The folks in Aachen are old pros at big equestrian events. The iconic venue has been home to equestrian competition since 1898 and they hosted the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games, so expect a well-organized Championships next year. For nearly 100 years they have staged several international-level shows each season, most notably their CHIO Aachen in July when the riders, drivers, vaulters and spectators from around the world gather for top-level sport.  Ask anyone who’s been and they’ll tell you, “Aachen is not to be missed! You’ll love it there.” 

Stefanie Peters, President of the Aachen-Laurensberger, talked about their commitment to hold the 2026 Championships in an August 11 press conference, “It is a great honor for us to host these important Championships. We will do everything in our power to offer equestrian sport a stage that will do more than justice to this international highlight.”  

She listed some of targeted investments, partly funded by the German government, that are to be made in time for the World Championships. These include installing a cover over Arena 3 and modernization of the cross-country course (which is being designed by Italian Giuseppe Della Chiesa), to name just a few. “Our goal is for Aachen to continue to be seen as the global flagship of equestrian sports in the future and to set new standards for major international events.”  

FEI 2026 Aachen World Championships Schedule & Venue

The fourteen days of the 2026 Aachen World Championships competition is divided into two weeks with three sports each week. Week one features dressage, eventing and vaulting, then in week two show jumping, four-in-hand combined driving and para-dressage fill the calendar. 

There will be three competition stadiums and an outdoor course where eventing cross-country and driving marathon will be run. The Main Stadium will host the opening ceremonies, dressage, show jumping, and the final show jumping phase of eventing. Stadium 2 will be the home of the driving dressage and cones phases and eventing dressage. Stadium 3 will stage the vaulting and para-dressage classes.  

Rave Reviews for Aachen

Germany’s Isabell Werth, the most decorated dressage rider of all time, had nothing but praise for the 2006 Championships during a press conference to mark the one-year until Aachen 2026, “The FEI World Equestrian Games 2006 in Aachen were the greatest championships we, as riders, have ever experienced.” 

“Aachen is the mecca of show jumping. It’s one of the greatest shows in the world,” said Olympian and U.S. Show Jumping Team Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland, after a U.S. Team Nations Cup CSIO5* win in Aachen in July. “There’s truly nothing like winning as a team here in Aachen.” 

Six-time Olympian for the USA, McLain Ward commented on his affinity for showing at Aachen while competing there in 2024, “I think I came to Aachen for the first time 30 years ago, not to date myself, and it just never gets old.” 

2024 Olympic show jumping gold medalist Christian Kukuk from Germany attended the 2006 Aachen Championships as a 16-year-old spectator on the stands and looks forward to making a bid for his country’s team in 2026. He said he had always hoped that a Championship of this magnitude would be staged in Aachen again. “I have not forgotten that breathtaking atmosphere.”  

Tickets, Travel & Housing Tips

Tickets for this every-four-years event are selling fast with over 50 percent already purchased, so don’t wait if you want to attend in person. Ticket prices run from the 15-Euro Village Passes (with no competition seating) up to 620 Euros for a show jumping all-access pass in the Mercedes Benz Grandstand, with many affordable pricing options in between.  

Eventing cross-country and driving marathon tickets cost 50 and 30 Euros, respectively. Para-dressage tickets are free with the purchase of another ticket (stadium seating for another sport or a village pass). Reasonably priced standing-room-only stadium tickets are also available for dressage and show jumping. Ticket prices may also include local bus fare for the date on the ticket.  

Closest airports to Aachen are Cologne Bonn Airport in Germany (53 miles), Düsseldorf Airport in Germany (62 miles), Maastricht Aachen Airport (17 miles) in the Netherlands and Liège Airport (37 miles) in Belgium. Aachen transportation options include trains and buses as well as car rentals, taxis, ride share companies such as Uber and FreeNow, and bicycle rentals. When looking for housing, in addition to looking in Germany, also consider hotels and rentals in Belgium and the Netherlands due to the close proximity of Aachen to those borders. The address of the Aachen showgrounds is: Albert-Servais-Allee 50, 52070 Aachen, Germany.  

More About Aachen

The city of Aachen is located in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia directly bordering Belgium to the southwest and the Netherlands to the northwest. The city has approximately 261,000 residents and is situated in the northern foothills of the High Fens and the Eifel Mountains and along the Wurm River. 

Links to More information

Ticket Sales

◆ Ticket Sales Brochure
◆ Online Ticket Sales

Television Coverage

The competition will also be available live and on demand on FEI.TV via ClipMyHorse (subscription required).

General Information

For more information about the 2026 FEI Aachen World Championships, visit their website or the 2026 Aachen FEI page.

◆ Aachen 2026 World Championships E-Newsletter
◆ Aachen Tourism (includes housing and travel information) 

2026 FEI World Endurance Championships

Fans of the seventh FEI sport, endurance, should note that the 2026 FEI World Endurance Championships will be in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, on October, 17, 2026. For more information about that competition, visit here. 

But Wait, There’s More!

Aachen 2026 also begins another exciting three-year cycle of top-tier equestrian championships with the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games following. Ticket sales for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Lima 2027 Pan American Games should open soon. (Anyone considering a trip to the Lima Pan Am Games could easily tack on a side excursion to see the historic Machu Picchu site in the Peruvian Andes too. It’s well worth the effort and organized tourism packages are readily available through approved tourism vendors listed on the Games website.)  

But before all of those, to whet the appetite of equestrian fans for international sport here in North America, the Maryland 5* at Fair Hill Three-Day Event happens October 15-19, 2025, the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event April 23-26, 2026, and then April 8-12, 2026, the USA will host FEI World Cup Finals for dressage and jumping at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

Watch for further updates on all of these competitions, as well as event coverage, on HorseIllustrated.com and in print in Horse Illustrated magazine. 

The post FEI 2026 Aachen World Championships Countdown Under One Year To Go With Brisk Ticket Sales  appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Americans in Switzerland doing the “planes, trains and automobiles” whirlwind tour of a beautiful country filled with mountains, lakes, rivers, farms, and some pretty cool towns and cities―that’s what we were. The scenery was breathtaking looking through the windows of our Eurostar train from Amsterdam in the Netherlands, through Belgium and France where we changed trains in Paris, and finally on a national SBS train to Lausanne, Switzerland.

Honored to be working on assignment for Horse Illustrated magazine and website, I was accompanied on the trip by colleague Alan Whinery who helped me tote the luggage and equipment, planned our train routes and hotel stops, and assisted with photos and notes at the World Cup Finals. A huge thanks to him for keeping the trip running smoothly, and to my editors at Horse Illustrated, Mary Cage and Holly Caccamise!

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Swiss Stop #1: The FEI Sports Forum

In Lausanne I had the opportunity to attend the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI, the international governing body for equestrian sports) Sports Forum for two days before going on to Basel for the FEI World Cup Finals. Staged by the FEI staff and committee members, and attended by various stakeholders from around the world, the Forum is held annually in the spring. It provides a platform for presentation of current equestrian sports topics with time for open discussion from the audience. It was great to see the FEI encouraging their members to offer their thoughts and opinions for the betterment of our sport.

The Forum gives the FEI Board of Directors valuable feedback from members before they meet again later in the year to conduct the business of the organization. Topics of discussion from this year’s Forum included equine welfare, a strategic plan going forward for dressage, athlete quotas for equestrian sports at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, the process to elect a new FEI president, a plan for FEI officials development and retention, and rule changes for show jumping, eventing, and driving and para-driving.

During the breaks I had the chance to interact with not only helpful FEI staff members, but also equestrians from around the globe. For instance, I met a lady from Algeria who was representing the African Equestrian Federation at the Forum. She was quite interested in knowing more about our show hunter divisions as they don’t have that competition discipline in Africa.

Located in the French speaking part of Switzerland, and situated on scenic Lake Geneva, which is bordered by snowcapped mountains, Lausanne is known as “the Olympic city” because it is the home of both the International Olympic Committee headquarters as well as the Olympic Museum. Strategically, it is also the location of the FEI headquarters in the HM King Hussein Building (sold to the FEI for 1 Euro by King Hussein’s daughter and former FEI President Princess Haya bint Al Hussein of Jordan). Alan and I made time to take photos (with my Horse Illustrated tote bag in hand, of course!) in front of the FEI building and the Olympic Museum.

As we strolled around town in the evening, we saw several LA28 Olympic countdown clocks. One displayed “1200 days, 16 hours, 50 minutes and 14 seconds” as we passed it, hinting that it won’t be long until the world’s best athletes gather in California for another Olympic and Paralympic Games. As one of the speakers at the Forum said regarding the work ahead to be done in a relatively short time before LA28, “The days are long, but the years short.”

Swiss Stop #2: The 2025 FEI World Cup Finals

After two nights in Lausanne, it was time to board another train for Basel, Switzerland, and get settled in to report on the 2025 FEI World Cup Finals for dressage, show jumping and vaulting for the next five days. The sun was setting as we boarded the train so we didn’t get much sightseeing in as the train made its way from the French-speaking section of Switzerland to the German-speaking area. (There is also an Italian-speaking region in Switzerland, and although we didn’t get there, our hotel offered television stations in all three languages as well as a few in English.)

Basel is Switzerland’s third most populous city behind Zurich and Geneva, with roughly 177,500 residents. The Rhine River runs through the city which boasts both large and small “old city” historic sections as well as many museums featuring art, history, natural history, antique and classic automobiles, toys, and other interesting things. There are also many beautiful cathedrals, one of which is the Basel Münster that has a particularly interesting history (once a Catholic cathedral, it is now Reformed Protestant church). Offered in restaurants there were Swiss specialties such as fondue, raclette (a hands-on dish where they bring you a burner to melt slices of cheese to use to smother accompanying potatoes) and, of course, Swiss chocolate.

The large, modern multi-use St. Jakobshalle (St. Jakob’s Hall) was the venue for the 2025 FEI World Cup Finals. Two short tram rides (free to visitors staying in local hotels via a “Basel Pass” you receive at check in) took us to the venue each day. St. Jakobshalle hosts a big horse show each year in January, which is one reason it was selected for the World Cup Finals this year.

The indoor main arena was bordered by seating on two sides, with VIP dining tables overlooking the arena on both ends. Quite steep stairs filed spectators up and out of the seating areas and made it seem to the competitors that the audience was right on top of them. This factor contributed to the heightened “atmosphere” and affected some of the horses’ performances, U.S. riders Adrienne Lyle’s Helix and Geñay Vaughn’s Gino among them. Riders warmed up their horses in outside arenas, then entered the hall to compete.

