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The FEI Board allocated major FEI Finals and Championships during its two-day in-person meeting taking place at the FEI Headquarters on 21 and 22 June.
The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2025, the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2025, and the FEI Vaulting World Cup™ 2025 will be organised in Basel (SUI). The FEI Driving World Cup™ Final 2025 will take place in Bordeaux (FRA). In 2026, the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final and FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final will be held in Fort Worth (USA). The FEI Endurance World Championships 2024 will be held in Monpazier (FRA).
“Today the FEI Board made allocations until 2026 and, after some years of disruption due to Covid-19 and EHV-1, we have excellent sport to look forward to in the coming years,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.
“We are delighted that Longines CHI Basel will host the FEI World Cup™ Finals in three disciplines in 2025. The last time Switzerland, which is home to the FEI, hosted the FEI Jumping World Cup™ was in 2010, the very year when Longines CHI Basel was created. Switzerland has never hosted an FEI Dressage and Vaulting World Cup™ Finals so it is a welcome development. Since 2010, Basel has grown into a world class venue and we are confident that the FEI World Cup™ Finals 2025 will be organised at the highest level.
“The Jumping International de Bordeaux has held FEI Driving World Cup™ events for many years and hosted successful Finals in 2018, 2019 and 2020. We have no doubt that the 2025 Final will be organised with the traditional expertise and will attract the usual big crowd of cheerful fans.
“It is wonderful that the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final and FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2026 will travel to the United States. With only two years to go until the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, excitement will be mounting and I’m convinced that it will be an event full of excellent sport, cheer and high energy.
“In addition, we allocated numerous championships for the next two years. The FEI Calendar is as busy as ever and we are looking forward to many unforgettable moments.”
The FEI Board also allocated the following Championships:
Jumping
Dressage
Eventing
Endurance
Vaulting
The Board decided to reopen the bid process for the FEI Driving World Championships for Young Horses for the years 2023 and 2024.
A summary of the other key decisions taken by the FEI Board is available here.
The first in-person FEI Board Meeting of the year opened today at the FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI). Over the two-day meeting, the Board, which is composed of the Chairs of the FEI Committees and Regional Groups, is expected to take key decisions regarding allocation of FEI flagship events, Rules and Regulations, and various governance matters, such as elections and appointments.
Among the first crucial decisions taken by the Board were the updates to the sanction system for non-fulfilment of the Horse Health Requirements introduced in response to the severe EHV-1 outbreak in mainland Europe last year. The system has been in place since 1 November 2021.
According to the modifications approved by the Board, three further levels will be added prior to imposing a horse suspension therefore giving every Person Responsible (PR) ample opportunity to fully understand the importance of the Horse Health Requirements and comply. Another important update is the possibility of missing more than one temperature recording during an FEI Event, prior to a sanction being issued. Suspensions will be enforced only after a horse has finished competing at an event at which the relevant sanction has been received. When a horse is blocked or suspended, 10-day temperature recordings will no longer be required.
“Another useful development is the improved functionality of the FEI HorseApp which is the essential management tool for the Horse Health Requirements,” Gaspard Dufour, FEI Director Information and Sports Technology said. “A new home page in the form of a dashboard for use by PRs will be added. It will allow the athletes to see the status of every single horse entered for each upcoming show providing greater clarity.”
“The severity of the EHV-1 outbreak on mainland Europe had devastating consequences for the entire equine industry,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez commented. “The FEI had to act diligently and impose strict requirements in order to preserve the sport as well as the entire industry and prevent further harm.”
“Since the Horse Health Requirements came into force over six months ago, 78% of the horses competing on mainland Europe have fulfilled them correctly. Out of the remaining 22%, 18% received warnings and 4% were sanctioned. We are well aware of the criticism but also of the useful feedback some of these actions have generated. We have taken onboard the valuable suggestions the community has sent us and have made every effort to improve the system so it is better aligned with the biosecurity risk posed at the various events. Our objective, as always, is to serve the community in the best possible way.
“We are continuously adding new and improved features in order to assist everyone involved in horse management to comply with the requirements and help the entire community protect our sport.”
The modified Horse Health Requirements will come into effect on 4 July 2022 and will replace the existing sanctions system in mainland Europe which have been in place since 1 November 2021. Meanwhile, for the rest of the world, where the sanctions system had not been imposed yet, the modified Horse Health Requirements will come into effect on 1 September 2022.
