The final leg of the Western European League in ’s-Hertogenbosch (NED) last weekend brought the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 qualifying season to a close and, with just three weeks to go before the action gets underway at the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2023 in Omaha (USA), the Definite Entries are confirmed. 

It’s been another busy season and already there is plenty to celebrate for League winners around the globe.

Central Europe

Athletes competing in the Central European League have known their fate for some time now, Lithuania’s Justina Vanagaite and Moldova’s Alisa Glinka clinching the two qualifying spots on offer in this region.

There were 13 legs in the series and Vanagaite was clear winner when picking up maximum points at four legs, in Pärnu (EST), Perila (EST), Samorin (SVK) and at the penultimate round in Zakrzow (POL). All were achieved with her ultra-consistent dark bay BWP gelding Nabab whose results are even more impressive for the fact that he is only 10 years old this year. 

The 33-year-old athlete from Vilnius (LTU) only moved the horse up to Grand Prix level in 2021, and such has been their meteoric rise in the sport that she made history as the first-ever Lithuanian rider to compete at an FEI European Dressage Championship when lining out in Hagen (GER) that year where they finished 58th. 

Last summer the pair competed at the ECCO FEI World Championships in Herning (DEN) where they finished individually 44th, and Vanagaite then set her sights on qualification for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2023 with a longer-term view to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. So far, so good for the talented and ambitious duo who will be ones to watch in a few weeks’ time. 

Glinka, who finished just ahead of Vanagaite when individually 57th at Hagen EC two years ago, was also a history-maker as the first-ever Moldovan rider to compete at an FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final in Leipzig (GER) last year.  The 35-year-old, who is also an actress, then headed to the World Championships with her top ride, the 12-year-old Oldenburg called Aachen, and with the maximum points collected in the Central European League legs at Olomouc (CZE), Lipica (SLO) and Samorin (SVK) this season has earned that second-spot ticket to Omaha.

Estonia’s Dina Ellermann finished third in the League ahead of Hungary’s Csaba Szokola in fourth, Lithuania’s Sandra Sysojeva in fifth and Poland’s Zaneta Skowronska-Kozubik in sixth place.

Pacific

There were three legs in the Pacific League including the Final in which just two athletes competed, with 21-year-old Charlotte Phillips pipping fellow-Australian Kerry Mack.

Phillips and CP Dresden finished fifth in the Freestyle at the opening leg at Werribee in Victoria where Mary Hanna came out on top with Syriana ahead of Jayden Browne and Willingapark Sky Diamond and a total of seven contested for the honours. 

Mack finished second at the CDIW(A) in Melbourne with Mayfield Limelight behind Lindsey Ware and Aristede in pole position, and only Mack and Philiips battled it out in the Final at Bawley Point in New South Wales last month.

The Ground Jury of Stephen Clarke (GBR), Susan Hoevenaars (AUS), Juan Carlos Campos Escribano (ESP), Susan Hobson (NZL) and Jobina Kennedy (AUS) awarded the winning mark of 74.275 to Phillips and the 15-year-old CP Dresden while Mack and her 15-year-old Australian Warmblood Mayfield Limelight scored 68.140. Both athletes qualified for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2023 but are unable to travel.

North America

Scores for athletes in the North American series were collected from 10 qualifiers in the USA along with two of the Western European League legs in Madrid (ESP) and London (GBR) and Steffen Peters, veteran of five Olympic Games, five World Championships and five FEI Dressage World Cup™ Finals topped the leaderboard here.

The 58-year-old athlete won three legs, all in Thermal in California, to clinch top spot ahead of fellow-Americans Alice Tarjan in second and Anna Buffini who claimed the third and last spot on offer in this region.

Riding the 15-year-old Suppenkasper with which he helped clinch team silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and who also carried him to team silver at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018 in Tryon, USA, Peters produced consistently strong winning scores of 80.020, 81.590 and 80.785. Crowned series champion in Las Vegas, USA back in 2009 with Ravel he is bound to be a crowd favourite in Omaha at this year’s finale.

Tarjan and the 10-year-old mare Serenade MF won the first leg in Devon and the third leg in Tryon, also collecting points for finishing second and fifth in Wellington, Florida. The 43-year-old rider will be competing at her first FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final, but 28-year-old Buffini lined out at last year’s Final in Germany with FRH Davinia La Douce, finishing 12th in the Freestyle. She concluded this season’s League tied on points with Sarah Tubman (First Apple), but higher average scores gave her the edge for that third qualifying spot.

Tubman had to settle for fourth in the final League standings ahead of Claire Darnell in fifth and Charlotte Jorst in sixth place.  

Singapore’s Caroline Chew has qualified for the Final as the non-league rider, picking up her final qualifying score in Wellington, Florida with the 19-year-old Tribiani.

Western Europe

Not for the first time, Germany dominated the Western European League table with five-time series champion Isabell Werth leading the way ahead of compatriot Ingrid Klimke in second spot. 

The Netherlands’ Dinja van Liere finished third ahead of Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald in fourth while Germany’s Benjamin Werndl finished fifth. However Benjamin will not join his sister, Olympic individual and team gold medallist and reigning FEI Dressage World Cup™ champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, because each National Federation can only send three horse/rider combinations and Jessica and her brilliant mare TSF Dalera BB will defend the title they won 12 months ago.

The partnership that claimed individual double-gold at last year’s World Championship, Great Britain’s Charlotte Fry and Glamourdale, won the last leg of the League in ’s-Hertogenbosch (NED) last Saturday and are comfortably qualified for the 2023 Final, but the stallion won’t be travelling. So since Fry has only competed once with both of her other rides - Everdale and Lars van de Hoenderheide - this season she will not be on the Omaha start-list because the minimum requirement is two starts per horse.

Sweden’s Patrik Kittel lies seventh on the League table ahead of The Netherlands’ Thamar Zweistra in eighth and former series champion Helen Langehanenberg from Germany in ninth. There are nine qualifying places from this League and they have not, as yet, been finalised. 

Omaha is a happy hunting ground for the multi-medalled Isabell Werth who reigned supreme with her great mare Weihegold OLD at the same venue back in 2017 before going on to make it three-in-a-row in Paris (FRA) and Gothenburg (SWE) over the following two years.                                                                                            

The FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2023 is going to be great….so don’t miss a hoofbeat…. 