During the World Cup Finals, for the most part the stands were packed with knowledgeable fans (except for the dressage Grand Prix held during the work/school day on Friday afternoon when the seats were about half-empty). We noticed a surprisingly large group of U.S. fans in the audience who made the long trip to support our athletes. Many shopping booths and food vendors both inside and outside the building offered attendees many choices.

Each day, Swiss musicians and trainers from a Swiss equestrian act, staged a “Swiss Show” performance in between competition sessions. A band, complete with an Alpenhorn soloist, played traditional music and a Swiss choir belted out perfectly pitched a cappella yodels and songs. National-Circus Knie presented an at-liberty 28-horse carousel using Arabian, Andalusian, Friesian, and Lusitano stallions. The Swiss Show was capped with rhythmical beats of the Basel-based Top Secret Drum Corps, a group so impressive that actor Tom Cruise recruited them to appear in his Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning movie. It will be interesting to see what entertainment offerings the organizers in Texas will have in store for us for next April.

As journalists, we were lucky to be included in the complimentary meals offered in a large dining hall inside the building where other credentialed individuals also took their meals. The group dining there included athletes, coaches, grooms, volunteers, costumed entertainers and others―a rare opportunity to see them all interacting in the same space.

2025 FEI World Cup Finals: U.S. Athletes & Their Results

Though not a team event, U.S. athletes at the World Cup Finals are selected to compete representing the USA as individuals. This year, US Equestrian supported athletes in all three sports competing in Basel. They are listed in alphabetical order below along with their placings.

In a year with no major games (no Olympics or Pan American Games or World Championships), the 2025 FEI World Cup Finals was a chance for our U.S. athletes to gain valuable international experience to build our ranks for the Aachen (Germany) 2026 World Championships, the 2027 Pan American Games in Peru, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Our riders and coaches took full advantage of the opportunity and glimpses of great things to come shined through from our U.S. contingent.

U.S. Dressage Competitors:

◆ Kevin Kohmann (Wellington, Fla.) and Duenensee, a 2009 KWPN gelding (Dancier x Davignon I) owned by Diamante Farms and cared for by German Rodriguez, 14th in the Grand Prix (69.130%), 10th in Grand Prix Freestyle (75.535%)

◆ Adrienne Lyle (Wellington, Fla.) and Helix, a 2012 KWPN gelding (Apache x Jazz) owned by Zen Elite Equestrian Center and cared for by Marina Lemay, 9th in the Grand Prix (72.565%), 16th in the Grand Prix Freestyle (71.255%)

◆ Geñay Vaughn (Elk Grove, Calif.) and Gino, a 2011 KWPN gelding (Bretton Woods x Haarlem) owned by Michele Vaughn and cared for by Alex Levine-Nevel, 17th in the Grand Prix (62.978%), 14th in the Grand Prix Freestyle, (73.765%)

Lyle’s top-ten finish with Helix in the Grand Prix on day one, and all three U.S. combinations scoring above 70% in the Freestyle (with Kohmann and Duenensee in the top ten) on the second day were highlights for the USA.

“It was amazing walking into the arena. I had so many people here to support me―it meant a lot,” said Kohmann after their Freestyle. “Our relationship together [with Duenensee, a.k.a. Denzel] has grown so much over the past few years. I’ve never had a horse that I thought could ever take me to the places Denzel has and it’s really an honor to be able to experience moments like this with my best friend in the ring. He’s given me everything, and while tonight may not have been our most perfect performance, I could still feel him enjoying every movement and feeding off the energy of the crowd.”

U.S. Jumping Competitors:

◆ ​Kaitlin Campbell (Temecula, Calif.) and Castlefield Cornelious, a 2011 Oldenburg stallion (Cornet Obolensky x Contender) owned by Mirasol Equestrian LLC and cared for by Erick Garcia,  24th in Class I (Speed & Handiness), 25th in Class II, Clear in Round A of Class III, but eliminated in Round B due to a rider fall, Final result of 20th overall

◆ Shawn Casady (Harriman, Tenn.) and Cool Quarz, 2012 Holsteiner gelding (Quarz x San Patrignano Cassini) owned by Morning-Star Sporthorses, LLC and cared for Cristofer Mendoza, 28th in Class I (Speed & Handiness), 30th in Class II, Did not compete in Class III, Final result of 30th overall

◆ Katie Dinan (New York, N.Y.) and Out of the Blue SCF, an American-bred 2014 Belgian Warmblood mare (Verdi TN x San Patrignano Cassini) owned by Grant Road Partners LLC and cared for by Lou Beudin, 11th in Class I (Speed & Handiness), 21st in Class II, Only combination to go clear in both Round A and B of Class III to finish 1st in that class, Final result of 8th overall and best US finish

◆ Lillie Keenan (New York, N.Y.) and Kick On, a 2014 British Sport Horse stallion (Warrior x Caretino Glory) owned by Chansonette Farm and cared for by Kelly Rohe, 3rd in Class I (Speed & Handiness), 9th in Class II, Clear in Round A of Class III and 12 faults in Round B for a tie of 17th in that class, Final result of 15th overall

◆ McKayla Langmeier (Wellington, Fla.) and Mimosa vd Rollebeek, a 2012 Belgian Warmblood mare (Castelino van de Helle x Toulon) owned by Rafferty Farm LLC and cared for Beth McGranahan, 35th in Class I (Speed & Handiness), 29th in Class II, Did not compete in Class III, Final result of 31st overall

◆ Alise Oken (Charlotte, N.C.) and Gelvera, a 2011 KWPN mare (Quality Time TN x Numero Uno) owned by Hi Hopes Farm LLC and cared for by Gail Sheperd and Lucile Thomas, 25th in Class I (Speed & Handiness), Eliminated in Class II for refusals, Did not compete in Class III, Final result of 33rd overall

◆ Kristen Vanderveen (Wellington, Fla.) and Bull Run’s Jireh, a 2014 Holsteiner gelding (Uriko x Colman) owned by Bull Run Jumpers, Inc. and cared for by herself, 21stin Class I (Speed & Handiness), 23rd in Class II, Clear in Round A of Class III and 12 faults in Round B to finish in a tie for 17th in that class, Final result of 19th overall

◆ Alessandra Volpi (Woodside Calif.) and Gipsy Love, a 2014 Silesian Warmblood mare (Guidam Sohn x L’Espirit) owned by Cedar Fox Farm and cared for by Yuliya Pachtsennay,  ​12th in Class I (Speed & Handiness), 3rd in Class II, Did not compete in Class III due to mare sustaining a heal grab injury during schooling, Final result of 26th overall

U.S. rider Laura Kraut was nominated to compete on Baloutinue, but pulled out at the last minute, stating that Baloutinue had a minor injury that was already on the mend, but said that she wanted to allow him full time to heal before the rest of the upcoming 2025 outdoor European circuit.

Notable among the U.S. jumper performances were Keenan and Kick On finishing third on the first day, Volpi and Gipsy Love taking third on day two, and Dinan’s two clear rounds (the only combination from any country to achieve that) on the final day with American-bred Out of the Blue SCF (bred by Spy Coast Farm in Kentucky).

U.S. Jumper Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland commented on the week in Basel after the final round on Sunday, “We had some really great results this week in Basel, and a few of our younger combinations really stepped up and showed off some class riding. I was really impressed today in the first round when all four of our combinations laid down clear rounds. For Katie to finish the way she did with Out of the Blue SCF was very impressive, considering none of the other combinations in the whole class delivered two consecutive clear rounds today.”

U.S. Vaulting Competitors:

◆ Daniel Janes (Stanwood, Wash.) and Caretes Auhoern, a 2009 Holsteiner gelding (Caretino 2 x Colman), owned and lunged by Jana Leib, and cared for by Leona Schreiner, 8th in the Tech Test (7.294), 8th in the Free Test (7.798), 8th overall

◆ Caroline Morse (Los Gatos, Calif.) and Rey Rubino, a 2017 Hanoverian gelding, (Rotspon x Christ 3) owned by Claire Bartell, cared for by Isabell Nowak, and lunged by Lars Hansen, 8th in the Tech Test (5.846), 7th in the Free Test (7.397), 8th overall

◆ Kimberly Palmer (Half Moon Bay, Calif.) and Rosenstolz 99, a 2007 Rheinlander gelding (Rosencharmeur x Fidermark), owned by Club Ippico Monzese A.S.D., cared for by Kevine Moneuse, and lunged by Laura Carnabuci, 5th in the Tech Test (7.419), 5th in the Free Test (8.765), 5th overall

There was also a vaulting Pas de Deux (pairs) division, but the USA didn’t send a pair to compete.

The U.S. vaulters were really just starting their competition season, so for them the World Cup comes early in the calendar. All three vaulters improved their scores significantly on day two in the Free Test.

Janes was chosen by the FEI for an interview for an upcoming video production called RIDE. While photographing action in the main arena, I stood near the FEI videographer who spoke with him. When she learned that I was from the USA, she told me how much he impressed her as one of her favorite interviewees and praised him for his articulate comments and his regard for and rapport with his horse.

Winners from Basel

The top three in dressage at the World Cup were 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. It was the first top-three finish in Dressage World Cup Finals history for a rider from Norway. Read more here.

Winners in the jumping were Julien Epaillard of France riding his home-bred Selle Français gelding Donatello d’Auge. Second was Ben Maher (despite competing with a broken foot) of Great Britain who guided Point Break to that great finish. Third was another Frenchman Kevin Staut on yet another Selle Français gelding Visconti du Telman. Read more here.

German vaulter Kathrin Meyer captured first in Individual Female Vaulting with Capitain Claus OLD, her third consecutive World Cup title. Topping the Individual Male Vaulting division was France’s Quentin Jabet with Goldjunge. Italian vaulting pair Rebecca Greggio and Davide Zanella proved they were the best in the Pas de Deux performing their routines aboard Orlando Tancredi. Read more here.

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Find all of the competitor lists, orders of go, results and jumping course maps from the 2025 Basel FEI World Cup Finals here.

View replays of all of the Basel World Cup action on FEI TV via the ClipMyHorse platform (premium subscription required, but a free trial may be possible) here.