The modified sanctions system will be reflected in Annex VI of the FEI Veterinary Regulations and will be updated and published here shortly.
For more information on this topic, please visit the Horse Health Requirements hub.
The in-person FEI Board meeting will continue on 22 June. A wrap-up report summarising the main decisions taken on 21-22 June will be sent at the end of the meetings and published on the dedicated FEI Board Meeting hub on Inside.fei.org.
The first of 60,000 trees have been planted in the FEI World Championships Forest in Herning (DEN), as the city prepares to host the largest equestrian event ever on Danish soil.
Working closely with the local municipality, the Organising Committee of Herning2022 has created a number of green initiatives, including the planting of a forest on the outskirts of the city.
The sustainability goal of the Organising Committee is straightforward: for the World Championships to make a lasting contribution to the environment, while inspiring everyone involved to take greater responsibility for our planet.
“Forests have a significant positive environmental impact as they are habitats for animals, insects, and plants, and they capture and store atmospheric carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as the trees grow,” Herning2022 CEO of Sport Jens Trabjerg said.
“As every equestrian knows, conserving the environment is necessary for the continued practice of our sport. We want to show that major international sporting events like these World Championships, can make a positive difference.”
“Through our collaboration with Sport Event Denmark, we hope that other organisers and everyone involved in the organisation of such events will start to adopt a similar approach, and perhaps even our principles, as they carry out their work. The World Championship-Forest will be a lasting heritage for everyone who wants to come by and enjoy the many diverse forest experiences that this unique area will offer.”
A total of 60,000 trees will be planted in collaboration with the Growing Trees Network, a self-governing institution that grows new forests both in Denmark and abroad, with the help of public donations. Calculations show that the FEI World Championships Forest will sequester (capture and store) approximately 12,000 tons of CO2 over the next century.
The ECCO FEI World Championships Herning 2022 is set to host around 200,000 spectators and over 1,000 media representatives from 6 to 14 August 2022. It is estimated that approximately 200 million TV viewers will tune in to watch the Jumping, Dressage, Vaulting and Para Dressage competitions.
In addition to the FEI World Championships Forest, the Organising Committee will focus on reusing materials that will be rented where possible, and local riding facilities will receive equipment at the end of the Championships. The judges' towers will be made of recycled wood and will also be used for many years in other equestrian facilities. Foliage around these installations will be re-planted in the forest as much as possible at the end of event.
The Organisers have also created ‘Solution Square’, which is an area at the venue dedicated to Danish environmental technology and circular economy initiatives.
“Sustainability is about building long‑term value and sport events like the ECCO FEI World Championships in Herning are well placed to create a lasting legacy, not just for equestrian sport but also the local community,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said.
“A change in mindset and attitude is necessary if we are to promote sustainable lifestyles, communities and technologies. And as Herning2022 is showing, the move from small, incremental steps to a bolder strategy for environmental sustainability helps to provide avenues for collaboration and development among local, regional and national stakeholders.
“The FEI World Championships Forest will be a beautiful legacy for the people of Herning, and will serve as a reminder of what can happen when all parties are willing to come together and work towards a common future.”
With environmental sustainability a priority for the FEI, the international governing body has worked towards the implementation of equestrian-specific reporting indexes and the creation of a comprehensive guide book for event organisers world-wide.
The FEI Sustainability Handbook for Event Organisers encourages event organisers to implement sustainability initiatives that help reduce the negative environmental impact of their events and create a positive social and economic legacy.
The FEI is also a signatory of the United Nations Climate Change Sports for Climate Action Framework which calls for parties to “undertake systematic efforts to promote greater environmental responsibility”.
In addition, the FEI has adopted a number of sustainability initiatives at its Headquarters in the Olympic Capital of Lausanne (SUI). The FEI head office is recognised as a "Minergie" certified building, a Swiss standard indicating low energy use, with a reduced energy consumption of 25 per cent. When the Headquarters were refurbished in 2011, only two per cent of renovated buildings in Switzerland met these standards. Increased recycling and staff training have also featured in the FEI's Green Office project.
Photo caption: Mayor of Herning Dorthe West (third from left) with the CEO of Growing Trees Kim Nielsen (far left), and Herning 2022 Organising Committee Founders Jens Trabjerg and Casper Cassoe (far right) at the tree planting ceremony in the FEI World Championships Forest. Photo credit: Herning2022 Organising Committee.
