Team Mexico Ends a 78-Year Wait at Piazza di Siena

The last time Mexico won the Nations Cup at Piazza di Siena, the London Olympics were still months away, and Humberto Mariles was preparing to become one of the most successful riders in his country's sporting history.

That was 1948. Seventy-eight years later, Mexico finally returned to the top of the podium in Rome, defeating Germany in a jump-off that came down to one fallen rail.

Friday's Intesa Sanpaolo Nations Cup delivered one of the defining results of CSIO Roma Piazza di Siena 2026. Carlos Hank Guerreiro, Patricio Pasquel, Andres Azcarraga and Fernando Martinez Sommer secured only Mexico's second victory in the competition's history, with Pasquel delivering the deciding round with Chakkalou PS.

Four Clears and a German Comeback

Mexico could hardly have asked for a stronger opening. Hank Guerreiro and H5 Shaq Attack, Pasquel and Chakkalou PS, Azcarraga and Contendros 2, and Martinez Sommer with Joep all jumped clear in the first round.

With three scores counting, Mexico entered the second round without penalties, while Germany carried four faults. Germany, however, had no intention of accepting second place.

Sophie Hinners and Iron Dames Combella produced a second clear, as did Jörne Sprehe and Toys. Richard Vogel recovered from eight faults in the opening round to jump clear with Gangster Montdesir. Mexico's second round was less comfortable - Hank Guerreiro maintained his perfect record, as did Martinez Sommer, but Pasquel lowered a fence and Azcarraga collected 12 faults.

Both nations finished on four penalties, and a jump-off would decide the result.

One Rail, 78 Years

German chef d'équipe Otto Becker selected Vogel for the deciding round, while Mexico's Mark Laskin entrusted the responsibility to Pasquel.

Vogel, as usual, attacked the clock and rode with speed and precision, posting a fast 39.99-second round. But the pace came at a cost when the final fence fell. Pasquel now had a different task with no need to beat the German's time - a clear round would be enough.

He delivered exactly that, crossing the finish in 45.91 seconds without penalties to secure a victory almost eight decades in the making.

Great Britain’s team of Jessican Mendoza with Summerhouse, Adrian Whiteway and Chacco Volo, Jack Whitaker and Jack JL, and Joe Stockdale riding Enbanking, finished third on eight faults, ahead of hosts Italy on 12.

A Result Beyond Rome

Mexico's previous victory in 1948 belonged to a remarkable generation. Three of the winning combinations in Rome that year went on to claim Olympic gold in London, where the Mexican team also won the individual title through Mariles.

The 2026 quartet now joins that history, but its immediate significance lies in the present. Laskin, the Canadian leading Mexico's team, was already looking towards the World Championships in Aachen, and the victory provided evidence of a squad capable of competing against Europe's strongest nations, even when the contest came down to a single rider.

It was also a reminder of what traditional Nations Cup competition can still deliver. At a time when international team jumping is increasingly structured around several leagues and series, Rome offered what has formed the backbone of modern jumping sport: A historic competition, a tightly contested result and a nation ending a 78-year wait.

For Mexico, it was a second entry on a roll of honour dominated by Italy's 29 victories and France's 20. For everyone watching at Villa Borghese, it was proof that the Nations Cup still carries the stories of the sport that are truly worth telling.

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