On To Fort Worth 2026

So, now it’s our turn―on to Fort Worth, Texas a year from now, April 8-12, 2026, when they will host the FEI World Cup Dressage and Jumping Finals. Derek Braun, of the Fort Worth 2026 World Cup Organizing Committee and founder of Slit Rock Jumping Tour, was in Basel.

He participated in the closing ceremony there, where the FEI flag was handed off from the Basel organizers to him. In his acceptance speech he invited the world to Fort Worth to experience the Finals “Texas style.” We can only guess that means bigger than life!

“Our Split Rock team and the City of Fort Worth have been hard at work planning a world-class event unlike anything the sport has ever seen,” said Braun. “My team and I are deeply honored to be able to organize a championship like this, and we look forward to showcasing the best in jumping and dressage in one of the most impressive cities anywhere in the world! We are fully committed to making this World Cup Final the best one ever.”

Tickets and hospitality packages are already on sale. For more information, visit here.

As the 2025 FEI World Cup Finals wrapped, we packed up and hopped yet another train for our final Swiss stop, Zurich. From there it was a day’s worth of airport layovers and airplane rides before we touched down again in the USA. While we enjoyed the journey and the competition very much, it was great to be home. Now, we look forward to reporting on all of the action from Texas next spring!

This article about the 2025 FEI World Cup Finals is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Record combined driving entries and a “luck of the Irish” day for show jumper Daniel Coyle highlighted the 33rd renewal of the Live Oak International Combined Driving and Show Jumping Tournament March 14-17, 2024. The tournament was hosted by world champion FEI four-in-hand driver Chester Weber at his family’s 5,000-acre estate near Ocala, Florida. The competition featured four days of both national and international driving divisions and three days of FEI-level show jumping culminating with this season’s final FEI World Cup Qualifier jumping class on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.  

Over 15,000 spectators watched the action over the four days at the 2024 Live Oak International. In addition to competition, the tournament had a vendor village and food court, a children’s activity area, a beer garden, a Net Jets walk-through mock airplane exhibit, and daily KWPN Dutch Harness Horse exhibitions. There was also a tailgating competition sponsored by Ocala magazine and a jungle-themed party on Friday night sponsored by Gold’s Gym of Ocala.  

Weber said he and his family were excited to host the competitors and spectators for a 33rd time. Live Oak began in 1990 as a club-level driving competition and developed into a world-class show using a grass main arena surrounded by picturesque Spanish-moss filled oak trees and a sprawling marathon course featuring seven challenging combined driving obstacles. In 2012, Weber’s sister Juliet W. Reid and her daughter jumper rider Chloe D. Reid asked him to add show jumping competition to the Live Oak schedule and it proved to be a popular combination.  

He shared that Live Oak is the largest spectator event in Marion County, Florida, and that they do their best to offer something for everyone―spectators, competitors and sponsors―to enjoy. “At Live Oak International we challenge ourselves to be bigger and better every year and we continue to strive to ensure the best possible experience for all who visit our tournament.”  

Find out out more about the 2025 Live Oak International Event here.  

Combined Driving Results

This year’s Live Oak International combined driving competition saw the largest number of entries in the history of the event thus far with drivers from five countries competing (Australia, Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the U.S.). The driving included national classes for youth, para and able-bodied competitors and international classes at the FEI 2* and FEI 3* levels. In addition to the youth and para-driving classes, other national driving divisions offered were Intermediate-level divisions for single horses, single ponies, horse pairs and pony pairs. International driving divisions included single horse, single pony and pony pairs at the FEI 2* level, and single horse, single pony, pony pair and horse teams at the FEI 3* level.  

Winner of the FEI 3* Horse Teams was Chester Weber and his team of four Dutch horses. First place in the FEI 3* Horse Single division was Raymond Helmuth of Cambridge, Iowa, driving Kendro. Topping the FEI 3* Pony Pair was Yannik Scherrer of Switzerland driving Mary Phelps’ small, but mighty, ponies Bugsy Malony and Al Capony. Anna Koopman of Middleburg, Va., grabbed the blue with Chandler Creek Eclipse in the FEI 3* Pony Single. For a full set of 2024 Live Oak driving results, click here.

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FEI Show Jumping Results

Everything was coming up shamrocks in the Live Oak International FEI World Cup Qualifier with five competitors from Ireland, two of those (Daniel Coyle and Dermott Lennon) qualifying for the four-rider jump off. Overall, there were 32 competitors from 11 countries in the World Cup class. In the end it was Ireland’s Daniel Coyle riding Incredible, owned by Coyle and Canadian Ariel Grange, who jumped clear in both the first round and the jump off and had the fastest time (40.37 seconds) over a track designed by Germany’s Olaf Petersen, Jr.  

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Coyle, who ended the FEI North American League season at the top of the standings and is thus qualified for the 2024 World Cup Finals in Saudi Arabia in April, said he has only been riding Incredible, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood (Clinton-Heartbreaker) since January. He credited Dutch horseman Jeroen Dubbeldam for recommending the horse to him.

“Every time I go in the ring, I’m finding something new [about Incredible]. It’s great that I can find that out while competing at the top of the sport. He was incredible before I got him. And, it’s good to know that I was a good rider before, he was a good horse before, and today I can say that we are also very good together,” said Coyle in an interview after the competition.  

Kent Farrington of the U.S., riding his and Rabbit Root Stable LLC’s Toulayna, also qualified for the jump off and were also clear, but went before Coyle and Incredible and stopped the timers 2.21 seconds slower. Finishing third was Lennon on Millview Cicero, who had an unfortunate rail when Cicero slipped on a tight turn back to an oxer, which caused a rail to fall.  

Helpful Live Oak International Links

◆ Complete results from the 2024 Live Oak FEI World Cup Jumping Qualifier

◆ Other show jumping results from the 2024 Live Oak International 

Watch replays of all of the action from the 2024 Live Oak International Tournament on FEI TV/Clip My Horse. A paid subscription is required, but a free 30-day trial is offered. 

Live Oak was the last qualifier for the FEI World Cup Show Jumping Finals to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 16-20, 2024. For more information about the 2024 World Cup Finals, click here.

This recap of the 2024 Live Oak International Combined Driving and Show Jumping Tournament is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Vaulting and Show Jumping Wrap 2023 Omaha FEI World Cup Finals

The final day of the 2023 Omaha FEI World Cup Finals, was full of suspense waiting to see who would take home top honors in both vaulting in the afternoon and show jumping in the evening. In both sports a cumulative score from all days of competition was tallied to determine the overall winners. 

In addition to Native American performances which opened each competition session, there was shopping in the trade fair and plenty of fun and educational presentations in the demonstration ring. Lots of activities kept the kids entertained, too. It was all a fitting way to wrap a week of international competition hosted by the welcoming and capable folks in this intriguing and delightful Midwestern city. 

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Dancing Horses Take Center Stage at Omaha World Cup Finals

Friday was the day dressage fans eagerly anticipate at every FEI World Cup Finals ― the Grand Prix Freestyle to music. The dressage competition in Omaha is sponsored by Havensafe Farm, Wellington, Florida and Middlefield, Ohio, owned by Betsy Juliano. Juliano is a long-time supporter of the sport and a primary horse owner for US Equestrian Team riders Adrienne Lyle and Jennifer Baumert. 

Thirteen competitors rode down centerline Friday evening in front of a very appreciative crowd. Sadly, three of the original 16 dressage starters had to withdraw their horses for veterinary reasons, although all are expected to be OK according to reports from their national federations. 

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Vaulting Debuts & Day Two of Jumping at Omaha FEI World Cup Finals

Thursday was day two of competition at the 2023 Omaha FEI World Cup Finals in the CHI Health Center in Omaha. The day was action packed with a full roster of educational presentations and children’s activities in the demonstration arena in the trade fair and FEI World Cup Finals vaulting and show jumping competition in the main arena. 

New to the FEI World Cup roster in Omaha was the FEI World Cup Vaulting Finals presented by Burlington Capital Foundation. Individual men and women and pairs (pas-de-deux) will compete over two days (yesterday and Saturday). The men and women performed a technical test Thursday and will do a freestyle test on Saturday, while the pas-de-deux athletes will do a free test each day. The highest combined score from the two days determines the winners.

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FEI World Cup Finals Competition Underway In Omaha

Competition finally began Wednesday at the 2023 Omaha FEI World Cup Finals! Wednesday’s schedule included the Grand Prix test for the 16 dressage competitors and the first of three days of jumper classes with 40 entries tackling the course. The jumper class was a “speed and handiness” class where rails down were converted into time which was added to the total time the horse and rider took to complete the course. Course designer for jumping is Bernardo Costa Cabral from Portugal. 

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Vaulting & Dressage Horses Strut Their Stuff in FEI World Cup Inspections

Day 2 at the Omaha FEI World Cup Finals brought the vaulting and dressage horses to the horse inspection area to face the scrutiny of the ground jury seeking the green light for their chance to compete. In the end all horses in each sport were accepted, but not without a bit of breath holding for dressage rider Dinja van Liere from the Netherlands.

Sixteen dressage horses representing 10 countries took their turn trotting down the inspection track. The four stallions competing were first to go for their once-over, then a mix of the four mares and the 8 geldings in the line-up strutted their stuff for the judges. 

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Jumper Inspection Opens the 2023 Omaha FEI World Cup Finals

The horses have all arrived for the 2023 Omaha (Neb.) FEI World Cup Finals. The European horses arrived last Friday, March 31, so they could complete two required days of quarantine, before all other horses were allowed to arrive Sunday, April 2. 

In total there are 44 jumping horses, 16 dressage horses and 10 vaulting horses for the World Cup Finals. They are stabled inside the CHI Health Center complex in Omaha which is located just across the Missouri River from the casinos in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The massive building also houses two warm-up arenas, the main competition arena, a trade fair and dining area, a demonstration ring, educational displays and children’s activities, as well as a media center, show office, rider’s lounge, and storage. 

The riders in this year’s Longines FEI World Cup Show Jumping Finals represent 19 countries: Australia; Brazil; Canada; Denmark; France; Germany; Great Britain; Ireland; Israel; the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Lithuania; The Netherlands; Norway; New Zealand; Switzerland; Sweden; the United Arab Emirates; the United States of America, and Uzbekistan.