A total of 30 young athletes from six continents have earned their ticket to the FEI Youth Equestrian Games 2022 that will be held in Aachen (GER) from 28 June to 3 July 2022.
The athletes, all aged between 15 and 18 years, will compete in Individual and Team Jumping competitions in Aachen, with each qualified Nation competing as part of a five-member Continental Team.
The full list of qualified FEI Youth Equestrian Games 2022 athletes and their nations can be found here.
Created to replace the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), which were postponed to 2026, and which have featured Equestrian every four years since the inaugural edition in 2010, the Youth Equestrian Games 2022 are being held under the very same principles and format. For Costa Rica, France, Germany, Greece, Palestine and Tunisia, this will be their first experience in the special Youth Games format.
The qualification process for the Youth Equestrian Games 2022 also mirrored previous YOG editions, with various options available to the different nations in order to earn a qualification slot. And, in keeping with previous formats, all athletes will participate in Aachen on borrowed horses that have been carefully selected by a team of experts for their jumping ability as well as their temperament and a variety of other criteria to ensure they have what it takes to compete in this important competition and iconic venue.
The athletes will individually draw their horses, as done in previous editions of the YOG, with the same combinations required to compete in both the Team and Individual rounds. There are several training days and a ‘Welcome Competition’ outside of the official programme, giving the young athletes the time to get to know their mounts prior to the start of the Youth Equestrian Games. The team competition will kick-off on 29 June and will be followed by the Individual competition which will take place on 2 July.
The youth event will also host a Culture and Education Programme inspired by the International Olympic Committee YOG Education Programme, you can read all about the workshops and dedicated sessions here.
“The Youth Equestrian Games are not just a fantastic opportunity for young athletes to showcase their sporting talent and horsemanship skills, but also to celebrate the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect,” FEI President Ingmar de Vos said.
“The youth are our future and their involvement is essential for the long term future and development of equestrian sport.
“This unique event deserves a distinctive venue and I am confident that the Organisers in Aachen will provide top class facilities that will give our future stars of the sport an experience to remember. I wish each athlete taking part the very best and I look forward to witnessing the excitement of this competition in a few weeks’ time.”
All the information you need to know about the Youth Equestrian Games 2022 can be viewed here.
For more information on the history of equestrian at the Youth Olympic Games from 2010 to 2018, visit the FEI's History Hub.
Giacomo Casadei (ITA) with his mount Darna Z celebrate their impressive individual gold medal victory at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires (ARG) in 2018. Photo Credit: FEI / Liz Gregg
Within one week, the equestrian community has lost two wonderful and dedicated ambassadors whose contributions and relentless efforts to develop Para Equestrian have made the sport what it is today.
Jonquil Solt, aged 88, was an icon and driving force within the Para Dressage community, and is credited with setting up the international infrastructure necessary to develop Para Equestrian sport including the first World Championships in the late 1980s which would lead to the inclusion of Para Dressage in the Paralympic Games for the first time at Atlanta (USA) in 1996, where Jonquil Solt was President of the Ground Jury.
Solt was also part of the cooperation agreement which eventually saw Para Dressage become an FEI discipline in 2006, and in doing so, making it the first Paralympic sport to leave the IPC and join an international governing body, alongside and on an equal footing with able bodied athletes.
A life devoted to Para Equestrian sport - whether it be as former chair of the International Paralympic Equestrian Committee (IPEC) and the FEI Para Equestrian Committee, or as Para Dressage Judge, Steward or Technical Delegate - has earned Solt numerous accolades throughout her career. In 1999 she won the European Women of Achievement Awards in the humanitarian category and in 2013 she received the Paralympic Order for her fundamental contribution to the Paralympic Movement. Solt was furthermore awarded the title of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to riding for the disabled.
Across the Atlantic and within days of her 73rd birthday, Hope Hand, a well-known and greatly respected Para Dressage athlete, and former member of the FEI Para Dressage Committee, passed away following an illness.
Known for her ambitious and “sky is the limit” attitude, Hand had strong ambitions of her own when it came to Para Equestrian sport. As a member of Team USA, she won a bronze medal at the 1999 World Dressage Championships in Denmark and competed at the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, Australia.
