Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs flew into the lead at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2022 in Leipzig, Germany today where Austria’s Max Kühner and Elektric Blue P finished second ahead of Ireland’s Conor Swail and Count Me In in third.

Leaving all the poles in place in 65.11 seconds, Fuchs demoted Kühner from pole position when second-last to go in the field of 35 starters.

Frank Rothenberger’s 13-fence track was not over-big for this opening Speed leg but there was plenty to catch them out according to the winning rider. “It was definitely tricky, not the biggest course we’ve ridden in the past few weeks or months but it was very nicely built with some difficulties at the end with the combination out of the corner and the last line with a very short three strides to a high plank and an option of five or six strides to the last oxer”, Fuchs explained.

Twists and turns

The many twists and turns had to be ridden accurately for a good result, and the double at fence nine coming off a right-hand bend claimed a number of victims, while that last line consisting of a big triple bar followed by three short strides to a tall plank and the choice of strides to the final oxer proved the undoing of many.

However it was a slip on the turn to the oxer at fence six that saw Fuchs’ compatriot and defending Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ champion, Steve Guerdat, lose his distance a little, and when that fence fell and Victorio Des Frotards also hit the final two then he added nine seconds - three for each fence down - to his time to finish well down the line in 25th place.

Just eight horse-and-rider combinations posted clear rounds and Germany’s David Will, whose start was delayed when C Vier lost a shoe in the warm-up, produced one of these to slot in behind Ireland’s Swail in fourth place in a time of 67.48. But as Fuchs pointed out at the post-competition press conference, the quickest round of the day came from America’s McLain Ward and Contagious.

Always so competitive, the 2017 Longines champion broke the beam in 64.94 seconds but a tiny mis-communication coming into the oxer at fence seven saw that fall, so with three to add their time of 67.94 left them in fifth place.

Good draw

Talking about his winning ride, Fuchs said “I had a good draw going in, second-last, so I got to see most of the other riders. I knew my horse Chaplin is very fast and super careful, so I had a plan and followed it and it all worked out. I did take risks to be fast but I didn’t take the last risk to go as fast as possible.

McLain was faster than I was today but he had a rail down and my plan was to be a bit quicker than him in case I had a rail down so I’d still be placed in the top five. So looking now at the result I was 0.2 seconds slower than the plan!”, he pointed out.

Despite a pole off the first element of the double at nine, 28-year-old Gerrit Nieberg and Ben ensured Germany is well-placed going into the second day. The son of former German team star Lars Nieberg lies sixth ahead of Sweden’s Jens Fredricson (Markan Cosmopolit) in seventh, America’s Hunter Holloway (Pepita Con Spita) in eighth, The Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders (Monaco) in ninth and another of the five-strong German contingent - and winner of the Western European League qualifier in La Coruña (ESP) in December - 23-year-old Philipp Schulze Topphoff (Concordess NRW) in tenth place. The younger generation are well-represented in the top 10 this evening, eighth-placed American Holloway is only 24 years old.

First World Cup

This is a first World Cup Final for both Germany’s David Will and Ireland’s Conor Swail. The Irishman said today that he has qualified for the Final a few times “but never felt I had the horse to do it to be honest”. However with Count Me in he looks to be in with a real chance.

“He is extremely careful and he’s got a big heart so we had a good start today, he jumped beautifully and it went very well for me. I have the horse since May last year. He has so much quality, he’s really careful, he doesn’t make many mistakes and it makes it easier for the rider when you know they are not going to make many faults. He has a great temperament, he’s careful, fast, he’s such a great horse and we have a great relationship together”, he added.

His assessment of today’s course was that “it was not the biggest but there were a lot of tight turns and you had to be agile and quick doing a few of those rollbacks. The second-last caught out a lot of horses, so my horse did a nice enough job today”, he pointed out.

Tomorrow’s jump-off class

So what about tomorrow’s jump-off class? Fuchs said, “it’s another round and it’s going to be a very big one, I’m going to swop my horses so I’ll be riding The Sinner. Since Chaplin is a bit older I didn’t want to do the whole Championship just on him and I’ll give it my best. The Sinner has been in good shape over the past few weeks and on Sunday I’ll ride Chaplin again for the final”, confident that he will be very much still in the shake-up for the 2022 title on the last day.