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Omaha FEI World Cup Finals Set to Begin April 4

Move over Florida sunshine and California desert show circuits, the hottest place to be in equestrian sport will be Omaha, Nebraska, April 4-8, 2023, for the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI, the governing body for international equestrian sports) World Cup Finals. The best in the world in dressage, show jumping and vaulting will converge on Nebraska’s biggest city to compete for bragging rights, ribbons and prize money. This will be the second time that Omaha has hosted the prestigious event and one of only a handful of times the Finals have been staged outside of Europe.

The horses will start to arrive in Omaha the end of March. Once obligatory quarantine arrangements and first horse inspections are completed, the horses will begin practicing in the main arena of the CHI Health Center (formerly known as the CenturyLink Center) located near the Missouri River on Tuesday, April 4. Competition kicks off on Wednesday afternoon, April 5, and finishes on Saturday evening, April 8. Find the full schedule here.

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The post 2023 FEI World Cup Finals appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

In addition to Native American performances which opened each competition session, there was shopping in the trade fair and plenty of fun and educational presentations in the demonstration ring. Lots of activities kept the kids entertained, too. It was all a fitting way to wrap a week of international competition hosted by the welcoming and capable folks in this intriguing and delightful Midwestern city. 

As things come to a close yesterday evening in Omaha, Omaha Equestrian Foundation Chair Lisa Roskens reflected on hosting the FEI World Cup Finals twice, “It’s impossible not to think about 2017 because so much a part of what we are doing is a reflective of that experience. In fact, in many ways it’s a bit of a reunion this year. Obviously, many of the challenges of 2017 we worked to resolve and improve upon. Nothing is perfect, you always have little blips, but our goal is to always be responsible to our athletes and the grooms and say to them, ‘What can we do to make it your best experience?’”

She praised the people involved with making both years hosting the FEI World Cup a success, “I really feel like our team has come together. We’ve stuck to our plan, but pivoted where necessary. I’m very, very proud to be associated with this and all of these wonderful people.”

Vaulting Finals

On the second and final day of the FEI Burlington Capital World Cup Vaulting Finals, individual females competed first, then individual males and finally, the pas-de-deux pairs. The start list for each class Saturday was in reverse order of placing from the first day of competition. The final overall results in each group were determined by averaging the scores from Thursday and Saturday.

Roskens, who is also CEO of Burlington Capital, explained why the company chose to sponsor the World Cup Vaulting Finals this year, “For us, it was a very logical thing. Our job as an investment management firm is to help elevate, whether it is a business that needs capital raised or whether it’s our investors who come with us on adventures. Our job is to lift people up and we thought vaulting was a great analogy. And, we wanted to support something new. That’s part of what we do at Burlington.”

Individual Female 

In the Individual Female Freestyle vaulting test first of the eight to compete was Averill Saunders from Canada, then fourth from last to go was the USA’s Kimberly Palmer.  Next to last was Switzerland’s Danielle Bürgi (who was a close second in the technical test on Thursday), and the final competitor was the leader from Thursday, Kathrin Meyer from Germany. 

Saunders, 19, Sundre, Alberta, vaulted on Max lunged by Sarah Krauss of Germany. She improved on her Thursday score earning 7.327 for an overall average of 6.858 good enough for 7th place. 

Vaulting on Romeo lunged by Christoph Lensing, Palmer (25, Half Moon Bay, California) also bettered her Thursday score garnering 7.983 for an overall average of 7.736 and ultimately 4th place. Palmer noted that she had never competed on Romeo before, so it took time to get to know the gelding and she had to adjust some of the choreography due to the tempo of Romeo’s canter. This meant omitting some of her more technically difficult elements; had she done them she could have potentially scored higher. 

Palmer commented on her Freestyle test, “I think it went pretty good. It started off pretty strong and I was happy with my performance. I skipped a couple of my harder moves just to ensure that I would keep the performance rolling. It is what it is. It is hard to make choices within the one minute, 10 seconds that you have to do your routine in front of everybody. I’m okay. I’m happy with it.” 

Bürgi’s performance put pressure on Meyer for the lead where she actually scored better in the Freestyle than Meyer (Freestyle score for Bürgi was 8.599 and for Meyer 8.556). In the end, however, Meyer’s average for the two days was higher (8.428) for the overall win which included a trophy and her piece of the total $10,100 offered by sponsor Burlington Capital Foundation for vaulting ($3,050). 

Meyer spoke about her win during the vaulting press conference, “It’s always a bit hard to tell after the winter training how the others will be. Of course, I hoped I would win this, but you never know. We have a great female vaulter field, so I was hoping to show what I’m able to do and that worked pretty well. It was the first time for us three [Meyer and her horse San Classico S and her mother Sonja who was her longeur] at such a great competition, and I’m really happy we did such a good job.”

Check out the results for the World Cup Finals Individual Female Vaulting.

Individual Male 

The USA’s Daniel Janes (27, Moss Beach, California) was first of six to vault in the Individual Male Freestyle test Saturday. Although an experienced vaulter who has competed as an individual and a member of pas-de-deux pairs and squads before, this was Janes’ first World Cup Finals in the Individual Male division. He noted earlier in the week that freestyle was his specialty and he showed it in his score Saturday earning 8.299, the second-best score of any of the Men’s Freestyle tests. However, the overall standings were a combination of both days’ scores, so his combined score of 7.190 put him in 6th overall at the end of the day.

Janes talked about his great freestyle performance and his horse after their round, “That is exactly what I was hoping for—a round like that. Nothing is ever perfect, but this was close to perfect for me on my progression with Romeo. It is really awesome. There were several moves that we really hit to the full extension, even better than in practice. The mount, the flying ground jumps—those were even better Saturday than normal. That was even a little bit of a surprise for me in a way. He [Romeo lunged by Christoph Lensing] was calm and collected and was really nice to vault with. That was really fun to wave at my family in the crowd and a lot of friends and people I know in the US vaulting world.”

Jannik Heiland from Germany vaulting on San Classico S (lunged by Sonja Meyer) continued his dominance of the division earning 8.666 for his freestyle and an overall final score of 8.551 for the win over the Netherlands’ Sam dos Santos vaulting atop the German horse Max lunged by Krauss in second (8.0520). The victory earned him a trophy and $3,050 from Burlington Capital. 

“The arena is just awesome,” said Heiland after his freestyle, “To win a World Cup Final, it was a big wish for me to get this title in my life. The whole event was really great. There were even more viewers compared to Thursday. It’s a massive arena and it was a very great feeling. It was an honor for me to be here.”

He explained his freestyle, “The theme was bionic. When people look for very specific things which happen in nature and they try to adapt it and they try to copy it―try to copy it with modern technologies. That’s the mixture of nature, animals, humans and technology.”

Find complete results for the Individual Male Vaulting.

Pas-de-Deux

The last competition of the 2023 Burlington Capital World Cup Vaulting Finals was the Pas-De-Deux division. Four pairs, 2 from Germany and one each from Austria and Denmark took turns showing their second Freestyle test Saturday to the delight of the audience. 

In the end, the two German pairs topped the division with Chiara Congia and Justin van Gerven who vaulted on German horse Max (longed by Alexandra Knauf) taking the title (overall score 8.341) with Diana Harwardt and Peter Kunne on DSP Sir Laulau lunged by Hendrik Falk in second place (overall score 7.876). Congia and van Gerven took home a trophy and $4,000 in prize money provided by Burlington Capital. 

Congia and van Gerven, who announced that this World Cup was their last competition together, had the top score on day one and the overall best average for the win. But, the big story of the pas-de-deux competition Saturday was the amazing comeback of Harwardt and Kunne. Harwardt had a fall during their first test on Thursday leaving them in last place that day, but a lovely performance earned them the top score Saturday (8.516) bringing their average score up to finish in 2nd.    

Another notable fact was that Congia and van Gerven had to borrow the horse Max when their regular horse (Highlight FRH) went lame at the last minute after the horse inspection but before their first test. The crowd-pleasing signature move of Congia and van Gerven was something to behold. In that maneuver Congia balanced on her stomach with arms outstretched on the back of van Gerven’s shoulders without either of them holding onto the other (see photo). 

Congia talked about how that felt and their round in the press conference, “I feel like I am flying. We did a lot of work; we trained the whole last season. I’m really happy that this time we could win, even if it was bit different from what we planned.”

Find the full results of the Pas-De-Deux Vaulting.

Show Jumping Winner Crowned

The final event of the 2023 Omaha FEI World Cup was the Longines Jumping Finals Saturday evening. Earlier in the week the jumpers had begun competition with a speed class on Wednesday tackled by 40 competitors and then a Table A with jump-off class with 39 starters on Thursday. 

Tonight the competitors jumped over two courses, A and B rounds, designed by Bernardo Costa Cabral (POR). Points were cumulative over the three days and four courses of competition.

Thirty horse and rider combinations, competing in reverse order of the standings, tackled course A, a Table A with no jump off, 1.60-meter track that included 12 numbered obstacles and 15 jumping efforts. Then, there was a break and course reset with the top 20 coming back for round B, a Table A with jump-off, 1.60-meter challenge, again with 12 numbered obstacles and 15 jumping efforts, and 6 obstacles in the jump-off, which in the end was not needed.  

The evening’s competition started with only 10 penalty points separating the leading 11 horse and rider pairs as Round A began.  Andreas Schou (DEN) riding Darc de Lux and Pius Schwizer (SUI) riding Vancouver de Lanlore were tied at 0 penalties at the beginning of the night, with Henrik Eckermnn (SWE) and King Edward sitting on 1 and Richard Vogel (GER) and United Touch S with 2 penalties. 

The USA’s Hunter Holloway and Pepita Con Spita also carried three points into Round A from the previous rounds, as did Brazil’s Yuri Mansur and Vitiki. Other Americans competing in Round A were Nicholas Dello Joio and Cornet’s Cambridge, McLain Ward and Callas, Aaron Vale and Prescott, and Devin Ryan and Eddie Blue. 

Three competitors jumped cleanly to add nothing to their previous totals in Round A, Dennis Lynch (IRE) on Brooklyn Heights, Martin Fuchs (SUI) on Leone Jei and Harrie Smolders (NED) on Monaco N.O.P. When the top six going all had rails down, the standings shifted again. 

Starting Round B, less than two rails (8 points) separated the top 6 horse and rider combinations. American rider Holloway was one of those, tied for 5th with Mansur. US riders Ryan and Dello Joio were further down in the standings, but competed in Round B as well. The top four in the standings and thus the last four to go were Harry Charles (GBR) on Balou du Reventon, then Smolders, von Eckermann and Schwizer.