Definite Entries here

For all the latest information about the FEI Dressage World Cup™ season 2022/2023 check out the new Series Hub here

Stay up to date with results, articles, interviews, videos and much more while following the action all the way to Final.

Photo caption and Copyright: Justina Vanagaite (LTU) and Nabab during the CDI-W Perila (EST) © Anett Jaadla

The road to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games has hit another milestone: There are 500 days before the XXXIII Olympiad, which will host equestrian sports 27 July through 6 August at the iconic Palace of Versailles.

For athletes in the Olympic disciplines of Dressage, Eventing and Jumping, the biggest objective on the road to Paris remains qualification. With 500 days to go, some key nations—including host nation France—have secured their quota places, with these National Federations focused on team appointment. Others, meanwhile, are set on fielding their best teams for remaining events with qualification opportunities.

Dressage

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games © FEI/Christophe Taniére 

Including the host nation, seven nations have qualified for Dressage competition in Paris, accounting for 24 of 45 available team quota places (3 athletes per team). This group includes all three medalists from Tokyo 2020 (JPN). Defending champions Germany, the United States and Great Britain all earned their places from their results at the 2022 FEI World Championships in Herning (DEN)—as did Denmark, Sweden, The Netherlands and Australia.

All eyes will be on Germany on the road to Paris, as not only did they top the team competition in the last Olympics, but its athletes Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Isabell Werth also claimed the individual gold and silver medals, respectively. Bredow-Werndl remains at the top of her game and sits atop the FEI Dressage World Rankings with her partner from Tokyo, TSF Dalera BB. 

Twenty-one team quota places (accounting for seven teams) remain, many of which will be decided at the year’s continental and regional championships. Most notable will be the FEI Dressage European Championship 2023, set for Riesenbeck (GER), 4-10 September. Fifteen individual quota places are also available, awarded to athletes from nations that have not already accepted a team quota place. Of course, these athletes will be a mix of males and females, as equestrian sport remains the only Olympic event in which men and women compete as equals.

Eventing

Laura Collet (GBR) with London 52 at the FEI Eventing World Championships 2022 © FEI/Christophe Taniére

Nearly half of the team quotas places have already been secured in the sport of Eventing, among them defending Olympic champions Great Britain, who were victorious in Tokyo led by Rosalind Canter, Oliver Townend, Laura Collett and Tom McEwan.  Germany is among the first nations qualified, which should provide some excitement. After all, the nation produced Eventing’s first ever female individual Olympic gold medalist in Julia Krajewski in Tokyo. In addition to the host nation, the United States, New Zealand, Ireland, Sweden and Switzerland have also qualified. These places were all earned at the FEI World Championships in Herning, where the United States secured its first team medal at a World or Olympic Championship since 2004. The United States is the only nation from North, Central or South America to have secured a team quota place. 

Most notably, Tokyo’s silver medalists Australia have yet to secure their place. They have remaining opportunities at the Group F and G FEI Designated Olympic Qualification Event at Millstreet (IRL), 01-04 June and the FEI Eventing European Championships 2023 in Haras du Pin (FRA) and via the 2023 FEI Eventing Nations Cup Series. 

The competition for ranking points for the Individual slots has started, and will continue through the rest of the year.

Jumping

Fredricson Peder and All In during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games © FEI/Christophe Taniére

Jumping offers the most quota places of all the equestrian disciplines, with 75 up for grabs, including 60 team athletes.

Sweden is undisputedly the team to watch on the road to Paris, having claimed team gold medals at both the Tokyo Olympic Games and the FEI World Championships 2022. Safely qualified, their concern will be trying to replace Peder Fredricson’s incredible All In, who earned a most celebratory retirement in February. “Allan,” as the barefoot bay was affectionately called, won six championship medals in his career. In Tokyo, he became just the second horse in history to jump the entire Olympic Games without having a single rail.   

The Netherlands, Great Britain, Ireland and Germany also secured their places in Herning, while Belgium earned its spot at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final 2022 in Barcelona (ESP). Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates secured team quota places at their Group F Designated Olympic Qualification Event, but 11 team quota places remain. 

The United States earned the silver medal in Tokyo, but they will rely on the 2023 Pan American Games to qualify for Paris. Among the powerhouses of the sport, the U.S. won back-to-back team gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Games and has medalled at seven of the last 10 Olympics, but the pressure will be on in Chile for them to add to that Olympic resume. If they do not qualify at the Pan Ams, they would have one last opportunity at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final 2023 In Barcelona. 

The 2023 FEI European Championship in Milano (ITA), 29 August – 03 Sept. will also offer three team quotas for European nations from Group A and/or B. Fifteen additional individual quotas are also available for athletes from nations that have not already accepted a team quota place.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat! Follow equestrian sports’ road to Paris at https://inside.fei.org/fei/games/olympic.

With just one leg left to go in North America next week, the FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2022/2023 series is already celebrating another bumper season of super sport across five continents.

Horse-and-rider combinations from Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe and the Americas have risen to the challenge, competing in 12 different Leagues around the globe. Not all have had the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2023 in their sights, but for every League winner their victory is something to be savoured.

Smallest

A total of 723 athletes competed in total, and the smallest League was in South East Asia where just eight lined out and seven picked up points. All three events were staged in Indonesia and all the competitors were from the host nation, with 27-year-old Marcho Alexandro coming out on top with the 15-year-old mare Chico’s Lady 3 ahead of compatriot Ferry Wahyu Hadiyanto, winner of the first leg in Jakarta partnering Cascadella de Revel G.

There were 17 contestants in the New Zealand League which produced a very special result when 51-year-old Phillip Steiner won through with his 10-year-old mare Cassina Dior to book his spot at the Final for the very first time.

The experienced athlete lined out in all five legs of the series at Hastings, Cambridge, Taupo, Dannevirke and Hawera, amassing 80 points to pin Sophie Scott into runner-up spot and Brooke Edgecombe into third. Phillip’s wife, Sally, won this League more than 20 years ago but didn’t travel to the final. However this time the whole family intend to be there.

