A Preview of the 2026 FEI World Cup Finals in Fort Worth

For fans of television producer Taylor Sheridan’s series Landman and 1883: A Yellowstone Origin Story, or the 1980’s TV drama Dallas created by David Jacobs, mention of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area evokes images of ranches with cowboys, cowgirls and longhorn cattle, and of oil wells too. About four hours to the west are the vast oil fields of the Permian Basin, where roughnecks work the rigs for executives sitting in shiny office buildings back in Fort Worth.  

This spring, however, a different kind of boots and saddles will move into “Cowtown” when the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final and Zen Elite FEI Dressage World Cup Final come to the Dickies Arena, April 8-12, 2026. It all started when the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI, the international governing body for equestrian sport) accepted Fort Worth’s bid to host this year’s Finals back in 2022.  

The Split Rock Jumping Tour (SRJT, based out of Lexington, Ky.) will host this prestigious international competition in partnership with the City of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Sports Commission. SRJT Founder and President Derek Braun shared his thoughts on bringing the Finals to Texas, “This is a testament to what the Split Rock team and the City of Fort Worth have accomplished over the last several years. I am truly honored to bring a welcoming, world-class experience. There is no better way to showcase the best in show jumping and dressage and celebrate the sport as a whole.” 

Braun and World Cup Finals Event Director Sami McDermott promise not only exciting international sport, but also educational events, daily entertainment with a decidedly Texas flair, an impressive laser light show, and lots of dining, shopping and tourism options. 

Find more information and tickets here.

Competition Synopsis of the FEI World Cup Finals

Created to cap the fall and winter season of international competition, the World Cup Jumping Final was first held in 1979 and the Dressage Final in 1986. While riders are listed by the country they represent, the World Cup Finals are not team competitions. Horse and rider combinations compete in designated qualifier competitions throughout the year in order to earn a berth in the Final.  

Dressage horse and rider combos compete in two classes, the first day in an FEI Grand Prix test, followed by a rest day, then on day three in an FEI Grand Prix Freestyle class. World Cup Final jumping competition comprises three days of classes with a rest day in between the second and third competition days. They jump two rounds on the final day. All horses in both sports are inspected by the ground jury for fitness to compete before official training and arena familiarization the next day, then competition starts the day after that.  

This is the first time that the FEI World Cup Finals will be held in Texas. The USA has previously hosted the FEI World Cup Jumping Final 11 times (Baltimore, 1980; Tampa, 1989; Del Mar, Calif., 1992; Las Vegas, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2015, and Omaha, 2017 and 2023), and the FEI Dressage Final seven times (Los Angeles, 1995; Las Vegas, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2015, and Omaha, 2017 and 2023).  

Find the 2026 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final and 2026 Zen Elite FEI Dressage World Cup Final schedule here. 

Past World Cup Winners

The reigning World Cup Dressage Final top three from last year’s event in Basel, Switzerland, are Charlotte Fry and Glamourdale of Great Britain, first; Isabell Werth and DSP Quantaz of Germany, second; and Isabel Freese and Total Hope OLD of Norway, third. In the 2025 Longines World Cup Jumping Final the top three were Julien Epaillard and Donatello d’Auge of France, first; Ben Maher and Point Break of Great Britain, second; and Kevin Staut and Visconti du Telman of France, third.  

Best World Cup Dressage Final placings for U.S. riders include Steffen Peters and the outstanding gelding Ravel, winners in the 2009 Final in Las Vegas; Debbie McDonald and the super mare Brentina, victors in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2003 (they also placed third in 2005); and two second-place finishes in 2017 and 2018 by Laura Graves with her former world-number one partner Verdades. Guenter Seidel riding Nikolaus placed third in 2003 and Peters took third on Floriano in 2007 in Las Vegas.  