Kühner was typically cautious after today’s competition but Swail, a big winner on the US circuit in recent months but with only one big result behind him with Count Me In during their time together since May of last year, is also quietly confident. “My horse can go fast no matter what height, I only have the one horse here but like Max’s horse the more he jumps in the ring the more relaxed and the better he gets, so if I can be in a good spot on Sunday then we can have a good shot”, he said without a flicker of doubt.

Ireland has never produced an FEI Jumping World Cup champion in the history of the Finals that date all the way back to 1979 although Trevor Coyle finished second with the great stallion Cruising in 1999 and Jessica Kuerten was runner-up with Castle Forbes Libertina in 2006. Bertram Allen (Molly Malone) finished third in 2015 and Eddie Macken (Carrolls of Dundalk) was joint-third at the inaugural Final. There’s something about Swail that suggests he’ll be there or thereabouts come Sunday afternoon when the new champion will be crowned.

But 29-year-old Fuchs, individual silver medallist at the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2018, European champion in 2019, team gold and individual silver medallist at last year’s FEI European Championships and runner-up at the last Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in 2019 is on the crest of a wave that doesn’t seem to be losing any momentum….

Tomorrow’s second competition begins at 14.00 local time, so don’t miss a hoofbeat….

Result here

Belgium’s Jos Verlooy and the 11-year-old Luciano van het Geinsteinde will be first into the arena when the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2022 kicks off tomorrow in Leipzig, Germany.

The draw for order-of-go in the first of the three competitions that will decide the title took place tonight, and a total of 35 horse-and-rider combinations from 19 countries will battle it out this week including defending champion, and three-time winner, Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat. USA’s Margie Engle is withdrawn.

Riding the 13-year-old gelding Victorio des Frotards, and starting 33rd in tomorrow’s opening Speed round, Guerdat will face stiff opposition from a star-studded field that includes compatriot Martin Fuchs who will follow him into the ring with Chaplin.

This is the 42nd Final in the history of the series that began back in 1978.  

The action gets underway at 14.35 local time, so don’t miss a hoofbeat….

Facts and Figures:

Defending Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ champion is Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat who is chasing his fourth victory in the long-running series. 

He posted wins in 2015 with Albfuehren’s Paille, in 2016 with Corbinian and at the last Final in 2019 with Alamo.  

He is one of five riders who have won the FEI World Cup™ Jumping title on three occasions. The others are Hugo Simon (AUT), Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Marcus Ehning (GER) and Rodrigo Pessoa from Brazil. Pessoa is the only rider to have won three back-to-back titles on the same horse, the stallion Baloubet du Rouet.

If Guerdat comes on top again this year he will become the first four-time champion.

The first FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final took place in Gothenburg in 1979 where Austria’s Hugo Simon won with Gladstone.

The youngest rider competing at year’s Final is Great Britain’s Jack Whitaker who is 20. His uncle, the legendary John Whitaker who with the great Milton won back-to-back titles in 1990 and 1991, is also lining out at the age of 66.

This is the third time for the Final to take place in the German city of Leipzig. Otto Becker, now Chef d’Equipe for the German Jumping team, won with Dobel’s Cento when it was first staged in Leipzig in 2002 and in 2011 another German star, Christian Ahlmann, reigned supreme with Taloubet Z.

Complete startlist here 

 

Defending champion, Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat, has won the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ title three times during his sparkling career. He talks about his hopes for the 2022 Final in Leipzig, Germany this week…..

How is the lead-in to this year’s Final?

“My horse (Victorio des Frotards) is feeling good, for a few weeks now he seems to be in the right place and I’m happy that it’s starting and that I did my job before I came here and that I have brought him in top form.

I took him to Arezzo (Italy) for two weeks just to train. I had 15 horses there and I planned to go back in the second week to ride him at home but thought it better to bring him, and I was glad I did because it was very nice to ride him in the countryside and to train there and I just gave him a few small jumps to keep him in shape and then he came home on Friday last week and I jumped him a little at home on Monday and now we are here.”

What are the horse’s strengths?