Also making the long trip from the southern hemisphere is Samuel Overton with his 15-year-old gelding Oaks Cassanova, winners of the Australian League. The 51-year-old rider competed in all six legs collecting 79 points which left him five points ahead of his nearest rival, Olivia Hamood, and well clear of Aaron Hadlow in third. 

Results

Kenki Sato won the Japan League, counting results from four of the seven legs including events in Kakegawa-Tsumagoi, Fuji and Osaka. The 38-year-old who competed at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2010 in Kentucky (USA) and who won double-gold at the Asian Games in Guangzhou (CHN) that same year finished four points clear of League runner-up Tatsuya Kusanagi while Yoshinori Suzuki slotted into third. A total of 29 athletes competed in this League.

Nicola Sime topped the South African League this season, pinning Rainer Korber into second place and Lisa Williams into third. Sime, who is based at Sunny Park Stables on the East Rand of Gauteng, was awarded the South African Colours for her coaching skills in 2018 and the 45-year-old athlete is also a successful horse-breeder. Her League victory was clinched by a series of great performances including a win at the second leg in Brits and runner-up placings at the qualifiers at Midrand and Kromdraai partnering the 15-year-old BWP stallion Insaghi DB. From her base at Sunny Park, Sime runs a Development Programme which provides underprivileged riders with the opportunity to compete.

The Eurasian League attracted 47 competitors, and Uzbekistan claimed all of the top-three places. Nurjon Tuyakbaev competed at the first two legs in Tashkent Viloyat (UZB) and Bishkek (KGZ) and with 24 points the 35-year-old athlete won the League and pinned compatriots Umad Kamilov and Bekzod Kurbanov into second and third places. Tuyakbaev produced his leading score with two horses, the 10-year-old Westphalian mare Lancelotta and the 13-year-old Holsteiner mare Camita DKG.

Arab League

The Arab League consists of two Sub-Leagues and it was the UAE’s Moufi Owaida Al Karbi who topped the Middle East Sub-League while Morocco’s Majid Djaidi headed the North African Sub-League.

With top points at both the first and last of the seven legs, in both Abu Dhabi and Sharjah (UAE), Al Karbi was clear winner of the Middle East series, Syria’s Ahmad Saber Hamcho finishing second and UAE’s Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi in third. Saudi Arabia’s Abdulrahman Alrajhi finished four and Shk. Ali Jmal Nasr Al Nuami from UAE finished fifth, and the latter pair will join Al Karbi to fill the three places from this Sub-League at the Final.

Meanwhile just two points separated Djaidi from his nearest rival and fellow-countryman Abdelkebir Ouaddar at the top of the North African standings, and both are also now confirmed for the Final.

Central Europe is also divided into two Sub-Leagues, North and South, and a total of 130 athletes competed this season ahead of the League Final staged in Krakow (POL) last weekend where Lithuania’s Andrius Petrovas reigned supreme.

Petrovas was thoroughly consistent on his way to winning the Northern Sub-League ahead of Estonia’s Paul-Richard Argus in second and fellow-Lithuanian Nerijus Sipaila. 

In the Southern Sub-League it was Romania’s Damian Cojocariu who came out on top while Angelos Touloupis from Greece finished second and Hungary’s Gyulia Szuhai finished third. But the League Final turned into a battle between Petrovas and fellow-countryman Donatas Janciauskas who had finished fourth in the Northern Sub-League, Petrovas winning out by just a single point for the Central European League title. 

Petrovas is a veteran of the 2014 and 2022 FEI Jumping World Cup™ Finals, and it was with his top ride, the 16-year-old Latvian-bred gelding Linkolns which he also competed at last summer’s World Championships in Herning (DEN) that he booked his ticket to the 2023 Longines Final in Omaha (USA) where Janciauskas will also compete. Poland’s Jaroslaw Skrzyczynski was in flying form in Krakow where he finished third and also earned a ticket to the Final. However he has opted not to travel.

Largest

The Western European League is by far the largest, and world number one, Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann, topped the League table at the end of the exciting 14-leg series.

Partnering the extraordinary 13-year-old BWP gelding King Edward who carried him to team gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and double-gold at last summer’s ECCO FEI World Championship in Denmark, the 41-year-old athlete is already signed up for Omaha where he will be joined by 18 others from the Western European series including Brazil’s Yuri Mansur who has earned his place as an extra athlete.   

Super-speedy Frenchman, Julien Epaillard, finished second on the League table while 2014 champion Daniel Deusser from Germany finished third, and the confirmed list shows Germany with the highest number of entries from this League with five in total while the three representative from Switzerland include defending champion Martin Fuchs.

There will be no representation from the South American South League which was won by 45-year-old Geronimo Marcello Viana Ciavaglia, a member of last year’s gold-medal-winning Brazilian team at the South American Games in Paraguay. Five-time Olympian Doda de Miranda finished second ahead of Stephan de Freitas Barcha in third, and it was the 15-year-old Brazilian-bred mare GR Garuda who carried Viana Ciavaglia to success throughout the season.

The North American qualifying series comes to a close in Ocala, Florida (USA) on 19 March, and with seven places on offer to East Coast athletes, three for those competing in the West Coast series and two spots up for grabs for both Canadian and Mexican riders there is still some work to be done.

Ireland’s Daniel Coyle and Conor Swail and Israel’s Daniel Bluman look untouchable at the top of the leaderboard and should make the cut as extra athletes along with Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa who currently lies sixth. And McLain Ward, who set the arena alight when claiming his first precious Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ victory when the Final last visited Omaha in 2017, also has a qualifying slot clearly in his sights. 

But there is still jumping to be done before the line-up for the 43rd Final of the prestigious series is finally decided.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat…. 

All the information about the FEI Jumping World Cup 2022-2023 available here

PHOTO Caption: Nicola Sime (RSA) riding with Sunny Park Stables Insaghi DB at the President’s Cup / © Hilary O'Leary

Great Britain’s Lottie Fry and her superstar stallion Glamourdale won the eleventh and last leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League at the Dutch Masters in ’s-Hertogenbosch (NED) today. 

On an afternoon that proved challenging for a number of horse-and-rider combinations, the reigning double-individual world champions quickly recovered after a surprising moment of discord during canter half-pass to post the winning score of 86.835. The Netherlands’ Dinja van Liere (Hermes NOP) finished second ahead of Germany’s Isabell Werth (Emilio) and Benjamin Werndl (Famoso OLD) in third and fourth places while the exciting new Dutch combination of Marieke van der Putten and Torveslettens Titanium finished fifth.