In World Cup Jumping Finals, the USA has accrued a long list of accomplishments, headlined most recently by Beezie Madden’s win on the athletic stallion Breitling LS in 2018; McLain Ward’s win on the impressive mare HH Azur in Omaha in 2017; Devin Ryan’s second with Eddie Blue in 2018; and Hunter Holloway’s third-place finish in 2023 with Pepita con Spita. Madden also won with Simon in 2013. The uber-talented, U.S.-based stallion Flexible flew to victory in 2012 after taking second in 2008. Further back in World Cup Final history, U.S. jumper riders Katherine Burdsall, Leslie Burr Leneghan, Donald Cheska, Norman Dello Joio, Conrad Homfeld, Lisa Jacquin, Michael Matz, Katie Monahan, and Melanie Smith all had top-three finishes, several of those first-place titles.  

The Venue

Dickies Arena will host the competition, entertainment, educational programs and a shopping village. The horses will be stabled in barns located on the adjacent Will Rogers Memorial Center Campus. Due to FEI rules and United States Department of Agriculture quarantine regulations, stabling will be secure and the general public will not have access. A warm-up ring will be constructed next to Dickies Arena.  

The Arena, which is owned by the city, is a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose facility with a capacity of up to 14,000 seats. Opened on Oct. 26, 2019, it is ranked as Billboard’s number one in the world in that size class. The arena’s namesake is the Texas-based clothing company Dickies. 

The neighboring 120-acre Will Rogers Campus is a major hub for equestrian and livestock shows. It is named for the famous cowboy actor and humorist Will Rogers, who was of Native American descent. A botanical garden, a number of art and history museums, and a planetarium, are also located on or near the campus.  

Venue Info

Dickies Arena
1911 Montgomery Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76107  

There is a fee for parking. Directions and parking information can be found here.

Visit Fort Worth

Come for the World Cup Finals, but stay to tour Fort Worth too! There are intriguing and entertaining options for everyone in your family or friends group. Find information at the city’s tourism website, and a video listing top ten things to do in Fort Worth here. Find information about parking here.

Texans will proudly tell you the state is the second biggest in the USA after Alaska. Fort Worth is the fourth largest city in Texas behind Houston, San Antonio and Dallas. It is a city of contrasts, rich history and diverse cultural communities, each with their own heritage, art, music and culinary delights. Established in 1849 as a U.S. Army outpost along the Trinity River, there were several ebbs and flows in population over time, but today the city has over one million residents. When combined with neighboring Dallas, the Metroplex is the fourth most populous in the USA and the largest in Texas.

Fort Worth was a stop on the historic Chisholm Trail, a cattle drive and wagon route from south Texas up to Kansas where the cattle were sold and loaded onto rail cars to ship east. Eventually many meat packing companies established facilities in Fort Worth. With ranching, cattle drives and meat packing being big business there, the city earned its “Cowtown” moniker. The first commercial oil well in the Permian Basin was drilled in 1921. Although the Basin is four hours to the west, the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area is home to over 600 oil and gas company offices.  

Shopping opportunities in Fort Worth run the gamut from cowboy hats and boots to high-end luxury brands to art and antiques to treasure hunting in some really unique thrift stores. Dining options are equally diverse, ranging from premium steaks and Texas barbeque to Mexican and Tex-Mex to many other cultural cuisines from around the world.  

Dickies Arena and the Will Rogers Campus are located in the city’s Cultural District, which is home to a number of impressive art and history museums, a botanical garden and a planetarium, as well as Casa Mañana Theater. Many of the art museums offer free admission to their regular exhibits. The Fort Worth Historic Stockyards, the Fort Worth Water Gardens and the Fort Worth Zoo are all a 10-20 minute drive away from the Cultural District. Find details here. 

World Cup attendees should not miss the chance to immerse themselves in Western history in the Stockyards District, where the Fort Worth Herd conducts twice-daily cattle drives free for public viewing. Also in the Stockyards are the John Wayne Experience and the Historic Stockyards Museum. Stroll Mule Alley, where you’ll find shops and restaurants occupying what was once a large mule barn and is now home to the American Paint Horse Association headquarters, with its famed Paint Horse statues on display. Follow history markers on a walking tour around the area. In the evening visit one of the Stockyard’s many saloons or the world’s biggest honky-tonk, Billy Bob’s Texas. Find more information here.  

