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.

This article about the 2023 Omaha FEI World Cup Finalsappeared is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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! 

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

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

The post Dancing Horses Take Center Stage at Omaha World Cup Finals appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

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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Verdades, one of the most popular and beloved horses in dressage history, will make two public appearances at the 2020 FEI Dressage World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, April 15-19. “Diddy,” as he is nicknamed, will headline the Devoucoux Dressage Showcase on Friday afternoon, April 17, and then have his official retirement ceremony on Saturday evening.

Laura Graves, Verdades’ owner and rider, announced the 18-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding’s retirement in January, leading to an outpouring of love and support from his many followers around the world. That spurred a plan to give his fans a chance to see the legendary superstar at the FEI Dressage World Cup Final.

“Diddy has so many fans, and I wanted to give as many of them as possible a chance to see him before his retirement,” said Graves, who purchased Verdades as a yearling and is the only rider he has ever known. “He has performed on the world’s biggest stages, and there really is no bigger stage than the World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, so this is really the perfect place for his formal retirement.”

Graves and Verdades will appear during the Final’s Devoucoux Dressage Showcase on Friday afternoon and again on Saturday evening when his official retirement ceremony will be held during the intermission of the Grand Prix Freestyle, the event determining the 2020 Dressage FEI World Cup champion.

As part of the special occasion, a drawing will be held to select 16 individuals among those in attendance at the Devoucoux Dressage Showcase to meet the legendary horse later that day. In addition, Graves will appear that afternoon in the Taylor Harris Club presented by Lugano Diamonds to meet guests in the World Cup’s VIP club.

Verdades first caught the world’s attention when he carried Graves to the reserve championship in the 2014 The Dutta Corp./USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship and then followed that by finishing fifth in the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games as the top U.S. finisher.

About the FEI Dressage World Cup and Longines FEI Jumping World Cup

The world’s best equestrian athletes will return to the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV, April 15-19, for both the 2020 FEI Dressage World Cup Final and the 2020 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final. The 2020 Finals marks the seventh time that Las Vegas–the Entertainment Capital of the World–is hosting one of the world’s most prestigious equestrian championships. The biggest names in both dressage and jumping will be under one roof to vie for the title of World Cup champion.

The FEI Dressage World Cup Final was first held in 1986 and features the world’s best dressage horses and riders. A total of 34 Finals have been held through 2019, and the United States has won the championship twice–in 2003 by Debbie McDonald and Brentina and in 2009 by Steffen Peters and Ravel. The Final has been held in the U.S. six times previously–in Los Angeles (1995), Las Vegas (2005, 2007, 2009, 2015) and Omaha (2017).

Started in 1979, the FEI Jumping World Cup Final is an annual international showdown among the world’s best show jumping horses and riders. In the 41 Finals held through 2019, the United States has emerged with the most titles with a count of 11 followed by Germany in second with 10 wins. U.S. riders have won two of the last three Longines titles–McLain Ward in 2017 and Beezie Madden in 2018. Previous FEI Jumping World Cup Finals held in the United States include Baltimore, Md. (1980); Tampa, Fla. (1989); Del Mar, Calif. (1992), Las Vegas, Nev. (2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2015); and Omaha, Neb. (2017).

To order tickets, or for further information on the 2020 FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, please visit the event’s official website at www.WorldCupLasVegas.com.

About Las Vegas Events

Founded in 1983, Las Vegas Events is a private, not-for-profit organization funded by hotel room tax. Through its Signature Event initiative, LVE has created a model to integrate all elements of special events and formally improve communication between event producers and Las Vegas’ hotel properties and sponsors. Since 1991, Las Vegas Events has produced, presented or supported more than 750 events. Further information is available at www.lasvegasevents.com.

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