There were nine places up for grabs for the 2023 series Final which kicks off in Omaha, USA on 4 April and, finishing sixth on the leaderboard, Fry has made the cut. However the 27-year-old athlete could not confirm if she will take the busy breeding stallion, with which she won individual double-gold at the ECCO FEI World Championships last summer, across the Atlantic in three weeks’ time. “I’m not sure, but we will make plans shortly”, she said this evening.

Excited

There was plenty for the Dutch crowd to get excited about, including a lovely performance from their own Marlies van Baalen and Habibi DVB who took the lead just before the halfway break. The 13-year-old chestnut gelding looked supremely chilled and confident as he strutted his way to a score of 79.360 on only his third Freestyle outing at this level.

Finland’s Emma Kanerva posted a personal-best to overtake the Dutch pair when putting 79.505 on the board with Greek Air when the action resumed and then, fourth-last to go, Germany’s Werndl reset the target with Famoso OLD who swaggered his way to the first over-80% mark of the day, scoring 82.760 which was always going to put them in the frame. 

However van Liere and Hermes NOP, double-bronze medallists at last year’s World Championship, bettered that. Starting out with sensational passage/piaffe and the most wonderful rhythm they looked set to really blow the lid off the competition. But the 13-year-old stallion became increasingly tense and they finished on a mark of 83.375 - less than the 87.055 they posted to win on home ground in Amsterdam in January but good enough to temporarily take the lead today.

“Hermes gets more excited when there is a lot of people, but I am still very happy about our progress together and where we are going. He can be very good in piaffe/passage which I think were my best ever today. I need to get him more quiet in the canter now"

Dinja van Liere (NED)

Out in front

Fry and Glamourdale followed them into the ring and it was quickly clear that their score was going to put them out in front, especially after earning 10s across the board for their first extended canter and 9.3 for lovely two-tempi changes. But the stallion suddenly shook his head and spooked during the canter half-pass and although he quickly regained his equilibrium the lost points left the pair with a final tally of 86.835, well below the 90.995 they posted when winning in London last Christmas.

“It was a shame, because he did some of his very best work today!”, Fry said afterwards. “It is a big arena with a lot of atmosphere and he came back and we finished well so I am happy tonight!”, she added.

That big atmosphere also seemed to get to Werth’s 15-year-old gelding Emilio who threw in some high jinks before they entered the arena to score 82.670 which would leave them in third. 

“He went on fire when Lottie’s result came up!”, Werth explained. “I was very satisfied with the first part, but I lost him a little in the canter work which is a shame as I there lost the possibility to compete with Lottie. But it was a great atmosphere here today and at the end this is want counts”, pointed out the lady who knows more about atmosphere than most.

She is heading to her 23rd FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final this year, having won five of them since they were first staged back in 1986. She will take the stallion DSP Qantaz with which she claimed top points at both Lyon (FRA) and Basel (SUI) this season when finishing second behind compatriot and defending World Cup champions Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and the mare TSF Dalera on both occasions. 

League table

Because she is automatically qualified von-Bredow Werndl didn’t need to pick up points throughout this season, and the final Western European League table shows Werth on top followed by compatriot Ingrid Klimke in second, van Liere in third, Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald in fourth and Benjamin Werndl - Jessica’s brother - in fifth place. Fry lies sixth ahead of Sweden’s Patrik Kittel in seventh, The Netherlands’ Thamar Zweistra is in eighth place and Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg slotted into ninth spot. 

However with only three athletes from any NF permitted to compete at the Final neither Benjamin Werndl nor former double-champion Langehanenberg will travel. French rider Morgan Barbançon and Germany’s Frederic Wandres share tenth place and the Dutch duo of Emmelie Scholtens and Marieke van der Putten holds the next two places. There are still some matters to be settled before the final touches are put to the start-list for the 35th FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final is decided….

Don’t miss a hoofbeat….

For all the latest information about the FEI Dressage World Cup™ season 2022/2023 check out the new Series Hub here

Stay up to date with results, articles, interviews, videos and much more while following the action all the way to Final.

FULL RESULTS

FEI Dressage World Cup WEL Standings

Photo copyright: FEI / Leanjo de Koster

While Omaha will host its second FEI World Cup™ Finals in April, there will be plenty of firsts for the venue as, among other things, it will open its doors to a third FEI Discipline.

Vaulting joins Omaha’s lineup in 2023, the result of a reformatted qualification system established for the sport after the 2019 season, which greatly increased the number of qualifying events and consequently, participating athletes. What was once a winter qualifying season is now a year-long, global pursuit.

“[The old qualification system] complicated things for athletes, many of whom are young and [compete as] amateurs [with day jobs and studies],” said Laetitia Gilliéron, FEI Vaulting and Para Sports Manager. “What is new in this format is that athletes can qualify from January through to  December. Even in the U.S., athletes can earn [World Cup] points.”

Provided they meet eligibility requirements, the highest ranked athletes on the Vaulting World Cup™ Individual Standings on 31 December of the year preceding the Final will qualify out of three regions: Africa, Asia, Oceania; North and South America; and Europe. The four highest ranked Pas-De-Deux athletes will also qualify, regardless of region, along with 2022’s champions.

“The idea was to have global representation at the Finals,” Gilliéron said. “We want some diversity.”

Vaulting’s “new concept” also included a restructuring of the Final’s competition format, which now features two separate tests: a technical test and a free test. Formerly, the two individual tests were the same. The format debuted with success at Leipzig (GER) last year, when seven nations were represented, including the U.S.’s Kimberly Palmer and Kalyn Noah.

Palmer has qualified individually again in 2023, and this time around, she’ll be closer to home in Half Moon Bay, CA. The majority of her competitors, however, will have a much lengthier journey. Omaha will mark the first time a Vaulting championship has been held in the United States since the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018 in Tryon. A plane has been chartered for six Vaulting horses to fly to Omaha from Europe: five from Germany and one from Italy. The remaining European athletes will compete with borrowed horses from the U.S.