Riders who went clear in Round B were Kevin Staut (FRA) on Visconti du Telman, Lynch and Brooklyn Heights, Schou and Darc de Lux, Mansur and Vitiki, Holloway and Pepita Con Spita and finally von Eckermann and King Edward. But, since it was cumulative, it depended on how many points they carried from previous rounds to determine the overall winner and it was exciting down to the last before anyone knew for sure who had won. 

When Smolders dropped one rail, and Charles and Schwizer each dropped two rails, Eckermann and King Edward, who jumped next to last, clenched the championship. For the title they received a ribbon and trophy and their portion of the 300,000 Euros provided for Saturday’s competition by Longines (172,500 Euro or about $189,594.75 US). Ribbons and prize money were given to the top 16 Saturday. 

Eckermann said in the final press conference after the win that King Edward felt better than ever tonight and he only jumped three jumps to warm up before the second round. “It was a fantastic feeling jumping around there. What makes him very, very special―he’s like a dog at home, he’s so easy and so relaxed. He’s a very small horse, but when he comes in the ring it feels like he’s growing 5 centimeters or more and that makes the difference. Some horses they come in and they get a bit shy, but with him you can feel how it’s like starting an engine.”

Smolders and Monaco N.O.P. finished second and Holloway and Pepita Con Spita took third edging out Mansur and Vitiki since they had a faster time in the final round. Holloway was joyful to finish on the podium in her second-ever World Cup Finals and in front of the home crowd (her Kansas farm is only two hours from Omaha). She won 78,750 Euros (about $86,554.13 US), a trophy and ribbon. 

“I think I’ve always had pretty big goals, and this has always been a big goal of mine,” she explained in the press conference, “To be sitting with riders such as this, it’s obviously a great honor. I’m very excited to be here, thrilled. I think my horse performed great all week. My relationship with her has been great; it’s only getting stronger and building. I feel like we’re just getting started. I’m very excited for the future with her.”

Ryan and Eddie Blue finished 13th and Dello Joio and Cornet’s Cambridge 20th. US Jumping Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland commented on the week for the USA, “Obviously, Hunter’s podium finish was fantastic. She was so focused all week long. This wasn’t just the two rounds Saturday; this was all four. She absolutely deserved to be there. I’m very happy with Nick’s and Devin’s horses. [Eddie Blue] is back and jumping in great form at this level, and Nick and Cornet’s Cambridge are on an upward trajectory. Overall, Omaha was a very positive week.”

Check out the final results from the 2023 Longines World Cup Jumping Finals in Omaha.

Demo Ring & Trade Fair

In the demonstration ring there were presentations on barrel racing, hay steaming, horsemanship, reining, sidesaddle riding and Western dressage. The North Hills Hunt Club and the Omaha Mounted Patrol also made appearances and the Fjord, Paint and Saddlebred breeds were showcased. 

The good work of the equine charity Brooke USA was highlighted. And, the week-long “David versus Goliath” competition between a 19.3-hand Percheron gelding named Luke and a pinto Miniature Horse called Killer concluded. 

Many families attended and kids lined up to take their turn leaping over the mini-jump course and to find out how to braid tails, wrap horse legs and more. They also had the opportunity to meet a number of horse breeds in the stabling area. 

The Native American area, presented by the local Bluebird Cultural Initiative, was busy with history presentations, music and dance, and Native American-made products were offered for sale. Throngs of people trooped through the trade fair purchasing everything from equestrian-themed art and home décor, to tack and riding clothes, books and magazines, feed and horse care items, and home improvement and beauty products. 

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Final World Cup Wows

There have been so many wonderful “wow” moments over the last week. Witnessing the continued brilliance of Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and the elegant Trakehner mare TSF Dalera BB earn a second-consecutive FEI World Cup Dressage Finals Championship, on top of their gold-medal performance at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, was certainly a big one. (Perhaps next year in Paris, we’ll get to see a faceoff between this fabulous pair and the 2022 World Champions Charlotte “Lottie” Fry (GBR) and the attractive black stallion Glamourdale who opted to sit out this World Cup.)

Then, there was the quietly consistent jumping of Sweden’s unassuming super horse, King Edward ridden by Henrik von Eckermann. Von Eckermann and the diminutive chestnut gelding captured the 2023 Longines World Cup title here to add to their 2022 World Championship win and their Tokyo Olympic team gold, with King Edward performing barefoot all the while―who needs shoes!

Adding the elegant and daring sport of vaulting to the roster was another “wow” bonus for this World Cup Finals. The exciting combination of horsemanship and gymnastics was new to many of the spectators and they thoroughly enjoyed watching, enthusiastically applauding all of the competitors after their rounds. 

In addition to Longines’ continued support of show jumping, Havensafe Farm and Burlington Capital stepped up to sponsor dressage and vaulting, respectively, which is also to be celebrated! Without sponsors large sporting events would not happen; it is that simple. So, a huge thank you to all three businesses! Please remember them as you shop and invest. 

The last, and equally important, “wow” to acknowledge from the 2023 Omaha World Cup is the people. From the event organizers and volunteers to our media center commissary crew to the shop keepers and restaurateurs around the city, people in Omaha are just plain nice, as well as very proficient. With two World Cup Finals under their belts, they have much to be proud of. All riders praised the venue and organizers with good reason. Thank you, Omaha. We will be back. 

World Cup Finals 2024-2026

The 2024 FEI World Cup Finals will be held next April in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the first time that a Middle Eastern country has hosted.

Then, the 2025 FEI World Cup Finals will be held in Basel, Switzerland, and in 2026 the Finals return to the USA when Fort Worth, Texas, will stage this FEI event for the first time. 

The organizers for both Riyadh and Fort Worth were in attendance in Omaha observing. After the finish of the jumping yesterday evening, there was a ceremony “handing over the reins” of the World Cup Finals to Riyadh 2024. 

Roskens said she’ll be in attendance at these upcoming World Cup Finals. She said she is thrilled to see the Finals coming back to the US in 2026 and that the Omaha Equestrian Foundation (OEF) will offer to support the other organizers in any way possible. When asked if the OEF will consider bidding on another Finals in the future, she didn’t rule it out, but said the group needs time to rest and regroup first. 

She commented on how Fort Worth 2026 will build on what they started in Omaha, “One of our goals was to grow the sport. Well, if somebody is bidding [for FEI competition here in the USA] and winning the bid, that’s great for us. So, we want to make sure that whatever we do next is a collaborative thing that doesn’t conflict with what they are trying to do. We want to take the time to be supportive of their preparations and have offered help however we can.”

Relive the Action

Fans can see all of the action by replaying competition sessions from the 2023 Omaha FEI World Cup Finals on FEI TV via the Clip My Horse service. A paid subscription is required; sign up here.

For daily news briefs and more information about the 2023 Omaha FEI World Cup Finals see their website.

View full results from the 2023 Omaha FEI World Cup Finals by going to the Longines Timing website.

If you didn’t get the chance to go to Omaha this time for all of the equestrian competition and tourism opportunities, the Omaha Equestrian Foundation (OEF) stages a large, USEF-rated show in the CHI Health Arena each spring called The International Omaha. For more information about that show, visit the OEF’s website. For more information about fun things to do and see in Omaha, check out Visit Omaha.

April 12, 2023:  Update on Dressage Horse Torveslettens Titanium RS2

Dutch rider Marieke van der Putten announced on her Facebook page on April 9 that her Omaha World Cup Finals horse Torveslettens Titanium RS2, who she had to pull from competition before the Freestyle due to a case of colic, had undergone successful surgery at Iowa State University’s Large Animal Hospital. “Tito” is recovering at the hospital and his groom Sanne Vondel has stayed in the USA to help care for him until he can fly home to the Netherlands. 

Van der Putten, who has returned home to Groesbeek, the Netherlands, issued this statement:  “[The] most important thing is that he is doing fine now! Nothing is more important than for him being healthy and happy. Of course he has a long way to go, but Tito is the biggest little, pretty fighter on this planet, so I am sure he will be back strong and healthy as ever! A big thank you to Edwin Enzerink, who is our team vet and stayed with him the whole time and did an amazing job. And Sanne Vondel you are the best. During his stay in Iowa to recover from surgery Sanne gives him a lot of cuddles, all the love he needs and more.”

Torveslettens Titanium RS2 and van der Putten finished 8th (70.776) in the World Cup Finals Grand Prix dressage class on April 5. He is an 11-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Totilas—Toerveslettens Stamina, Stedinger) owned by Jacques Lemmens and Saskia Lemmens-Reijnen. Best wishes to him for a speedy recovery and a long, successful career!

For the complete coverage of the 2023 FEI World Cup in Omaha, click here.

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The post Vaulting and Show Jumping Wrap 2023 Omaha FEI World Cup Finals appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Thirteen competitors rode down centerline Friday evening in front of a very appreciative crowd. Sadly, three of the original 16 dressage starters had to withdraw their horses for veterinary reasons, although all are expected to be OK according to reports from their national federations. 

On Wednesday before the Grand Prix started, Dutch rider Dinja van Liere had to withdraw Hermes N.O.P. Then, on Thursday, Ingrid Klimke announced that Franziskus FRH had “overreached” (probably clipping a heel) and therefore for the stallion’s welfare she was withdrawing him. Friday, the Dutch Equestrian Federation issued a statement saying that unfortunately Marieke van der Putten’s mount Torveslettens Titanium RS2 had colicked mildly and they felt it was in his best interest to pull him from the freestyle competition as well. 

The competitors were divided into two groups, six in the first and seven in the last, with an arena drag break in between. First into the arena was Singapore’s Caroline Chew, who is now an attorney with a practice in London, and rides her own 19-year-old Norwegian Warmblood gelding Tribiani. Chew is the first World Cup competitor from Southeast Asia. 

Following Chew was Lithuania’s Justina Vanagaite riding her 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding Nabab in her first World Cup Final. Belgium’s Jorinda Verwimp and her 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding Charmer were next in the order. After Verwimp, Morgan Barbançon of France and Sir Donnerhall II OLD, a 17-year-old Oldenburg gelding, took their turn. 