Hand was a driving force and stellar role model in promoting Para Equestrian sport in the USA from grassroots to international level. Throughout her career she served as an Athlete Director Board, Council and Committee Member for the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). Furthermore, Hand instigated the formation of the US Para Equestrian Association (USPEA) and served as its President from formation through to her passing. USPEA, as the Para Affiliate for USEF, has been instrumental in supporting the growth of the sport and Hope Hand was the go to person for athletes starting out on their Para careers. Within the FEI, she was part of the Para Dressage Committee from 2006-2009 and again from 2015-2019.
For Amanda Bond, FEI Board Member and Chair of the FEI Para Equestrian Committee, “Jonquil and Hope were two shining beacons in the Para Equestrian community and they will be dearly missed. Their contribution to the Para Equestrian movement has been remarkable and they inspired so many individuals – me included - with their tenacity and drive. They epitomised that fighting spirit we all associate with the Paralympic movement – to never give up – but also to work together and strive for change and for a better, more inclusive society
So much of who we are and what we stand for was relentlessly pursued and promoted by these two incredible women, and the community will be forever grateful”.
The FEI expresses its sincere condolences to the family and friends of both Jonquil Solt and Hope Hand, the British Equestrian Federation and the United States Equestrian Federation as well as the global equestrian community.
Bolstered by two of the four double-clear performances posted on the day, Team Germany won through in the second Europe Division 1 qualifier of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2022 series in Sopot, Poland this afternoon where France finished second and Switzerland slotted into third place.
Faultless rounds from both Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann riding Messi van’t Ruytershof and Andre Thieme partnering DSP Chakaria proved pivotal to the German victory, and Thieme was under intense pressure when last to go in the second round.
But the 46-year-old rider and the mare with which he claimed the individual European title on home ground in Riesenbeck last September left all the poles in place to record the second successive German success at the Polish fixture.
Second round
As team anchor he thought he might not have to line out in the second round, but when both pathfinders Philipp Weishaupt and Coby 8 and second-line rider Christian Kukuk and Mumbai each left a fence on the floor at their second attempt then it wasn’t looking quite so optimistic.
The French were carrying seven faults, and brilliant clears from Kevin Staut (Scuderia 1918 Viking d’La Rousserie), Edward Levy (Uno de Cerisy) and Julien Gonin (Valou du Lys) meant they added nothing more, Gregory Cottard (Bibici) unlucky to clip the flimsy penultimate planks on his second tour of the track.
Meanwhile clears from Alain Jufer (Dante MM) and a double-clear from Edouard Schmitz (Gamin van’t Naastveldhof) meant all the Swiss would have to add to their first-round four-fault tally was the single mistake from Elin Ott whose mare, Nanu ll, kicked a brick out of the wall at fence four, the eight picked up by Niklaus Schurtenberger (Quincassi) being their discard.
That left them on a final tally of eight faults, so Thieme knew he had little room for error if he was to take the win for his country when last into the ring. Germany needed to drop one of the two four-fault results posted in the second round to complete on the winning scoreline of just four faults, and although he could afford a couple of time faults he knew a fence down would hand victory to the French and leave his side on level pegging with the Swiss.
It was an exact repeat of what happened last year when he also decided the result as last rider into the ring in Sopot, and although he said he felt the pressure neither he nor his amazing mare flinched, galloping home well within the 69 seconds time-allowed to clinch it.
“My mare just jumped so outstanding - she made it happen and I’m thankful to her and to Otto that he gave me his trust to be last to go - I’m so happy we did it again!”, Thieme said afterwards.
Ireland lined up in fourth in today’s eight-nation contest helped by the last of the double-clears from Denis Lynch and his Rome Grand Prix winner Brooklyn Heights. Poland finished fifth while Sweden, Denmark and Norway filled the remaining three places in that order.
Course
Thieme was complimentary about the 12-fence track set by Polish course designer Szymon Tarant. “The time allowed made it difficult, and especially in the first half there were many time faults, and there was a very tricky big vertical after the water and many had that down. But this was very smart course designing”, he said. And team-mate Philipp Weishaupt agreed. “It was a great course, tricky but very interesting so Szymon did a very great job today. Until the end we didn’t know who would win and this is what makes the Nations Cup so great!” he pointed out.
Christian Kukuk, who was on that 2021 winning team at Sopot with Mumbai alongside Thieme, said he wasn’t altogether pleased with his second-round error but very happy with his horse. And, as he rightly pointed out, “Janne and Andre with their double clear rounds saved us!”
Today was another kind of watershed moment for Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann who gave birth to her son, Friedrich Alexander, just over four months ago. “I’m super happy, thankful and proud to be back in the saddle after my pregnancy!”, said the London 2012 Olympian.