“Sam Dos Santos (NED) is just 16 [years old] and for him, just to be qualified and to travel across the ocean to compete for his sport in the U.S. is something really special,” Gilliéron said. “It’s the same for Estiven Palacio Hernandez (COL), who was so amazed to be at the FEI World Championships at Herning (DEN) last year. He told us that he learned so much. The sport of Vaulting is different from other disciplines in that the team spirit between nations is really something special.”

A Battle of Champions

The FEI Dressage World Cup qualifying season is far from over, but two places have been firmly cemented. Defending champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (GER) is automatically qualified, while Isabell Werth—who won the previous three editions, including at Omaha in 2017—leads the current standings of the Series’ Western European League.

“Isabell is really a fighter when she’s entering an arena, and for sure, Jessica will be a part of [the Finals],” said Philippe Maynier, Dressage Sport Manager. “Luckily, I was there when Omaha last hosted the Finals in 2017…Most of the athletes coming from Europe are usually very enthusiastic to compete outside of Europe.”

Similarly to Vaulting, Dressage’s qualifying format underwent some restructuring ahead of the 2022 Finals. Previously, different qualifying regions had different points systems, but now the Western European League, Central European League and North American League’s points are weighted equally.

“It’s easier to understand this process of qualification,” Maynier said.

There’s a youth uprising in Dressage, and as the list of Omaha’s qualified athletes takes shape, Maynier looks forward to a competitive field.

“There are new names competing at the World Cup Final,” he said. “There are newcomers, and there are young riders like [27-year-old double World Champion] Charlotte Fry (GBR). It’s not a battle with the [same riders] anymore. It’s more and more open.”

American Hero

Americans will best remember Omaha’s FEI World Cup™ 2017 Finals for Jumping athlete McLain Ward’s (USA) victory on home soil.

All eyes will be on Ward as the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final returns to the U.S. for the first time since that event. Ward is currently the third-ranked east coast U.S. athlete in the North American League standings, thanks to a runner-up finish at Fort Worth’s (USA) qualifier in December. The top seven East USA athletes will punch their tickets to Omaha.

“I really would like to go back to Omaha,” Ward said. “It was a brilliant World Cup Final, not just for me, but I think for representing our country as an event.”

In the past two years, the number of North American League qualifying events has shrunk from 14 to eight, making qualification more contentious, especially when the Finals are hosted in the United States. The 2022-2023 season concludes 19 March in Ocala (USA); it will produce 10 qualified athletes from the U.S., along with two qualified athletes each from Canada and Mexico. Currently, the top three athletes in the NAL standings will qualify as “extra athletes.” Daniel Coyle and Conor Swail are U.S.-based Irish riders, while Daniel Bluman competes for Israel.

In the Western European League, World No.1 Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) has asserted himself as a Finals favorite. With 102 qualifying points (and counting), he is the first athlete in the WEL to pass 100 points in a single qualifying season. He took wins at both Verona (ITA) and Basel (SUI). Both wins came with his gold medal-winning partner from both the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games (JPN) and FEI World Championships 2022 (DEN), King Edward.

“He will have five weeks off, and he will do the World Cup Final,” von Eckermann said. “The Final is really my goal this year.”

The FEI World Cup™ Finals returns to Omaha 4-8 April 2023. To learn more, visit https://omaha2023.fei.org/.

This weekend the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ will return in full force, with the opening event to be held at Montelibretti in Italy from 09-12 March. This prestigious venue in the province of Rome is expected to host leading riders from various European nations.

The FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Series, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, is open to all nations around the world, and is held at CCIO4* Short and Long format levels. The final classification of the Series will be made by accumulation of the points obtained by teams in each competition. Riders can gain FEI points for the world rankings, and also this year the Series offers valuable qualifying spots for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The 2023 FEI Nations Cup™ season will run a slightly longer season than last year which previously started in May. This year it runs from March to October. Once again there are eight legs, all of which are held around Europe with the Series culminating at Boekelo (NED) from 05-09 October, where the overall winners of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ will be crowned.

The 2022 Series attracted some of the world’s leading riders, including New Zealand riders Tim and Jonelle Price and Tokyo gold medalists Laura Collett and Tom McEwen from the UK, as well as some exciting rising stars. Germany finished as overall winners of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Series on a final point score of 450, with Italy in overall second on 415 points, and Sweden in third place on 375.

Phillip Surl was Team GB’s Nations Cup Chef d’Equipe last season. He argues the importance of the series, as a valuable opportunity in offering riders and horses match-practice in being part of a team, and the extra pressure that comes with that. Speaking at Boekelo last year, he said:  “If you take it back to its early years, there are a lot of riders who have cut their teeth in the Series. It will be a golden-ticket year as it was in 2019, so there will be a lot of teams chasing qualification for the Paris Olympics in 2024.

“A lot of nations use the Series in different ways. We are lucky with the strength and depth (in Britain) that we are able to be fairly competitive at every one we go to, but over the years there are riders and also horses now at top level know who have started out competing internationally through this system. We have certainly used it for the young horses coming through and if they cope with this and grow from the experience, it's always going to be useful later on in their careers”

The season will run as follows:

Montelibretti (ITA) -    09-12 March

Chatsworth (GBR) - 13- 14 May

Millstreet (IRL) - 01- 06 June

Strzegom (POL) -  21- 25 June

Haras de Jardy (FRA) - 13- 16 July

Avenches (SUI) - 20- 23 July

Arville (BEL) - 17- 20 August

Boekelo (NED) - 05- 10 October

We would like to provide the equestrian community with a further update on the situation and the measures that have been taken by the FEI, in consultation with respective National Federations and Organising Committees, following the confirmed cases of EHV-1 in Mainland Europe in the latter part of February. See initial Update sent and published on 22 February here.
 
Oliva (ESP)
The Organising Committee (OC) in Oliva has set up a strong organisation and continues to tightly collaborate with the authorities, the National Federation and FEI. The Spring MET III Tour (Spring MET III, 7-26 March) has now been cancelled and the OC has put in place meetings in order to keep all athletes informed on the most recent developments.

The venue is operating under the auspices of the Regional Veterinary Authority which in turn is monitored by the Federal Veterinary Authority, MAPA. In addition, an FEI Treating Veterinarian has been appointed as responsible for the venue, he is leading the work onsite and reporting back to the Regional Veterinary Authority.

