Spanish Show Jumping Championship 2026: Imma Roquet Wins on a New Mare

Who won the Spanish Show Jumping Championship 2026?

Imma Roquet Autonell won the Spanish Show Jumping Championship 2026 (the senior "Absoluto" title) on Sunday, October 18, riding the 13-year-old mare Nauwsika van de Pereboom. She finished the four rounds on 13.11 penalty points, ahead of Laura Roquet Puignero on Nina Puigroq (16.01) and Kevin González de Zárate on Djoural de Lizet (17.62).

The twist: the mare had arrived at Roquet's stable about a week before the championship. It was their first show together, and Roquet told OcioCaballo it felt as if they had been partners for much longer.

The mare is no novice. She had previously competed with Kristina Klebanova, Janika Sprunger and Daniel Lahmann, so she arrived with plenty of experience.

The final standings at Dehesa Montenmedio

The championships ran October 13-18 at Dehesa Montenmedio, the big show jumping venue near Vejer de la Frontera in Cádiz. They opened the VI Andalucía October Tour, with more than 400 riders across all categories. Fourteen pairs started the Absoluto.

That is three riders named Roquet in the top four. Alfons Roquet led going into the final on 1.85 points, ahead of Álex Codina (2.01) and Laura Roquet (8.01), so the title changed hands on Sunday.

How it unfolded:

• Thursday, Oct 15: first qualifier at 1.50 m, timed. Inés Hernández Yanguas won it; Roquet and Nauwsika were third.
• Friday, Oct 16: second qualifier at 1.50 m. Álex Codina won the round, but Alfons Roquet took the overall lead.
• Sunday, Oct 18: two-round final at 1.55 m. Roquet's consistency over both rounds beat everyone who had led earlier in the week.

How a national championship is scored

A single show jumping class is simple: knock down a rail and you get 4 faults, the fastest clear round wins. A championship is different. It rewards the pair that jumps best across several days, not the luckiest single round.

Penalty points, explained

• Knockdown: 4 faults per rail or plank that falls.
• First refusal or run-out: 4 faults. A second one means elimination.
• Fall of horse or rider: elimination.
• Time faults: under the 2026 Spanish federation rules (Table A), going over the time allowed adds 1 point for each second or part of a second. Going over the time limit means elimination.

Faults are added up across every round. The lowest total wins, which is why a winning score of 13.11 is good news, not bad.

Why there are decimals

The first qualifier is ridden against the clock. Each rider's gap to the fastest time is converted into points, so being slow on day one costs a little but not as much as a rail.

You can see it in Roquet's numbers. She finished the opener about 2.2 seconds behind the winner, which left a small decimal on her score. In the two-round final she had only 4 faults, which tied Kevin González de Zárate for the best final score in the field.

Absoluto vs Jóvenes Jinetes

Spain runs separate titles for different ages and levels, all at the same show:

• Absoluto (senior): the top national title. Riders needed at least 3 results at 1.45 m or higher with no more than 8 faults each, according to the 2026 RFHE entry rules.
• Jóvenes Jinetes (young riders): the FEI "Young Rider" age band, 16 to 21. Entry needed 3 results at 1.40 m or higher. The 2026 final was jumped at 1.45 m.
• Clásicos and Caballos Jóvenes: titles at fixed heights (1.10 to 1.40 m) and for 5-, 6- and 7-year-old horses.

In 2026, Álex Sagarduy Bengoa won Jóvenes Jinetes on Classique des Loups with the only double-clear in the final. José Antonio García Diana won the 1.40 m Clásico on the 9-year-old mare Marola P&M.

How do you build trust with a new horse so fast?

Winning a national title a week after meeting a horse is rare, and it does not mean you should try it with your own new horse. A seasoned mare and a top professional bring years of training into that first week. Still, the same principles help any rider starting with a new partner.

A first-week checklist for a new horse

1. Let them settle. Give a few days of quiet routine: same turnout, same feed times, no big asks.
2. Keep the horse's old routine at first. Ask the previous owner about feed, bit, tack and habits, then change things slowly. See our nutrition guide before switching feeds.
3. Start on the ground. Leading, grooming and simple groundwork tell you a lot about how the horse responds to pressure.
4. Ride flat work before jumps. Check brakes, steering and how the horse reacts to your leg and seat.
5. Jump small and build up. Grids and single fences first. Learn the stride and how the horse sees a fence.
6. Make the first show easy. Pick a lower class than you think you need. The goal is a good experience, not a ribbon.
7. Book a vet and saddle check. Make sure the saddle fits this horse, not the last one. Our tack and equipment guide covers the basics.

If you are preparing for your own first outing, our show prep guide walks through entries, warm-up and ring etiquette.

El Maset: the Roquet family's breeding program

Roquet is not only a rider. With her father, she runs El Maset, a family breeding operation known for show jumpers carrying the "del Maset" name. A 2025 profile by HorseShowJumping.tv described more than 25 years of selecting mares and stallions, including foals bred by ICSI from stallions such as Diamant de Semilly and Chacco Blue.

The results are showing at the top level:

• May 2026, Hamburg: Roquet won a CSI5* class on the homebred mare Elba del Maset. According to the Chronicle of the Horse, she and her father raise about 20 foals a year.
• September 2026, Valencia: she won the Spanish Championship for Spanish-bred horses (Caballos Nacionales) on Dreamer del Maset. It was decided in a jump-off against Laura Roquet and Qori Puigroq: Imma went clear while Laura was faster but had a rail.

Her stated ideal horse is a mare with lots of "blood" (energy and stamina), bravery, care over fences and scope. To learn how breeding shapes jumpers, see our breeds hub and our story on Balou du Rouet.

What to watch next

• Roquet and Nauwsika's next start. After a winning debut, the big question is whether this pairing moves on to international shows together.
• More El Maset horses. Watch result lists for horses ending in "del Maset" as they come through the young-horse ranks.
• The Andalucía October Tour. After the championships, Montenmedio hosts three weeks of international shows, including two CSI4* events and a CSIO3* with a Nations Cup. Check the venue's own schedule for dates.
• Madrid Horse Week. Spain's biggest indoor show is next on many riders' calendars. Read our Madrid Horse Week 2026 guide.
• The World Cup season. Follow the qualifiers in our FEI Jumping World Cup 2026/27 coverage.

New to the sport? Start with our disciplines overview and the glossary for terms like Table A, jump-off and time allowed.