“He’s a completely different horse to what I thought he was when I got him! He was very successful at 2-Star level with a French rider and I thought he could be a very good second horse, a speed horse, so he had to try and win at 1.45m. But I was surprised that it wasn’t as easy to clear the jumps when I went fast but he had a lot more scope than I expected. So it was the other way around, I thought he was so careful and not so scopy, I found he was sometimes not so careful but super scopy, so it took us a while to find each other out and he needed more experience at the higher jumps but since then he’s been very successful. 

But I still find it hard to have him “on the day”, he wins a Grand Prix I didn’t expect him to win, jumping amazing, and then the week after he jumps not so good and still wins. And then he jumps super but has four faults, eight faults, I can’t tell beforehand how it will be. That’s why I’m happy he feels good now, but I’d be lying saying I’m 100% confident this week.”

This is your 14th World Cup Final - does it ever get boring?

“No! Not at all! For me the World Cup Final has always been something I’ve been looking up to, back when I was very young and starting….the World Cups all the winter season were the highlight and then the World Cup Final. When I was a kid it was a dream to do it, and being part of it today I feel blessed to be doing what I dreamed of as a kid!

Winning three titles with three different horses…how great is that?

“I don’t like to look back, but if I do I get more sorry I missed two wins with my best horse, Nino. Twice I was in the jump-off for the win and ended up second with him and I should have won both of them. When I look back I don’t think of the three (wins), I think of the two I missed!

But I’m here this week and excited as much as was at the first one!”

Has becoming a father changed anything? 

“Of course it changes things, I have a lot more responsibilities now I have my daughter to look to…life after a child is not the same …sometimes I feel bad to say it but I believe that because I’ve had so many amazing horses with which I had such a strong relationship it felt like I’ve been a father before! It’s different, but you have to look up to them, take care of them, you think day and night about them like I do with my child now.”

What have you learned from riding Victorio?

When I got him I had big hopes and then I kind of lost the hopes but then I thought no - I have to find a way to understand him, to be more patient with him and I have to not be upset because he made a mistake but learn how can I be a better rider and understand him better. 

It’s not his mistakes, I’m just not understanding him in the right way. He has taught me not to be stubborn but to be more open-minded about how differently I have to ride him and get along with him so that we understand each other better.

What is special about competing again in Leipzig?

“The first thing special is that when I think of Leipzig I see myself winning my first big class, I was 16 and I won a car, and I couldn’t drive it! I beat Marcus Ehning, Hugo Simon, Ludger Beerbaum in the jump-off. It’s an amazing memory. This show has a lot of history and of course I think of Christian Ahlmann and Taloubet (winners in Leipzig in 2011).”

What are you goals for the next few days? 

“I have to deal a bit with a new situation. I’d be lying if I said I came here at the top of my game and 100% confident. I’m having quite a low at the moment, I have fantastic horses coming up but they are still too young so I have a bit of a gap. 

Venard (de Cerisy) did a lot for me last year so I had to give him a break over the winter because he is aimed for the big outdoor shows this year. Maddox is difficult indoors, so I had Victorio and we haven’t been very successful the last few months. 

I had a lot of horses in Spain and Italy trying to build the next generation of horses and I believe it’s very promising, but if you watch my results over last 4 to 6 months they haven’t been great. It’s not easy because as much as I like riding I also like to win. So there have been a lot of short Sunday nights with not a lot of sleep, thinking about how to improve and change, it’s a new situation. I think my fortunes have to change but I’m ready to fight and I’ll take it day by day and ride as best I can and see what it brings.”

Do you feel a lot of pressure? 

“No, I’m just happy to be here and to compete, it’s really exciting! The World Cup Finals have always been something amazing for me and it’s still the same. It’s not a question of pressure, more a question of self confidence that’s not 100% with me at the moment. I have to ride better than I’ve been riding the last few months. Victorio has won five 5-Star Grand Prix competitions so I know he can do it but I’ve been making too many mistakes and I hope I’ve done them all now!”

Who are your favourites to win the title this year? 

“Martin Fuchs (SUI), Harrie Smolders (NED) and McLain Ward (USA).”

You have often said Britain's John Whitaker (champion in 1990 and 1991) is your idol, what is it you most admire about him?

“His horsemanship. He keeps it as simple as it gets. It’s like I don’t think John knows what he’s doing, he just sits there and makes it work. He speaks the same language as the horse and this is the nicest thing you can get in our sport. It’s even better than winning.”