To date, there are nine horses at the University Equine Hospital in Valencia (CEU) for close monitoring, eight of which have displayed neurological signs. As a preventive measure and to ensure enough treating space, the FEI has ordered 12 temporary boxes to be set up at the hospital grounds in case more horses are brought in. 

At the venue in Oliva, there are currently 103 horses remaining, which have been divided into different groups depending on their health status. The temperature of all horses at the venue is taken two to three times daily, and in the latest report from 1 March, no horse presented fever or any clinical signs.

MAPA, supported by FEI Veterinary Department, have decided to extend the initial safety measures in order to avoid a further spread of virus from the venue. In order to leave the venue, horses now have to present a first negative sample, followed by a second sample which will be taken 14 days later and a third on day 15. All three samples need to be negative in order for a horse to be released.
 
In order to then be “un-blocked” in the FEI Database and return to competition, the horses have to fulfil certain health requirements. The mandatory biosecurity measures provide two options – either 21 days isolation with a nasopharyngeal sample taken earliest on Day 21 or alternatively a minimum isolation of 14 days with a first nasopharyngeal sample taken earliest on Day 7 and a second sample taken another seven days later at the earliest. All samples must be analysed by PCR and return negative. The measures also include taking twice-daily rectal temperatures.
 
Release from isolation can only take place on the advice of a veterinarian and in order to be “un-blocked” and have access to FEI Events, the horses will need to comply with all the return to competition protocols and have the restriction lifted by the FEI Veterinary Department.
 
Lier (BEL)
The Belgian National Head Veterinarian has inspected the cleaning, disinfection and sealing of the venue and given the green light to reopen the venue for competitions.
 
As a reminder, the affected horse and each of the 25 in-contact horses from the event are prevented from attending any FEI events until they have fulfilled certain health requirements which are imposed in order to minimise any potential transmission of the virus, to both their own horses and the wider horse population.
 
Current status of the spread of EHV-1
Seven horses departed from Oliva prior to the first confirmed EHV-1 case, one travelled to Valencia (ESP), four to Vejer de la Frontera (ESP) and two to Doha (QAT). They were immediately isolated on request of the FEI and are currently applying the FEI Return to Competition protocols while in isolation. To date, none of the horses have been reported to present fever or clinical signs.
 
*Two out of six horses returning from Oliva to Limburg (NED) have tested positive for EHV-1 and have been placed in quarantine where they are being closely monitored.
 
Unrelated to Oliva, in Vilamoura (POR), two horses with fever were placed in isolation, however their test results for EHV-1 were negative.
 
Keeping our horses safe
We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the importance of the FEI’s Horse Health Requirements, and the necessity to fulfil the Horse Health Requirements via the FEI HorseApp to ensure the maximum safety for all horses competing at international events.
 
The Horse Health Requirements put in place by the FEI and in accordance with Art. 1027 and 1029 of the FEI 2023 Veterinary Regulations, since 1 January 2022, are a crucial preventative biosecurity tool, and it is of utmost importance that these requirements are consistently applied by all.
 
All information in relation to the Horse Health Requirements is available on the dedicated Horse Health Requirements hub. Should you have any questions regarding this matter, don’t hesitate to contact the FEI Veterinary Department

*corrected/updated on 6 March 2023. 

In an exciting five-way battle for qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Doha (QAT) today, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates scooped the two qualifying spots on offer to teams from Africa and the Middle East.

It was anchor rider, Abdullah Alsharbatly, who clinched a definitive Saudi victory with a brilliant double-clear performance from Alamo, while the UAE lined up in second, Egypt finished third, Morocco lined up in fourth and the hosts were eliminated in the second round.

The United Arab Emirates had the advantage at the halfway stage with just eight faults on the board. But the Saudis were close behind on nine while Qatar also looked strong with just 10. And Team Egypt were also well in touch going into round two with just 13 on their scorecard, discounting the uncharacteristic 23 collected by their last-line partnership of Nayel Nassar and El Conde.

The Moroccans however were already well off the pace when racking up 25 first-round faults, and although they rallied brilliantly second time out Philippe Le Jeune’s side couldn’t recover.

Led the way

Morocco led the way into round two, adding 16 more faults including just four each from Abdelkebir Ouaddar (Istanbull VH Ooievaarshof) and Abdeslam Bennani Smires (Davino Q).

And although Egypt’s Mouda Zeyada and If Looks Could Kill OH picked up 16 faults second time out, his team was still well in contention when Karim Elzoghby and Zandigo left just one on the floor while Mohamed Talaat and Chakra made it all the way to the final fence on Uliano Vezzani’s 13-obstacle track before making a mistake there and picking up an additional time fault. 

If Nayal Nassar could show his usual form at his second attempt then Egypt would stay well in with a chance. But the 12-year-old El Conde had objected to the open water fence first time out, and when he did it again and completed with 12 on the board then the final Egyptian tally rose to 34.

Meanwhile the hosts began to look vulnerable as soon as the second round got underway with elimination for their opening combination. Hamad Nasser Al Qadi’s 14-year-old gelding Sirocco stopped twice at the triple combination, and when Saeed Nasser SA Al Qadi and Incredible W were eliminated for the second time in the competition then Qatar’s day was done because they could not finish with three scores on the board. 

It was a tough on Rashid Towaim Ali Al Marri who had picked up just three faults in the opening round with Concordess NRW, and even more so for Bassem Mohammed who had produced a sparkling clear from Caletto Cabana, because they would not get the opportunity to go back in the ring again.

Shaky start

The Saudis got off to a shaky restart when their pathfinders Abdulrahman Alrajhi and Babalou HD returned a nine-fault tally at their second attempt. However a lovely clear from Khaled Almobty and the former Ellen Whitaker ride Equine America Spacecake steadied the ship, and when Ramzy Al Duhami and Untouchable made a dramatic improvement from their 17-fault scoreline in round one to put just six on the board this time out then things were very definitely looking better. 

And then Abdullah Alsharbatly crowned their day with the only double-clear of the competition from Alamo, the horse that carried Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat to victory at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in Gothenburg (SWE) back in 2019, to leave his side on a finishing score of just 15 faults.

