Hartpury University and Hartpury College are celebrating an outstanding weekend of success at the 2026 Home International Regatta, with current students, coaches, and alumni playing pivotal roles in a series of historic performances for Wales.
A-level students Grace Janes and Tilly Hudson-Hulls were selected to represent Wales, while Hartpury coaches Tom Jenkinson and Karrie Spencer were selected as part of the Welsh coaching team, with Tom serving as Welsh Under 19 Men’s Lead Coach and Karrie as Welsh Under 19 Assistant Coach.
Grace Janes produced a dominant performance to win the Junior Women’s B Single Sculls (JW B1x), securing Wales’ first victory in the event since 2023. That previous success also came courtesy of a Hartpury athlete, continuing the institution’s strong tradition in the event.
Tilly Hudson-Hulls then made history by becoming the first athlete ever to win the Junior Women’s A Single Sculls (JW A1x) for Wales, marking a landmark achievement for the Welsh team.
The pair combined forces later in the regatta in the Junior Women’s Quad Sculls, producing one of Wales’ strongest-ever performances in the event. They claimed second place in the standard race, Wales’ best result in the event for many years, before returning to win the 500m sprint race, narrowly edging out Scotland in an exciting finish.
Their performances helped Wales achieve second place on the Junior Women’s team leaderboard, the highest finish the nation has ever recorded in the competition.
Off the water, Hartpury’s coaching expertise was equally influential. Tom Jenkinson led the Welsh Junior Men’s team to overall victory, as Wales successfully retained the Junior Men’s Trophy for the first time since 2009. The team also completed a clean sweep of victories across every junior men’s sculling event, underlining an exceptional campaign.
The regatta also featured two Hartpury alumni (A-levels) representing Wales at senior level. Millie Hurrell, now studying at Oxford Brookes University, and George Coates, now at Durham University, both returned to race for Wales, having previously represented their country as junior athletes during their time at Hartpury.
The performances across athletes, coaches, and alumni highlight Hartpury’s continued contribution to Welsh rowing and reinforce its reputation for developing talent capable of excelling on the national and international stage.