How would you describe your relationship with Victorio? 

“It’s a bit complicated for me, it might be easier for someone else. That’s why it never gets boring because you keep learning and every day at every show he teaches me something new. It’s like with people, sometimes you just match at first and sometimes you never match. And sometimes you match 70% or 80%, I don’t think I’ll ever match 100% with him but we match well enough to be successful. Not many horses have won five 5-Star Grand Prix in their career but he’s done that for me. So he has already given me a lot.”

What should a horse expect when it is ridden by Steve Guerdat?

“Concentration. My main thing when I train someone is, once you are on the horse you need to be 110% focused and concentrated on them. Because you decided to take him out of his field and to put a saddle on and ride him now, so the least you can do is be 100% with him and concentrate so that we don’t repeat jumps or exercises because you were not concentrating.

I don’t like to overdo things, I don’t believe I push my horses too much, and I’m trying to be very focused when I ride them out of respect for them.”

The 35th FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final kicks off tomorrow evening in Leipzig (GER) with America’s Anna Buffini and her 15-year-old mare FRH Davinia la Douce first to go in the Short Grand Prix.

The draw for the starting order took place this afternoon and it was recently-crowned Olympic and European champions, Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB, who got the best of it when drawn last of the 17 starters from 12 countries.

Defending champions, Isabell Werth and Weihegold OLD, will start in twelfth position.

The coveted series title will be decided in Saturday night’s Freestyle.

The order-of-go for tomorrow’s opening competition is as follows:

1. FRH Davinia la Douce - Anna Buffini USA

2. Sir Donnerhall ll OLD - Morgan Barbancon FRA

3. Aquamarijn - Yvonne Losos de Muñiz DOM

4. All at Once - Yessin Rahmouni MAR

5. Atterupgaards Orthilia - Nanna Skodborg Merrald DEN

6. Hexagon’s Ich Weiss - Thamar Zweistra NED

7. Dark Legend - Charlotte Fry GBR

8. Quantico - Juan Matute Guimon ESP

9. Fogoso Horsecampline - Rodrigo Torres POR

10. Heiline’s Danciera - Carina Cassøe Kruth DEN

11. Blue Hors Zepter - Patrik Kittel SWE

12. Weihegold OLD - Isabell Werth GER

13. Havanna 145 - Ashley Holzer USA

14. Annabelle - Helen Langehanenberg GER

15. Vamos Amigos - Cathrine Dufour DEN

16. Aachen - Alisa Glinka MDA

17. TSF Dalera BB - Jessica von Bredow-Werndl GER 

Facts and Figures:

Germany’s Isabell Werth and the 17-year-old mare Weihegold OLD will be defending the title they won together in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

In total Werth has won five FEI Dressage World Cup™ titles, her first recorded in 1992 riding Fabienne and her second posted in 2007 with Warum Nicht.

If victorious at the 2022 Final, Werth will become the first four-in-a-row champion of this prestigious series and Weihegold will be the first horse to win on four consecutive occasions.

After a sparkling career, Weihegold OLD will be officially retired after Saturday’s Freestyle title-decider.

The first competition at the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2022 in Leipzig (GER) is the Short Grand Prix which will take place tomorrow, Thursday 7 April, starting at 18.30 local time.

The youngest horse at the Final is the nine-year-old stallion Hexagon’s Ich Weiss ridden by The Netherlands’ Thamar Zweistra. 

The oldest horses in the competition are Aquamarine ridden by Dominican Republic’s Yvonne Losos de Muniz, Atterupgaards Orthilia ridden by Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Isabelle Werth’s Weihegold who are all 17 years of age. 

The youngest rider at this year’s Final is Spain’s Juan Matute Guimon who is 24. 

The first FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final took place in ’s-Hertogenbosch (NED) in 1986 and the first winner was Denmark’s Anne-Goethe Jensen riding Marzog.

The Finals of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ were cancelled in both 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

The country holding the record for most wins in the FEI Dressage World Cup™ series is The Netherlands, with a total of 13 including a phenomenal nine of those posted by Anky van Grunsven.

The German contingent at this year’s Final includes Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB who swept all before them at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and at the FEI Dressage European Championships in 2022.