Food for thought
For team manager Otto Becker today was also another significant day, giving him plenty more food for thought ahead of this summer’s FEI World Championships in Denmark. Riders are all very keen to show their potential for selection right now, and Thieme has it quietly in his sights.
He’s been planning his mare’s work schedule a little differently since taking the European title with her nine months ago. “After that we did one more show in Barcelona and we didn’t do the World Cup series so she had a break until January and then she started again in Florida where she only competed five times (over 12 weeks) and won a Grand prix and was third in the World Cup qualifier. She was already on fire over there!
“When she came back she had five weeks off and then went to Mannheim and won the Grand Prix, then had two weeks off and went to Hamburg and jumped double-clear and finished second in the Global Tour. This is only her third competition since coming back from America - we are trying to keep her fresh, but showing a little so she stays powerful. Now the plan is to do one more show - at Aachen - and then hopefully the Worlds….”, he explained.
Best competition
Otto Becker thanked Kaja Koczurowska Wawrzkiewicz and her team for a great event. “Team Germany loves to come to Sopot. The class was very good and very exciting to the end, and two rounds make the Nations Cup the best competition in the world!”, he said.
And the Show President responded with a reminder of what is going on in the region right now.
“I’m out of words, completely exhausted but very happy. We had great crowds but this year was very tough for us. The situation is critical at our borders so it was hard organising the event while helping people at the same time, so I’m very glad it all went well”, she said.
Today’s result leaves Germany lying second in the Europe Division 1 standings with 170 points while the Swiss, winners on home ground at St Gallen last Monday, hold the lead at this early stage with a running total of 180. Only seven of the nine teams in Division 1 will qualify for the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final which will take place at the traditional venue at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona (ESP) from 29 September to 2 October 2022 and each nation gets four opportunities to qualify from six events.
Next stop on the road to the Spanish finale is Rotterdam in The Netherlands, where the action will take place on Friday 24 June.
Don’t miss a hoofbeat….
The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision in an equine anti-doping case involving a Banned Substance.
In this case, the horse Vaja Hoy (FEI ID 104UK14/ITA), ridden by Simone Coata (FEI ID 10006994/ITA), tested positive for the Banned Substance Chlorpromazine Sulfoxide, a metabolite of Chlorpromazine, following samples taken at the CSI4*-W-Abu Dhabi (UAE), 6-9 January 2022.
The athlete was able to trace the source of the Banned Substance back to the company flying the horse to the event. Taking into account the precautions taken by Mr Coata, he could not reasonably have known or suspected that the flight company would administer the Banned Substance to the horse.
In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal accepted the agreement reached between the FEI and the athlete, according to which the athlete bears no fault or negligence for the Rule Violation and therefore shall not serve any period of ineligibility and the otherwise applicable period of ineligibility. The athlete will also not incur any fines, however the results obtained at the event remain disqualified.
The full Decision is available here.
Notes to Editors:
FEI Equine Prohibited Substances
The FEI Prohibited Substances List is divided into two sections: Controlled Medication and *Banned Substances. Controlled Medication substances are medications that are regularly used to treat horses, but which must have been cleared from the horse’s system by the time of competition. Banned (doping) Substances should never be found in the body of the horse and are prohibited at all times.
In the case of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for a Banned Substance, the Person Responsible (PR) is automatically provisionally suspended from the date of notification (with the exception of certain cases involving a Prohibited Substance which is also a **Specified Substance). The horse is provisionally suspended for two months.
Information on all substances is available on the searchable FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database.
CAS issued the operative part of the final Awards in three human anti-doping cases, following the appeal launched by the Qatari Jumping athletes Sheikh Ali Al Thani (FEI ID 10024194) and Bassem Mohammed (FEI ID 10082635), as well as the Egyptian Jumping athlete Mohamed Talaat (FEI ID 10021782), of the FEI Tribunal Decisions issued for each athlete by the FEI Tribunal on 17 December 2021.
In-competition samples taken from Mr Al Thani and Mr Mohammed at the CSIO4*-W Designated Olympic Qualifier for Group F - Rabat (MAR), 10-13 October 2019, tested positive for the prohibited substance Carboxy-THC, a metabolite of Cannabis which is a Prohibited Substance in-competition, under the FEI’s Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA). The sample taken from Mr Talaat (FEI ID 10021782) at the African Games-S - Rabat (MAR) 20-24 August 2019, also tested positive for Carboxy-THC.