Then, the first American rider, Alice Tarjan and her elegant dark bay American-bred Hanoverian mare Serenade MF (bred by Maryanna Haymon) entered the ring with double canter pirouettes then moving into a broken line of two- and one-tempi canter lead changes. They performed to music which included “Bach Fugue in C Minor,” “Road to Tomorrow,” “Sawdust Breeze” and the 396 Hz Solfeggio Frequency for liberating guilt and fear. The pair improved on their miscues from the Grand Prix on Wednesday and increased their level of difficulty earning a 75.207 percent for 9th overall. 

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Tarjan and Serenade were followed by Australia’s Simone Pearce who rode the 14-year-old Oldenburg stallion Fiderdance owned by Gestüt Bonhomme GmbH & Co.KG. Next to compete were the only remaining competitors from the Netherlands, Thamar Zweistra and Stal Hexagon’s 14-year-old grey NRPS (a Dutch studbook) stallion Hexagon’s Ich Weiss; the placed 5th with a 78.204 percent. Then, the lone entry from Sweden, Johanna Due Boje and the 15-year-old Swedish mare Mazy Klovenhoj entered the arena. 

The final five competitors included the two other American riders, Anna Buffini riding her 16-year-old Hanoverian mare Davinia la Douce and Steffen Peters and Akiko Yamazaki’s 15-year-old KWPN gelding Suppenkasper. Buffini and Davinia entered the arena after Due Boje’s test and performed a lovely routine to songs from the soundtrack of the movie Top Gun: Maverick. They earned a 77.843 for their efforts which put them in 6th place overall. 

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Peters and Suppenkasper, who had been the best American pair in the Grand Prix on Wednesday, pulled out the stops to an updated version of their Tokyo 2021 Olympic freestyle (which earned “Mopsie” the title “Rave Horse” after the Olympics). They danced to songs including “Safety Dance” (Men without Hats), “Calabria” (Firebeatz remix), “Staying Alive” (Bee Gees), “What is Love” (Haddaway), and a little bit of rap. The crowd was really behind them and Peters and Mopsie ended their run in the 2022 World Cup Finals earning a personal-best 83.921 percent and 4th overall. 

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Peters was over the moon at his performance with Suppenkasper, “To have almost an 84 percent at the moment it really counts the most is so amazing. Mopsie was so with the music; there was never a moment that he was behind or ahead of the music. This was the most fun―a real party out there.”

Riding in between Buffini and Peters was Isabell Werth and Madeleine Winter-Schulze’s and Victoria Max-Theurer’s 13-year-old German Sport Horse Quantaz DSP, followed by her countrywoman Jessica von Bredow-Werndl on the 16-year-old Trakehner mare TSF Dalera BB owned by Béatrice Buerchler-Keller. Then, riding last after Peters and Suppenkasper, was Denmark’s Nanna Skodberg Merrald and Blue Hors Aps’s Blue Hors Zepter, a 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding. 

Werth confidently guided Quantaz through a technically difficult test which included a piaffe pirouette into a canter pirouette and an extended canter to a canter pirouette to a piaffe pirouette. Werth exuded pure joy through their entire test and smiled and laughed during her post-ride interview and the press conference. A veteran of 23 World Cup Finals now, she seemed so relaxed and at ease, even though she admitted in the press conference she still gets nervous before she rides. The music for Werth and Quantaz was a mix of songs including “Game Over” by Eminem, “Straight from the Heart” by Bryan Adams, and “It’s Heartache” by Bonnie Tyler. 

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Von Bredow-Werndl and her long-time partner Dalera’s much anticipated freestyle came after Werth’s. They glided around the arena to music celebrating the city of Paris as a nod to next year’s Olympic Games including “Paris Cheri” and “Non je ne Regrettes Rien.” While not yet quite up to the form they had before von Bredow-Werndl’s maternity leave, they were technically very correct and had perfect phrasing. Nearly all of their individual marks topped those of other riders. They garnered 90.482 percent which ultimately locked in the World Cup Finals win for the second time in two years. 

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She was elated when interviewed for FEI TV, “I’m grateful for that wonderful mare I’m allowed to dance with. Grateful to have a horse who always gives her best every time she enters the arena, and when there are mistakes they are my mistakes. When I entered the arena she lifted herself up. I am definitely going to celebrate with my father and the horse owner who are both here and with my German teammates.”

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Last in the arena for the evening, Skodberg Merrald’s and Zepter’s freestyle was a super-smooth, powerful test ridden to “Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli as well as some music by Ed Sheeran. Though she’s only ridden the gelding for four months, she felt he has much potential and he certainly showed it! They scored a personal-best 87.146 percent to surpass Werth and Quantaz in the standings for second place. 

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See the complete results from the Grand Prix Freestyle World Cup Finals dressage here.

Temple Grandin & More

A full docket of education and entertainment was offered at the Omaha World Cup Finals, so visitors had lots to choose from Friday. Even though the Dressage Freestyle competition didn’t start until 6 p.m., the trade fair, educational activities and entertainment opened at 9 a.m. 

Breeds showcased in the demonstration arena Friday included Akhal-Tekes, Fell Ponies, Fjords, Foxtrotters, Friesians, Highland Ponies, Paint Horses, Saddlebreds and Thoroughbreds. Educational demonstrations included foundational to advanced horsemanship, in-hand jumping, steaming hay, vaulting, and Western dressage. And, there was a meet and greet time with a 17-year-old Percheron draft horse named Luke, the tallest horse in Nebraska at 19.3 hands and 2,300 pounds.

But beyond the competition, the biggest draw of the day at the World Cup venue was an appearance by renowned Colorado State animal scientist and animal welfare and autism advocate, Dr. Temple Grandin. Crowds overflowed the stands and wrapped around the demo arena to hear her speak for 45 minutes and followed her back to the Omaha Equestrian Foundation booth where she answered questions and signed books for a lengthy amount of time. 

Friday’s World Cup Wows

Our associate photographer Shelley Higgins from Ontario, Canada, shares her “world cup wow” moment from Friday night’s competition. “For me it was Steffen Peters’ and Mopsie’s amazing amount of collection in the canter pirouettes tonight!”

For Michelle Downey from Amaranth, Ontario, her wow for the day came while she was sitting in the stands watching the freestyles. She says she could just feel the positive energy and joy rising from the riders on the competition floor. “The dressage freestyle was unreal. Isabell Werth has a million-dollar smile.  She engaged with the audience and brought us right into the moment with her. Unbelievable!”

For me the wows were two-fold. The first was listening to Temple Grandin speak and marveling at the insight and intellect she shared with the audience and, being autistic, what she had overcome to become a professor, scientist and animal welfare advocate. The other was the true feeling of joy and camaraderie that all of the dressage riders brought to the venue. They were smiling and laughing, supporting each other regardless of nationality, and thanked the organizers and sponsors and volunteers often. It made you realize that there is a real sense of community in the international world of equestrian sport! 

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Thursday was day two of competition at the 2023 Omaha FEI World Cup Finals in the CHI Health Center in Omaha. The day was action packed with a full roster of educational presentations and children’s activities in the demonstration arena in the trade fair and FEI World Cup Finals vaulting and show jumping competition in the main arena. 

Vaulting Begins

New to the FEI World Cup roster in Omaha was the FEI World Cup Vaulting Finals presented by Burlington Capital Foundation. Individual men and women and pairs (pas-de-deux) will compete over two days (yesterday and Saturday). The men and women performed a technical test Thursday and will do a freestyle test on Saturday, while the pas-de-deux athletes will do a free test each day. The highest combined score from the two days determines the winners.

Germany and the USA each provided five vaulting horses and the vaulters were assigned a horse and longeur prior to the competition. Most vaulted on borrowed horses and only had a few days to get to know their mounts, making the competition even more challenging for them. Yet, the vaulters all put on a lovely show for the appreciative crowd that cheered for every competitor.

Competing in vaulting were: eight women from six countries (Austria, Canada, Germany (2), Hungary, Switzerland (2), and the USA); six men from four countries (Germany (2), the Netherlands, Switzerland (2), and the USA), and four pas-de-deux pairs from three countries (Austria, Denmark, and two from Germany). 

Individual Female Technical Test

First up on Thursday’s competition docket was the vaulting individual female technical test. Germany’s Kathrin Meyer showed the depth of her experience performing a smooth, expressive and accurate test to take the lead in the individual female division. Having her mother Sonja as the longeur and her family’s horse San Classico S as her mount helped her feel right at home and she scored 8.299 over Swiss vaulter Danielle Bürgi (8.092) vaulting on Best Brew lunged by Andrea Selch of the USA in 2nd. 

Meyer commented on her horse and the competition after her round, “I’m so proud of him. We’ve had him for 10 years. There were small things that I wasn’t 100% happy with, but it was the first time I showed this routine for the season, so it was a good job for the three of us. The lights [in the CHI Health Arena] create a different atmosphere than a normal competition. The audience was great, and I’m happy to be here.”

Taking 3rd place in the female technical was Sophie Julia Wagner, Germany, on DSP Sir Laulau lunged by Hendrik Falk, also from Germany (7.532). Fourth was Hungary’s Blanka Németh on Lunar Eclipse lunged by Kimberly Wellmann of the USA (7.519). 

The USA’s Kimberly Palmer, vaulting on Romeo lunged by Christoph Lensing of Germany, put in a nice round to finish with a 7.489 for 4th place in the technical test. She talked about Romeo and her test, “I think at first I was pretty nervous. I don’t know if anyone could see that, but my horse was a bit more excited than I was hoping for. But then I was able to hold it together and make it through in a good routine. As the routine went on, he started to calm down, but I was so in it that I didn’t really notice. I’m glad he was able to relax in. Hopefully in the second round he’ll be feeling really good. It was really great. The lights―you just feel famous―everything is dark and you’re in the light. It’s really empowering and gives you energy.”

Eva Nagiller from Austria, on Killian lunged by Mary McCormick of the USA, took the 6th spot (7.394). Young Canadian vaulter Averill Saunders entertained the crowd performing on Max lunged by Sarah Krauss earned a 6.597 putting her in 7th. Finishing 8th was Nadja Büttiker (SUI) who vaulted on Garth ISF lunged by Jodi Rinard (USA). View the full vaulting individual female technical test results here.

Individual Male Technical Test

The individual male vaulters were second to compete in the CHI Health arena this afternoon. Once again, a vaulter from Germany topped the rankings after the technical test when Jannik Heiland vaulting from atop the German horse San Classico S lunged by Sonja Meyer scored 8.436. 