Further details here….

The FEI Dressage Performance Dashboard, a unique platform for Dressage and Para Dressage athletes to review their past sporting performances, has been launched today by the FEI in partnership with SAP and Black Horse One.

FEI registered Dressage and Para Dressage athletes can access all their paperless scoresheets, including comments from judges over the last five years, through the FEI Dressage Performance Dashboard. While athletes can access the platform for free and use the basic analytical tools available, they can also choose to unlock all the features of the platform through a Premium subscription.

The FEI Dressage and Para Dressage results only, and the analytical tools, are also available to trainers, dressage enthusiasts and other members of the community through the Premium subscription.

“The FEI Dressage Performance Dashboard is yet another example of the ways in which technology can be introduced into equestrian sport to inform training practices and enhance sporting performances,” FEI Commercial Director Ralph Straus said.

“In Dressage and Para Dressage the information in scoresheets, particularly the judges’ comments and feedback, are important to athletes looking to create long-term training plans and goals in order to improve their performance in international competitions.

“While athletes know they can gain valuable insights by thoroughly analysing their scoresheets from Events they have competed in, the paper versions of the score sheets made this a highly time consuming task for athletes and their trainers.

“The platform facilitates the analysis of athletes’ scores across all movements through an intuitive interface and provides a centralised database of information that athletes can refer to from anywhere and at any time.”

The FEI Dressage Performance Dashboard is yet another milestone for the market leader in enterprise application software SAP, and software development company Black Horse One. The two companies have partnered with the FEI to provide innovations that have contributed to the digital transformation of the sport.

SAP and Black Horse One previously combined their expert knowledge in technology and fan engagement to create the award-winning Spectator Judging® app. Since 2018, this app has allowed audiences at FEI Dressage World Cup™ events to get into the judge’s seat, with scores and rankings created in real-time during the competitions and then placed side-by-side with official results on the arena scoreboards.

The two companies also led the development of eDressage™, a paperless judging software based on the SAP HANA Cloud to enable the scoring of FEI Dressage and Para Dressage competitions without a scribe having to write down each mark on an FEI Dressage score sheet. This system is now used at all major Dressage events and was featured at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The creation of the FEI Dressage Performance Dashboard takes the electronic score sheet initiative a step further by feeding data back into an athlete’s training programme, and allows for all the information to be accessible from portable devices.

“Helping athletes gain new, real-time insights to enhance their performance, and providing a more engaging experience for the fans is a key objective of our sports partnerships,” SAP Director Equestrian Partnerships, Henrike Paetz said. “It is amazing to see how equestrian sport has been leading the way with regard to digital innovation and fan engagement over the last five years as a result of our cooperation with the FEI and Black Horse One.”

“The FEI Dressage Performance Dashboard is set to transform the way Dressage and Para Dressage athletes approach their short- and long-term training decisions as well as their choice of horse for specific competitions,” FEI Director Information & Sports Technology Gaspard Dufour explained.

“Through this platform, athletes can not only read comments from judges and take this feedback into their training sessions, but they can also compare performances across their different horses as well as against other combinations.

“That all this information will now exist at everyone’s finger tips, is a key step forward for equestrian sport and opens the door to more technological advancement in the long-term.”

In the history of equestrian sport there are names that resonate, because the best of the best in each discipline make their mark. Isabell Werth’s name is one of those, having carved out a long and hugely successful career during which she has collected a mountain of medals along with the elegant FEI Dressage World Cup™ trophy on no less than five occasions.

Already the most decorated equestrian athlete of all time, the German superstar returns this week to the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2022 to defend the title she first claimed with Fabienne in Gothenburg (SWE) back in 1992. And it will be a poignant event for the 52-year-old rider because her great mare, Weihegold OLD, will be retired after next Saturday’s Freestyle.

The pair are defending three-time champions having proven unbeatable in Omaha (USA) in 2017, in Paris (FRA) in 2018 and at the last Final staged in Gothenburg (SWE) in 2019 before the pandemic took its toll. We will never know if their strike-rate would have continued had the 2020 and 2021 Finals been staged, but they will still make more history if they could pull off one more win this week on home ground in Leipzig (GER).