In the proceedings before the FEI Tribunal, all three athletes denied having used this substance and put forward an alleged sabotage, which they were unable to prove.
The FEI Tribunal deemed that the athletes had failed to establish the source of the Cannabis and imposed a two-year suspension on each of the athletes, from the date of the FEI Tribunal Decision, with backdating of the suspension to be inforce retroactively six months (17 June 2021). Furthermore, the results of all three athletes as of 17 June 2021 had also been disqualified and for Mr Talaat this included his results obtained at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, resulting in team Egypt dropping from rank 11 to rank 16 in the first Jumping Team Competition.
CAS partially upheld the decisions of the FEI Tribunal and imposed a one-year suspension on Mr Al Thani, a two-year suspension on Mr Mohammed and a one-year suspension on Mr Talaat. Furthermore, CAS also decided to backdate the suspension period for all athletes. Consequently, the suspension of Mr Al Thani and of Mr Mohammed has been served and lifted since 2 June 2022, and Mr Talaat remains suspended until 16 June 2022. The reasoned decision will be issued by CAS in due course and published by the FEI.
The CAS Award -Operative Part for Sheikh Ali Al Thani can be found here.
The CAS Award -Operative Part for Bassem Mohammed can be found here.
The CAS Award -Operative Part for Mohamed Talaat can be found here.
The appealed FEI Final Decisions issued on 17 December 2021 can be found here.
Notes to Editors:
FEI Clean Sport - human athletes
The FEI is part of the collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport led by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The aim of this movement is to protect fair competition as well as athlete health and welfare.
WADA’s Prohibited List identifies the substances and methods prohibited in- and out-of-competition, and in particular sports. The substances and methods on the List are classified by different categories (e.g., steroids, stimulants, gene doping).
As a WADA Code Signatory, the FEI runs a testing programme for human athletes based on WADA’s List of Prohibited List of Substances and Methods and on the Code-compliant FEI Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA).
For further information, please consult the Clean Sport section of the FEI website here.
They’d been waiting a long time - a full 26 years since last topping the line-up on home ground at the Grundenmoos Arena - so today’s Swiss victory in the first leg of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup 2022 Europe Division 1 series at St Gallen was extra-sweet.
Even though they were lying equal-second with The Netherlands and Norway carrying eight faults at the halfway stage of the eight-nation contest, Michel Sorg’s side were filled with confidence. And in the end, three second-round clears wrapped it up.
Whip hand
Great Britain had the whip hand at the halfway stage when, with only the best three scores counting for each team, they could drop one of the four-fault efforts posted by Joseph Stockdale (Equine America Caaharel) and Jack Whitaker (Equine America Valmy de la Lane) because pathfinder Harry Charles (Casquo Blue) and anchorman John Whitaker (Equine America Unick du Francport) were both foot-perfect.
But Stockdale was the only member of Di Lampard’s side to keep a clean sheet second time out when they were forced to add eight faults to their scoreline for a final tally of 12. And The Netherlands’ Jack Ansems (Fliere Fluiter), Sanne Thijssen (Con Quidam RB), Jur Vrieling (Long John Silver) and Marc Houtzager (Sterehof’s Dante) overtook them for runner-up spot when finishing on the same score but in a quicker time.
Team Germany finished fourth on 16 faults, Belgium finished fifth ahead of Brazil with a faster 20-fault result while Norway racked up 24 for seventh spot and Austria finished eighth and last on a total of 28.
Pressure
It came right down to the last rider into the ring to decide the result however, all the pressure piling onto the capable shoulders of the legendary John Whitaker who could force a jump-off with the eventual winners if he could steer a second clear course over Gerard Lachat’s 12-fence track. Both Harry Charles and his nephew Jack Whitaker had collected four faults apiece this time out, but if Uncle John could add another zero to Stockdale’s clear then it would go to a third-round head-to-head to decide the result.
And it was looking really good until Unick du Francport clipped the middle element of the triple combination, leaving the cool, calm Swiss clear winners after adding nothing more to their first-round scoreline.
They were favourites from the outset, and the double-clear posted by pathfinders Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei proved pivotal. The Swiss star who turns 30 next month and who recently added the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ title to the individual European gold medal he bagged last September produced two spectacular rounds while team-mate, 20-year-old Edouard Schmitz, followed a first-round mistake with Quon at the first element of the double at fence four with a brilliant run at their second attempt.
