Epona Mounted Archery was proud to host the first leg of the 5 Nations Horseback Archery Competition over the weekend of 24–26 April 2026. Competitors gathered from Wales, England, Scotland, Ireland, and France to contest three thrilling disciplines across the weekend,
showcasing exceptional skill, horsemanship, and sportsmanship.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Maggie’s Voice Equestrian for providing horse hire, ensuring competitors had access to well-prepared horses throughout the event. A very special thank you goes to Helen Barnes, whose outstanding organisational efforts were instrumental in making this event a success.

Discipline 1: Raid 233
The Raid 233 opened the competition, demanding speed and accuracy from all riders. Ireland’s Cora Moore put in a commanding performance aboard Zavon, posting the highest speed score of the discipline to claim the top spot. UK riders Oli Secker and Issy Young rode strongly, while France’s Nicolas Blot recorded the highest accuracy score of the group with 56 points.

Discipline 2: Tower
The Tower discipline saw a change at the top, with France’s Mélanie Jaubert delivering a superb performance aboard Molly, scoring an impressive 87.215 for speed and 66 for accuracy to take first place. Issy Young continued her fine form with a second-place finish, while Nicolas Blot once again impressed with a consistent showing in third. Nick White and Heath Buck rounded out the top five for the United Kingdom.

Discipline 3: Save the North (Walk)
The Save the North walk competition provided an exciting and accessible challenge, testing precision and control at a measured pace. Nick White topped the leaderboard with 58.00 points, closely followed by Heath Buck on Rocco. Cora Moore kept Ireland in contention in third, while Michael Ruby and Nicolas Blot completed the top five.

Overall Standings — After Leg 1
After three disciplines, Nick White leads the overall standings on 252.815 points, with his consistent performances across all three disciplines proving decisive. Nicolas Blot sits in second on 250.14, with Cora Moore — whose Raid 233 victory was a highlight of the weekend — in third on 239.496. Mélanie Jaubert’s Tower win has her well-placed in fourth, while Oli Secker holds fifth overall.

Thank You
A wonderful first leg — full of competitive riding, great camaraderie between nations, and brilliant horsemanship throughout. Thank you to every competitor, horse, supporter, and volunteer who made this event possible.
We look forward to seeing everyone at the next leg of the 5 Nations competition!

Voices from the Weekend
Here’s what some of our competitors and visitors had to say about Leg 1:

“Wales had better weather than Barcelona!”
“Such a supportive group of people around horse archery.”
“Didn’t think I could have so much fun on a staycation.”
“The horse rentals exceeded expectations and the people were super
helpful.”
“When’s the next one?”