The UAE’s Abdullah Mohammed Al Marri and James VD Oude Heihoef and Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi and Chacolu each had just a single fence down before their most junior team-member, 19-year-old Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi, picked up 10 faults with Dalida van de Zuuthoeve. That would be the drop-score when Mohammed Ghanem Al Hajri was last to go with G’s Fabian who returned with a total of nine and the final UAE tally would be 25 faults, plenty good enough to take that coveted second spot that will bring them to France next summer.

Watershed moment

There were a lot of happy faces during the post-competition interviews, and it was a watershed moment for the UAE team when achieving their very first equestrian Olympic qualification.

“It was our mission to make history for our country, we never qualified for the Olympics as a team before”, Al Marri pointed out. “It’s been a long road, nearly seven or eight years planning and we failed the first time in Morocco so we were really desperate to qualify today. We had a lot of support from our Federation, our stables, our sponsors, the whole contingent from the UAE are supporting us, believing that we could do it today. We are so happy that we achieved it!”, he said.

FEI President and IOC Member Ingmar De Vos, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez and Mr Sami al Duhami who is Chair of FEI Regional Group 7 were all on hand during the prize-giving ceremony in which the winning team from Saudi Arabia stood top of the podium. 

Not surprisingly London Olympian and individual world silver medallist, 40-year-old Abdullah Alsharbatly, was delighted with the winning result. “I’m really happy for my King, my country, for my team-mates and for all the Saudis. I’m over the moon!”, he said.

Ramzy Al Duhami, who was on the Olympic bronze-medal-winning Saudi team alongside Alsharbatly in 2012 will be heading to his sixth Olympic Games next summer. “I’m so happy for myself and my team-mates, they made a really great performance and our captain Abdullah Alsharbatly, he has really done it for us today!”, said the experienced 51-year-old athlete. 

Youngest

At 24 years of age Khaled Almobty is the youngest Saudi team-member.

“Today is a day to remember for the rest of our lives! To qualify for the most important show in the world, the most important Games in the world - the Olympic Games - I’m very happy and proud of my team-mates for all the hard work they put in, and hopefully we can continue success in the Olympics!”, he said.

Like the rest of his team, 27-year-old Abdulrahman Alrajhi was thrilled with the result. Asked how he felt about heading for Paris 2024 he replied, “I don’t think I will be able to explain it in words, because it’s plenty of hard work - not just me - the whole team has been doing it.

“We were fighting for the last four years because we didn’t qualify for the last Olympics and we were fighting so hard to qualify for this Olympics. I’m so happy and proud to be part of this - if I could be like this baby (Khaled) then I’d be proud! Ramzy is also a legend in this sport and Abdullah Alsharbatly is our machine, he really put in an unbelievable two clear rounds today that we are very proud of - thank you Abdullah!”, he said as the celebrations began.

Saudi Arabia and The United Arab Emirates now join the list of countries qualified for the Olympic Games in Paris next year. The hosts from France are automatically qualified while Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands and Sweden qualified at last summer’s ECCO FEI World Championships and Belgium took the single qualifying spot on offer at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final 2022 in Barcelona (ESP) last October.

Result 

It was a pivotal moment in the career of 44-year-old Frenchman Marc Dilasser today when winning the last qualifier of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Partnering the 13-year-old gelding Arioto du Gevres he pinned Switzerland’s Pius Schwizer and Vancouver de Lanlore into runner-up spot while Denmark’s Lars Bank Andersen (Ethene) and Andreas Schou (Darc de Lux) finished third and fourth in a thrilling four-way jump-off. 

“This is my first ever World Cup win, and to do it at an iconic show like Gothenburg makes it even more special!”, Dilasser said with the broadest smile this evening.

Tough

Swedish course designer, Peter Lundstrom, set a tough first-round test to which only these four combinations found all the answers. There were 11 Swedes on the start-list including the world number one combination of Henrik von Eckermann and King Edward, but none of them went clear over the 14-fence track.

Time and again riders made it all the way to the final line on which they had to rebalance their horses after a massive triple bar three fences from home, only to be defeated by the penultimate double of gold poles or the final water-tray oxer.  

“The course was something special and it asked a lot of questions. It was technical but there were at least 10 riders who deserved to be clear but had a fence down”, Lundstrom pointed out. And in fact a total of seven finished with just four faults.

Threw it down

Dilasser was first to go against the clock and really threw it down to the other three with a spectacular run from Arioto. Lundstrom left the bogey double from the first round in place to test them once again, but the Frenchman just set off like a rocket and with a fearless long shot to the final fence broke the beam to set the target when clear in 41.02 seconds.

Schwizer was next to take his turn and was also fault free but 1.33 seconds slower with the 14-year-old Vancouver de Lanlore when stopping the clock on 42.35. Denmark’s Andreas Schou and the handsome stallion Darc de Lux were looking good until clipping the first element of the double that had broken so many hearts first time out but last man in, his compatriot Bak Andersen, made no mistake. Although having to settle for third with the 11-year-old mare Ethene who crossed the line in 42.55 seconds he was more than delighted because she is proving well capable of stepping up a level.

“We had great courses throughout the week, not just today, and a lot of them have been very technical. But after this show I see a big future for Ethene who I have had for more than two years. She gave me such a good feeling during the week. Normally I compete her in the Saturday classes at a show but now I see she is ready for the big Sunday competitions like the World Cup and it’s very exciting!”, pointed out the Dane who has been based in Elmshorn near Hamburg in Germany for over a decade now.

Competing

Dilasser talked about the gelding he has been competing for more than seven years now. “Arioto was not always an easy horse, when he was young he was difficult to ride but he has always been a fighter!”, he said. His jump-off tactics were pretty simple today, “to go as quick as I could, to do my very best and to wait and see how it was for everyone else”, he explained. 

He was thrilled with his success, so much so that he decided to change his travel plans for tonight. “This has been a fantastic day for me and for my owners. I had a plane to catch this evening but instead we cancelled that and we will stay one more night and break out the champagne here in Gothenburg - it’s important to celebrate the big moments!”, he said happily.

Today’s competition has now decided the final placings on the Western European League table from which the top 18 will qualify for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2023 Final in Omaha, USA next April after 14 thrilling competitions.

Never in line

With no previous points on the board Dilasser was never in line for a qualifying  spot, but Schwizer’s runner-up finish and Schou’s fourth place have firmly booked their tickets to Omaha while amongst others competing today who also needed extra points were Sweden’s Wilma Hellstrom and Great Britain’s Scott Brash who have easily made the cut.