Heiland explained that San Classico was not his normal competition horse and talked about his routine, “Honestly this is not my usual team. I had to change the horse short term, so this was my fifth time on the horse. Therefore, I was happy with the round. My horse I trained at home all the time was too old for this big journey, so I decided to use another horse. My first plan was to go with Highlight, but there were some problems and I had to change the horse. I did a few trainings before we left for here. We had two short trainings here in Omaha, and then the technical test. Everything was not perfect, but I think 90% of the technical test was very good. I look forward to the freestyle on Saturday.”

Taking 2nd was the Netherland’s Sam Dos Santos who performed on the German horse Max lunged by Krauss (7.952), followed by Andrin Müller from Switzerland who also vaulted on Max in 3rd (7.176). Fourth was another Swiss vaulter Lukas Heppler who performed on US horse Best Brew lunged by Selch with 6.885 and filling the 5th spot was Germany’s Julian Wilfling on German horse Aragorn 102 lunged by Alexander Zebrak (6.691). 

US vaulter Daniel Janes, who was in his first World Cup as an individual (he had previously competed as a part of a pas-de-deux), performed on Romeo lunged by Lensing to thunderous applause from the home-country crowd and scored 6.081 for 6th. “I was really proud of the beginning of the routine,” exclaimed Janes, “We had a really strong start and hit the full range of movements. Things got a little bumpy here and there in the middle, but I’m also proud that Romeo and I kept it together. I pushed through to the end even though there was one mistake. He [Romeo] had more energy for sure, but was still very smooth and professional in the ring. So, that was nice.”

Janes also said he really enjoys performing to music while vaulting and said the day’s music was written by Son Lux. Son Lux also wrote the music Janes will use for his freestyle on Saturday, but Janes explained the music has a contrasting vibe to Saturday’s song, “This is the part that’s most special to me, performing well with the music. I can feel that and try to transfer it to the audience. I try to set up my routine to reflect that, although it’s not the easiest to set up in the technical test with the prescribed movements. I don’t always know why I’m drawn to a song, but I was drawn to this song. I’m a freestyle vaulter, so I’m a really looking forward Saturday.”

View the full vaulting individual male technical test results here.

Pas-de-Deux Free Test #1

The final vaulting class of the afternoon was the pas-de-deux. The two German pairs were expected to lead the pack, but with spirited competition from the Austrian and Danish vaulters to make it interesting. For the most part that was what played out, but when German vaulter Diana Harwardt had a fall from their horse (DSP Sir Laulau lunged by Falk) during the routine with partner Peter Kunne, they dropped to finish 4th (7.236). She was OK, but it interrupted the flow of the test and affected their score Thursday; they will have a chance to redeem themselves on Saturday, however. 

As predicted by those in the know, the other German pair, Chiara Congia and Justin van Gerven who vaulted on German horse Max (lunged by Alexandra Knauf), topped the results list for Thursday’s pas-de-deux with 8.370. They were followed by the Austrian pair Romana Hinter and Eva Negiller on Killian lunged by McCormick in 2nd (7.657) with Danish vaulters Freja Linde and Maria Thinggaard Sorensen on Lunar Eclipse lunged by Wellmann in 3rd (7.267). 

Congia and van Gerven explained that they were supposed to vault on their own horse Highlight FRH who had passed the first horse inspection on Tuesday, but then had slightly injured herself in a subsequent practice session, so they were switched to competing on Max. “We are lucky enough to be able to compete on him [Max]. We know him because he’s from our stable, but we haven’t trained really on him. He did an amazing job. It’s amazing [here in the CHI Health Arena]. The arena is huge and it’s so special for us to compete here. We’re not really used to this big of an arena,” said Congia. 

Van Gerven agreed that they were lucky to do well on Max with little time to prepare and shared that Omaha is the last competition for him and Congia as a pair. He previewed their plans for Saturday’s free test, “On Saturday we will show the World Championship Freestyle from last year [Herning, Denmark]. Mostly it’s contemporary and we dance together. We want to bring this to the audience and show them a good feeling. It’s always good to have a good first round. We know now what to do and where are some difficult parts and we can work on those for the freestyle. Max will get a lot of care so he can relax before Saturday.” 

View the full vaulting individual pas-de-deux free test 1 results here.

The vaulters will return on Saturday afternoon, April 8, at 1:15 p.m. Central US time for their final tests to determine the winners in each division. 

Jumpers Day Two

After an exciting jumper speed round Wednesday, 39 of the 40 original starters from 19 different countries returned to compete in the second day of the Longines FEI World Cup Finals. The class was a Table A, 1.60-meter competition with jump off over course designer Bernardo Costa Cabral’s track with 14 numbered obstacles and a total of 17 jumping efforts. The competitors jumped in reverse order of their results from Wednesday. 

Nine combinations jumped the first round cleanly and returned for the jump off which featured two tight roll-back turns followed by longer lines across the arena. The nine pairs who returned for the jump-off were:  Julien Epaillard with Donatello d’Auge (FRA); Victoria Gulliksen and Equine America Papa Roach (NOR); Devin Ryan and Eddie Blue (USA); Harry Charles and Balou du Reventon (GBR); Richard Vogel and United Touch S (GER); Yuri Mansur and Vitiki (BRA); Hunter Holloway and Pepita Con Spita (USA); Andreas Schou and Darc de Lux (DEN), and Pius Schwizer and Vancouver de Lanlore (SUI).  

Gulliksen, Charles, Vogel, Schou and Schwizer all produced clear rounds in the jump-off, but Vogel’s time was a sizzling 35.11 seconds, 0.14 seconds faster than Charles’ for the win and 34,500 Euros in prize money. Third was Schou, 4th was Schwizer, 5th was Gulliksen and 6th was Mansur. The USA’s Holloway placed 7th and Ryan 8th. View full results from Thursday’s jumper class here.

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Vogel talked about his horse and the course in the press conference following the class, “I think everyone can see how amazing this horse is. He has such a big stride and that doesn’t necessarily make it easy in such a small and delicate indoor. But, he just gives his best and tries his heart out and in such a jump-off I was lucky enough to leave a stride out here and there and that suited us.”  

“The first round was pretty technical,” he continued, “There were enough short lines, especially for my horse, so I was very delighted with how my horse handled it. Also in the results I think you could see it was a tough enough class. Not too easy, not too soft. I think the course builder did a good job.”  

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Holloway was also in the press conference as the top-placed American rider and she was thrilled with how her mare Pepita con Spita had gone over the last two days, “She’s very clever and smart. She’s stronger than ever and has really come this week to play. She’s definitely top of her game and I’m just trying to keep up with her. Round one was super today and she jumped great again and fought hard for me. We had an unlucky rail when I was a little deep in the jump-off, but she was excellent.” 

The jumpers also had a day off Thursday, but will return for their third and final day of competition on Saturday evening, April 8, at 7:15 p.m. Central, when they will jump two rounds (A and B). The top 30 from Thursday’s competition will return for Round A and then the field will be further whittled down to 20 for Round B. The rider’s scores from each class are added to together for a cumulative score to determine the overall winner on Saturday evening. 

Around the FEI World Cup Venue

The demonstration ring had a full schedule of breed appearances and educational events Thursday. Dressage, vaulting and horsemanship were featured along with an equine nutrition lecture and in-hand jumping. Breeds showcased included Akhal-Tekes, Fell Ponies, Foxtrotters, Friesians, Highland Ponies, Paint Horses and Saddlebreds. US Dressage Team Technical Advisor Debbie McDonald gave a presentation and the equine charity Brooke USA was spotlighted too. There were also many hands-on kids’ learning activities including how to braid a horse’s tail or wrap a bandage around a leg, among others. And, Native Americans from the Bluebird Cultural Initiative performed traditional dance and music.

Thursday’s World Cup Wows

For our crew member Michelle Downey, Thursday’s “World Cup Wow” was the poetry of the vaulting pas-de-deux competitors as the performed their intricate, artistic and athletic routines. She was also in awe meeting Germany’s dressage and event rider Ingrid Klimke and her daughter Greta at the Trakehner Initiative Olympia reception Thursday evening. 

For me, the wows from Thursday evening were the nine clear first rounds over a very challenging show jumping course and the lightening-fast jump-off that gave Richard Vogel and United Touch S the win. And, seeing Hunter Holloway of Topeka, Kansas, a fellow Midwestern girl, shine in the jumper class was absolutely great!

For all articles about the 2023 FEI World Cup in Omaha, click here.

Watch the FEI World Cup On Demand

Fans can relive all of the action by replaying all sessions of the 2023 Omaha FEI World Cup Finals on demand on FEI TV via the Clip My Horse service which requires a paid subscription; sign up here.

This recap of day two of competition at the 2023 FEI World Cup Finals is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Competition finally began Wednesday at the 2023 Omaha FEI World Cup Finals! Wednesday’s schedule included the Grand Prix test for the 16 dressage competitors and the first of three days of jumper classes with 40 entries tackling the course. The jumper class was a “speed and handiness” class where rails down were converted into time which was added to the total time the horse and rider took to complete the course. Course designer for jumping is Bernardo Costa Cabral from Portugal. 

Dressage Report

This year’s Omaha FEI World Cup Dressage competition is sponsored by Betsy Juliano’s Havensafe Farm. The dressage horses will compete again on Friday evening, April 7, in their Grand Prix Freestyle to music class, a crowd favorite. But Wednesday was all about wowing the judges in the Grand Prix test. FEI rider, USDF L Program graduate and past president of the Midwest Dressage Association Nancy Bryant watched each test from the stands and gave her perspective on the day, “There were many mistake-free tests and it was an enjoyable afternoon.”

She touched on the US riders’ tests, “Steffen Peters and ‘Mopsie’ [Suppenkasper] had a very clean, consistent ride landing them in 5th place. Anna Buffini and her mare also presented a lovely test highlighted by Anna’s radiant smile throughout; they are in 9th place. Alice Tarjan and Serenade MF were having a very nice test and then an unfortunate miscue caused a blip in the piaffe-passage tour. However, Alice made a smooth recovery and they finished well.”