One of the most impressive sites in the Fort Worth is the stunning Water Gardens located near the Fort Worth Convention Center downtown. Also in the downtown/Sundance Square area are many shops, restaurants, theaters, the Sid Richardson Western Art Museum (free admission), and the Bass Performance Hall. Sundance Square is a walkable, 37-square-block area with many fountains, outdoor gathering areas, murals and art galleries. There is a free downtown circulator bus and a bike share program to help visitors explore downtown. Discover more about the area here.

This is just scratching the surface of things to do and see in Fort Worth. Among other things, visitors can tour one of only two U.S. Government Bureau of Engraving and Printing currency production sites in the country where paper money is printed. The Fort Worth Zoo has over 500 species of animals, including over 60 endangered species, and a water park.  

If sports beyond equestrian are of interest, Fort Worth has a number of golf courses as well as the Texas Motor Speedway, where on April 11 you can try your hand at driving on the track in the NASCAR Racing Experience. A short drive away in Arlington, the Texas Rangers Major League Baseball team will play home games on April 7 and 8. If you stick around a few more days, Lone Star Park begins its Thoroughbred racing meet on April 16 in nearby Grand Prairie.

Fort Worth Travel Tips

Closest Airport 

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (airport code DFW) is an easy drive to and from Dickies Arena, although depending on the time of day, allow around 35-50 minutes to make the trip.  

DFW is a large international airport offering many amenities and multiple flights landing daily from around the world. The airport ranked third in global traffic volume in 2024 behind Atlanta, Ga. (USA), and Dubai. They have a tram (Skylink) that takes passengers from terminal to terminal. There are both public and private transportation options from DFW to Fort Worth and Dickies Arena.  

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
2400 Aviation Drive
DFW Airport, Texas 75261 USA 

On the DFW website, you can find links to an airport map, driving directions, and information on public (train/tram/bus from DFW to Fort Worth) and private transportation (taxis, rental cars, for-hire airport shuttle services that will take you to Fort Worth). Ride share companies Uber and Lyft operate in the area as well.  

Another useful transportation planning tool is Rome2Rio, which provides options and price estimates. Find more info here.

Housing Options

Official World Cup partner hotels are offering discounted rates. Find out more here.

If these hotels are full, there are many other hotels and rental properties to choose from in Fort Worth. Search hotel or rental property booking sites and use these key words for housing close to the World Cup venue: Dickies Arena; Fort Worth Cultural District; Will Rogers Memorial Center; Texas Christian University (TCU); Fort Worth Medical Center.  

(Note that the Fort Worth Historic Stockyards are a bit farther away, although still within seven miles of Dickies Arena. As with any big city, keep rush hour traffic in mind when planning travel times to the venue.) 

Weather

Spring is a great time to visit Fort Worth; it is before the heat of summer yet warmer than much of Europe and North America during that time. Average daytime high temperature in April in Fort Worth is about 75°Fahrenheit (23.9 C). Average nighttime low temperature in April in Fort Worth is about 56.7°F (13.7°C). On average it rains about 13 days out of 30 in April in Fort Worth—though spring thunderstorms in North Texas can be severe. There will be about 12.5 daylight hours in Fort Worth during the World Cup Finals and a UV index of around 3 is common (moderate risk).  

Don’t Miss the FEI World Cup Finals in Fort Worth!

The 2026 FEI World Cup Jumping and Dressage Finals in Fort Worth are a chance to see the best horses and riders in the world here on U.S. soil and get a sneak peek of the race toward the 2028 LA Olympic equestrian competition. Combine that with all there is to see and do in the fascinating and vibrant Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and it’s a vacation and a half with a bow on top!  

This article about the 2026 FEI World Cup Finals in Fort Worth are a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!