Brazil’s Yuri Mansur has slotted into that 18th place, but since he is classed as an “Extra Athlete” he takes the single spot on offer to a rider from outside Western Europe in this series. And that means that world number four, Dutchman Harrie Smolders who finished second at last year’s Final in Leipzig (GER) and who tonight holds the 19th spot on the WEL table, has the opportunity to go one better when the Final gets underway on 4 April.

Invitations will now be sent to all those qualified, and the final line-up for Omaha will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile the final word tonight went to Show Director Tomas Torgersen. 

Due to the pandemic Gothenburg Horse Show hasn’t run since 2020 and he said “we are so happy to be back and so pleased with the great sport throughout the week! Our great audience came again and we are very thankful for that. We celebrate 46 years this year and we look forward now to what is to come, including our 50th anniversary!”

Result 

Standings 

Carina Cassøe Krüth and the fabulous mare Heiline’s Danciera posted their second victory of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League season in Gothenburg, Sweden today.

The dynamic duo who helped clinch team gold for Denmark on home soil at last summer’s ECCO FEI World Championships in Herning kicked off with top spot at the opening round in Aarhus, Vilhelmsborg last October where Danish riders were completely dominant. Their winning score that day was 85.925, and all five judges were in full agreement when putting them top of the class. 

Today it was just the same but their score was even higher, a lovely performance earning them a mark of 86.855 to leave them well ahead of Germany’s Isabell Werth and DSP Qantaz in second and compatriots Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Blue Hors Zack in third.

“I’m so very, very pleased with Danciera, she was super again today - she just seems to get better and better!”, Cassøe Krüth said this evening.

Penultimate round

Just 10 horse-and-rider combinations lined out in this penultimate round of the 11-leg series, and it was Sweden’s Johanna Due Boje who was leading the way at the halfway break after a really fun ride on the 15-year-old Mazy Klovenhoj who danced in perfect harmony to their Irish-themed musical score. 

“Today I felt I had this perfect balance of good tension and excitement and that she was with me all the way”, said the 33-year-old athlete who runs a small family farm with just nine horses in the south of Sweden. Her score of 74.760 was blown away when Skodborg Merrald and Blue Hors Zack rocketed into the lead with a mark of 81.385 when fourth-last to go however. 

Zack belied his 19 years with some lovely work, although mistakes hampered his score potential. Skodborg Merrald blamed herself for them. 

“We had much better piaffe than yesterday but there were huge expensive mistakes. He cantered in the half-pass, and there were also mistakes in the two-tempis, but he was great and I’m happy! It wasn’t the atmosphere in the arena, it was because I wasn’t sharp enough”, said the rider who, with this great stallion, was also on that historic Danish winning side last summer.

Those mistakes left her vulnerable and, next into the ring, she was quickly demoted to runner-up spot by five-time FEI Dressage World Cup™ champion Werth who, however, also encountered a few blips along the way to putting 82.775 on the board. 

“We are not in the same shape as we were in Basel (SUI, at round 7 last month), there were a few things I have to sort out and I was so stupid with the last one-tempis because I really disturbed his rhythm - I don’t know why but it was completely my fault!”, insisted the lady whose name has long been synonymous with this sport. “The rest was good but you could feel he was on fire in the last piaffe although he was really trying. I really enjoyed it but I have some fine tuning to do before the Final!” she pointed out.

Super mare

And then came Cassøe Krüth with her super mare and her boyband music. From the moment they set off the pair looked relaxed, confident and completely in control. Yesterday they topped the Grand Prix line-up with a personal-best score of 78.217, and the Danish star said she was “pretty sure” today’s 86.855 was a Freestyle personal-best too.

The 12-year-old mare’s cool attitude under fire is one of her real strengths. 

“She just takes it all in, there was a lot of noise when we were coming in because Isabell’s score was being announced but she didn’t mind the excitement at all!”, she pointed out this evening. Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg and Annabelle 110 were last to go, and putting 80.540 on the board they slotted into fourth ahead of Due Boje.

Today’s result leaves Cassøe Krüth on the brink of qualification for the much-anticipated FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2023 Final which will take place in Omaha, USA in early April. But, despite the temptation, the Danish rider has decided she won’t go. 

“It’s not in my plan so we need to stick to the plans we make and not try to do everything”, she said. “The mare is progressing all the time and I’m so happy with her so I’m a bit sad I’m not going to Omaha, but that’s how it is sometimes. I only have one horse, so I have to take care of her so we have her for many years”, she added.

In her sights

Werth however has Omaha clearly in her sights. She plans to do the last Western European League qualifier at s’Hertogenbosch (NED) with Emilio in two weeks’ time. 

“First I planned to bring him here and then go with Qantaz to Den Bosch but then I changed the plan because I thought it would be better to have more space between the last competition and the flight to Omaha. I plan to go with Qantaz to Omaha so now he will get a rest for a few weeks and then we will prepare, and I will learn from my mistakes to do better next time!”, she said this evening. 

With wins in Lyon (FRA) and Basel (SUI), the longtime legend in the sport continues to head the Western European League table.

She loves Gothenburg Horse Show where she has competed many times and where she won one of her three-in-a-row titles with the great mare Weihegold FRH in 2019. She was full of praise for the inclusion of pony competitions in the show programme again this year. “All countries should learn from this, they have a really great basic pony sport in Sweden and it’s super for the kids and they are the future - when they have a positive feeling about our sport they can help to get involved and grow it, and that is what we need right now”, she pointed out.

Run of form

Meanwhile Skodborg Merrald, who has enjoyed a great run of form this winter season including victory at last weekend’s FEI Dressage World Cup™ leg in Neumunster, Germany, had to settle for third today but, ahead of the Final is feeling pleased, and it’s no wonder..…    

“I’m very proud and happy to now have three horses qualified - Blue Hors Zepter, Blue Hors Zack and Blue Hors St. Schufro!”, she said this evening. Lying third on the Western European League table she is in a very comfortable situation. But with one final throw of the dice there is still a chance for others to make the cut, so all eyes now turn to ’s-Hertogenbosch on 11 March.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Result 

Standings