The German contingent came ready to seize the day in Omaha. First after the Grand Prix test was Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and the 16-year-old  Trakehner mare TSF Dalera BB, who also won the World Cup last year in Leipzig, Germany. Isabell Werth (GER) and the German Sport Horse gelding Quantaz DSP finished second. Nanna Skodberg Merrald of Denmark and the Oldenberg gelding Blue Hors Zepter placed third. Rounding out the top four was Ingrid Klimke (GER) on the Hanoverian stallion Franziskus FRH from Germany.

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One moment of disappointment was the withdrawal of Dinja von Liere and Hermes N.O.P. (NED) right before the start of the Grand Prix class.

“Today the horse was not fit to compete. Horse welfare is always our number one priority so to respect the horse, he was withdrawn,” reported Iris Boelhouwer, Director of High Performance and Foreign Affairs/Secretary General Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation.

Jumper Report

Forty competitors took to the main arena in the CHI Health Center in the evening and raced the clock to see who could finish in the lowest time. Fifteen of the 40 riders rode clear and the top four finished the course in less than 60 seconds. 

The FEI number-one world ranked rider Henrik von Eckermann from Sweden and his 2022 World Championship gold-medal partner King Edward crossed the finish in the fastest time to capture the top spot and 23,000 Euros. Great Britain’s Scott Brash and Hello Jefferson stopped the clocks in second place and Germany’s Daniel Deusser guided Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z to third. 

Americans Hunter Holloway on Pepita Con Spita, Aaron Vale on Prescott, and McLain Ward on Callas had quick rounds to put them in 8th, 10th and 11th out of 40 respectively. Canadian Erynn Ballard and Hero are in 19th with a clear round. Hunter is from the neighboring state of Kansas and says she loves showing at the Omaha venue where she is greeted enthusiastically by the home crowd every time she enters the ring. 

The other American riders currently sit in 21st (Devin Ryan and Eddie Blue), 28th Nicholas Dello Joio and Cornet’s Cambridge, 31st (Ailish Cunniffe and Vivaldi du Theil, 34th (Natalie Dean and Acota M), 35th (Elisa Broz and Kardenta van ‘t Meerhof), and 39th (Simonne Berg and Cooper). At 18 years old Broz is the youngest jumper rider in this World Cup Finals. Her horse Kardenta van’t Meerhof has brought her up all through the ranks and she’s gaining valuable experience in this World Cup Finals.

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Since this was only day one of three for the jumpers, so much can change by the time the ribbons are awarded on Saturday night. So, stay tuned for more jumper excitement on Saturday evening, April 8, when they will jump two final rounds to determine the overall 2023 Longines Omaha Jumping World Cup Finals Champion. 

Around the World Cup

Attendees were treated to a full schedule of demonstrations and educational events Wednesday. The Omaha Mounted Patrol performed and there were Western dressage, sidesaddle, reining, and vaulting demonstrations and the Highland Pony was showcased, among other things. Horsemanship lessons and a nutrition lecture were also featured. School children on field trips continued thronging through the venue, too. 

Wednesday’s World Cup “Wows”

◆ Seeing the great Trakehner mare TSF Dalera BB perform with her long-time rider Jessica von Bredow-Werndl was very special, especially when you factor in that von Bredow-Werndl took most of last year off for pregnancy leave. They are not only the reigning Olympic Champions, but also won the World Cup Finals last year. They are such an elegant pair!

◆ In the dressage press conference, it was pointed out that Isabell Werth has competed in 24 World Cup Finals! (I erroneously reported in my World Cup Preview that she had competed in 18, but the number was even greater! Often referred to respectfully as “The Queen,” Werth is an absolutely wonderful horsewoman and is well liked by her fellow riders and her fans. Last year at the World Championships in Denmark she actually gave helpful pointers to one of her competitors―Charlotte Fry who rode Glamourdale― which helped Fry win the Championship.) 

◆ For our associate photographer and accomplished sport horse breeder Shelley Higgins, the “wow” moment for her Wednesday was seeing how elegantly and empathetically Alice Tarjan handled the moment when she and her mare Serenade MF misread each other and had to stop midstream in the piaffe and passage part of their test. “Alice didn’t get flustered and didn’t try to force her mare forward. She sat quietly and asked her again. When the recovered, they had a beautiful rest of the test!”

◆ On the jumper side, a big wow was witnessing the continued success of Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann and the brilliant, yet unassuming chestnut gelding King Edward. They came first in the speed class, but before that they were key members of the Olympic gold-medal-winning Swedish Team in Tokyo in 2021. Then, they garnered individual and team gold in the World Championships in Denmark last summer. King Edward was “discovered” hidden away in the barn of an amateur rider before von Eckermann took over the ride and to top it all off, the horse has competed barefoot for a number of years now!

On Thursday, the vaulters begin their quest for World Cup Finals medals with the individual women and men’s technical tests and the first of two free tests for the pas-de-deux pairs. And, the jumpers continue with a “Table A competition with jump-off” class. Find starting orders and results at to the 2023 FEI World Cup Finals Longines Timing website.

For the complete coverage of the 2023 FEI World Cup in Omaha, click here.

This recap of the first day of competition at the 2023 FEI World Cup Finals is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Day 2 at the Omaha FEI World Cup Finals brought the vaulting and dressage horses to the horse inspection area to face the scrutiny of the ground jury seeking the green light for their chance to compete. In the end all horses in each sport were accepted, but not without a bit of breath holding for dressage rider Dinja van Liere from the Netherlands.

Sixteen dressage horses representing 10 countries took their turn trotting down the inspection track. The four stallions competing were first to go for their once-over, then a mix of the four mares and the 8 geldings in the line-up strutted their stuff for the judges. 

When van Liere’s mount, the 11-year-old Dutch stallion Hermes N.O.P., jogged, the ground jury took their time discussing him and he was sent to the hold box for a while. When Hermes trotted again, the ground jury took some more time to visit, but finally they accepted him to start competition. 

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Ten vaulting horses (five from Germany and five from the USA), were all accepted to compete beginning Thursday, April 6 at 1:15 p.m. Central US Time. The horses will be shared between a few of the vaulters from the 10 different countries competing. 

Other things going on at the Omaha World Cup Tuesday included school field trips with children learning about horse care, horse breeds and how horses tie into the Native American culture of the region in the education area. And, the jumpers had a scheduled training session where each horse and rider pair had a set time to take a turn over jumps in the main arena. The dressage and vaulting athletes had a chance to familiarize their horses with the main arena too. 

The Omaha World Cup welcome reception and draw party capped the day’s events in the early evening. In addition to the draw for the starting order for all three sports, there was also a performance of Native American music and dance with tribal educator Steve Tamayo on the microphone explaining the significance of the songs, drum beats and steps. The presence of the Native American performers is a result of this year’s World Cup Finals working with Bluebird Cultural Initiative to teach of the importance of horses to Great Plains indigenous people. 

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As part of the performance, tribal elder and educator Jerome Kills Small sang a “blessing of the stable” while Tamayo walked around three competition horses (one representing each sport: dressage horse Serenade MF; jumper Eastern Jam, and vaulting horse Killian) from the USA standing in the arena waving a native plant frond to spread good luck. The crowd was captivated as the blessing was performed. Be sure to watch some videos about the Native American culture of the region.

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The Master of Ceremonies for the evening was announcer Adam Cromarty; he provided color commentary as the draw progressed. For dressage the two athletes drawing names and the corresponding starting order were Steffen Peters from the USA and Dinja van Liere from the Netherlands. For show jumping McLain Ward (USA) and Martin Fuchs (SUI) fished out the information. And for vaulting, the USA’s Kimberly Palmer and Germany’s Jannik Weiland performed the draw. 

For this Omaha World Cup Finals, our MacMillan Photography group is picking some “World Cup Wows” to share. Our new crew member Michelle Downey shares that the Native American blessing of the stable ceremony was very moving to her. For our associate photographer Shelley Higgins and me watching the absolutely gorgeous Hanoverian stallion Franziskus FRH, handled by rider Ingrid Klimke of Germany in the horse inspection, has been a highlight from today so far.  Although every horse here is special, whether they be competition horses or the horses here representing their breed in the demonstration area; we are privileged to see them all for sure! 

Looking back to yesterday, the feeling of walking into the amazing facility here at the CHI Health Arena and Convention Center, with all of the beautiful sculptures out front and the expansive interior, was certainly another “wow” for us. Witnessing the exuberance of the powerful show jumpers as the pranced their way through their horse inspection and arena familiarization was another notable moment.  

Competition starts tomorrow with the dressage Grand Prix Freestyle at 1:15 p.m. Central and the speed class for the jumpers at 7:15 p.m. To follow news from the competition, go to the FEI World Cup website and to watch, subscribe to FEI TV.

For the complete coverage of the 2023 FEI World Cup in Omaha, click here.

This article about the FEI World Cup dressage and vaulting inspection is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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In total there are 44 jumping horses, 16 dressage horses and 10 vaulting horses for the World Cup Finals. They are stabled inside the CHI Health Center complex in Omaha which is located just across the Missouri River from the casinos in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The massive building also houses two warm-up arenas, the main competition arena, a trade fair and dining area, a demonstration ring, educational displays and children’s activities, as well as a media center, show office, rider’s lounge, and storage. 

The riders in this year’s Longines FEI World Cup Show Jumping Finals represent 19 countries: Australia; Brazil; Canada; Denmark; France; Germany; Great Britain; Ireland; Israel; the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Lithuania; The Netherlands; Norway; New Zealand; Switzerland; Sweden; the United Arab Emirates; the United States of America, and Uzbekistan.

Originally there were 45 horses set to jog in front of the show jumping ground jury Monday, but Brazil’s Santiago Lambre had to pull his horse Chacco Blue II before the start of the inspection, leaving 44 horses presented to the jury. 43 passed the first inspection without incident, but one was sent to the hold box―Nurjon Tuyakbaev’s Lancelotta, a 10-year-old Westfalen mare representing Uzbekistan. The mare was represented about 15 minutes later and the jury decided to have her presented again Tuesday. Stay tuned to see if Lancelotta passes in order to be allowed to start the competition. 

First horse inspections for the vaulting and dressage horses take center stage today at 3 p.m. Central US time, followed by a welcome reception and draw party (where the riders pull their starting order out of a fishbowl to set the order of go for competition in each sport). Please enjoy a dozen photos from yesterday’s show jumping inspection for the 2023 FEI World Cup Finals!

For the complete coverage of the 2023 FEI World Cup in Omaha, click here.

This look at the 2023 FEI World Cup Finals jumping inspection is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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