NZ Equestrian for 2021 and 2022).

The Grand Slam

US Equestrian describes the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing as winning Kentucky, Badminton and Burghley in succession and lists two winners: Pippa Funnell in 2003 and Michael Jung across 2015 and 2016. We checked that only against US Equestrian's page.