Pius Schwizer was looking foot-perfect until lowering the final two fences in round one but produced a copybook second effort with Vancouver de Lanlore. The enthusiastic spectators gasped in disbelief when Swiss anchor Steve Guerdat made it all the way to the last with Venard du Cerisy in round one only for that to fall, and as it happened the 2012 Olympic champion didn’t need to jump again because the job was done and dusted.
History-making
There was a real sense of history-making today and Fuchs was delighted to be part of it.
“Whenever I was on the team in St Gallen we never won, but we said this year now we have to win, and finally we did it!” he said.
“We were confident because Edoaurd’s horse jumped really well and Pius’ horse too, and we changed his plan for the second round to put an extra stride in the last line. And Steve had one rail at the last fence so we all thought he would deliver in the second round, but in the end he didn’t need to go”, he explained.
Lachat’s course certainly played its part, the line from fences six to eight proving particularly influential.
“After the water jump (fence 6) there was the plank and then a short five strides to a liverpool oxer - you needed good rideability and a careful horse, and you needed scope for the oxer, so this kind of asked everything of the horse and rider”, he pointed out.
Big moment
It was a big moment posting this historic result in front of the home crowd.
“We knew we had a strong team as we were already good in the Grand Prix. I think the crowd knew that as well and they really cheered for us this afternoon. This is an amazing feeling, I felt my horse was super today and I’m happy we could contribute to this home win!”, Fuchs added, while Schmitz said “I will never forget this day!”
Guerdat was quietly happy with the result too. “I’m now a little older so my fault at the last fence in the first round bothered me a little less than it used to! In the Nations Cup at the end it is the team result that counts and it worked out today. It has been a great show, with great public, perfect organisation and very nice courses from Gerard. We will have nice memories from this weekend for sure!”, he said.
And Swiss Chef d’Equipe Michel Sorg had plenty to be happy about too. “Edouard was already good in the Grand Prix at La Baule a few weeks ago and again here on Saturday - I am really happy that he confirmed that here today and I’m really proud of all my team!”, he said.
The nine-leg Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2022 series began in Abu Dhabi (UAE) in January and will conclude with teams from all around the globe congregating for the prestigious Final in Barcelona (ESP) at the end of September. Europe Division 1 continues in Sopot (POL) next weekend.
Don’t miss a hoofbeat……
As the rain began to fall on course for the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of Canada, the Irish felt right at home.
Langley, British Columbia's Thunderbird Show Park hosted six teams for the final leg of the North and Central America and Caribbean division of the Nations Cup series, but none could put enough pressure on the four-man squad of Daniel Coyle (Legacy), Shane Sweetnam (James Kann Cruz), Andrew Bourns and Conor Swail (Count Me In). Led by Chef d'Equipe Michael Blake, the group finished on just five faults. It was a closer race for the remaining podium placings, as Mexico rallied for second (13 faults) ahead of Australia (22).
"You've got to be careful—for me anyway—in the Nations Cup not to get too complacent in the second round," Bourns said. "We had a great first round, but a lot of other teams got stronger in the second round. We had to come back just as strong."
Peter Holmes' technical 1.60m track offered little breathing room, which led to rails falling throughout his winding course. As other teams struggled to crack the code to a clear round, Ireland quickly pulled ahead, finishing the first round with just four faults against them and two rails in hand. The group would only draw off in the second round, as Coyle improved upon a four-fault score to jump clear and Bourns produced one of just two double-clear efforts on the day aboard Seatop Blue. When Sweetnam added just a single time fault aboard his exciting 9-year-old James Kann Cruz, it clinched the win for the team. Team anchor and World No. 5 Swail did not even need to jump a second round with his partner from the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Finals, Count Me In, despite Mexico adding just 1 fault to their total in Round 2.
"Obviously we have got good depth, and I'm so lucky to have such a good bunch of people," Blake said. "It's very easy to drive a good car, and we've got one here."
Ireland has made the podium in every Nations Cup event at the venue since 2017, including a 2018 victory. Swail and Coyle were on that squad and bookended their teammates, who delivered with meaningful mounts. James Kann Cruz excelled in the Irish Sport Horse gelding's Nations Cup debut, while Bourns recorded his first Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ victory with a horse that his parents picked out as a foal.
"My father is here, so it's a real family affair," Bourns said. "I have to say, [Seatop Blue] is just as part of the family as I am."
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