Most victories

The Netherlands’ Anky van Grunsven holds the record for the most victories in the series that this year celebrates its 35th season. The Dutch rider racked up a colossal nine wins with two great horses, Bonfire and Salinero, between 1995 and 2008 but she never managed four-in-a-row. 

If Werth and Weihegold come out on top they will be the first to do just that, bringing their partnership to the perfect conclusion. But the 17-year-old mare owes nothing to anyone when she steps into the arena this week.

At the Rio 2016 Olympic Games she clinched team gold and individual silver before going on to take all gold at the FEI European Championships in 2017 and team gold and Grand Prix Special silver at the 2021 edition. 

She has made the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final all her own in recent years and at the Western European League qualifier in Lyon (FRA) last October posted her fifth consecutive win at the French fixture. However the biggest threat to her supremacy probably comes from another super mare, the 14-year-old TSF Dalera BB who has swept all before her in the recent past with Werth’s compatriot, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl in the saddle.

This pair, who top the World Dressage Rankings, go into battle this week with a full set of Olympic and European medals in their hip pocket, all collected in the last seven months, and firing on all cylinders following victories at the last two legs of the Western European League 2021/2022 in Neumünster (GER) in February and ’s-Hertogenbosch (NED) just three weeks ago. They will be by far the biggest threat to the entire field of 18 horse-and-rider combinations from 13 countries when the action begins with the Short Grand Prix on Thursday evening, April 7.

Really strong

The host nation looks really strong, with 2013 series champion Helen Langehanenberg also flying the home flag with Annabelle 110, but Denmark’s Cathrine Dufour is likely to pose a threat with the 10-year-old Vamos Amigos who showed huge promise when finishing second to von Bredow-Werndl and Dalera in Neumünster. The strength of the Danish contingent was quite apparent that day when Nanna Skodberg Merrald lined up in third with Atterupgaards Orthilia and Carina Cassøe Krüth finished fourth with Heiline’s Danciera, and all three Danes have made the cut to this weeks’ Final.

That supreme showman, Patrik Kittel, will be the sole Swedish contender partnering his relatively new ride Blue Hors Zepter while Charlotte Fry is the single British athlete with Dark Legend. Spain will be represented by Juan Matute Guimon (Quantico), France by Morgan Barbançon (Sir Donnerhall ll OLD), The Netherlands by Thamar Zweistra (Hexagon’s Ich Weiss) while Ashley Holzer (Havanna 145) and Anna Buffini (FRH Davinia La Douce) will fly the American flag.

Moldova’s Alisa Glinka (Aachen), Poland’s Katarzyna Milczarek (Guapo), Morocco’s Yessin Rahmouni (All at Once), Portugal’s Rodrigo Torres (Fogoso Horsecampline) and Dominican Republic’s Yvonne Losos de Muñiz (Aquamarijn) round up the startlist, and the order-of-go will be decided by a draw for the Short Grand Prix on Wednesday afternoon. 

Ground Jury

Germany’s Henning Lehrmann is President of the Ground Jury at this year’s Final and the remaining members are Michael Osinski (USA), Kurt Christensen (DEN), Isabelle Judet (FRA), Clive Halsall (GBR), Annette Fransen Iacobaeus (SWE) and Eddy de Wolff van Westerrode (NED). 

It was an all-German podium when Werth first won the FEI Dressage World Cup™ title 30 years ago, while The Netherlands Imke Schellekens-Bartels finished second ahead of America’s Steffen Peters when she did it again in Las Vegas (USA) in 2007. America’s Laura Graves was her closest rival at the last three editions but it is compatriot von Bredow-Werndl who is likely to apply the maximum pressure this time around.

However anyone who has watched Werth throughout her career knows her will to win, and her dedication to her horses, is second to none. There will be a lot of emotion in the air when Weihegold does her last dance in next Sunday’s Freestyle. So don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Full details here 

It has been three years in the making due to pandemic cancellations, so there’s an extra sizzle of excitement ahead of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2022 which will kick off next Thursday, 7 April, at the Exhibition Hall in Leipzig (GER). The line-up of 36 athletes qualified from six different leagues around the globe includes four previous champions, and two of those could possibly set a new record at this 42nd finale to the much-loved and long-running annual series.

British young gun, Harry Charles, said in a recent interview that three-time champion and the current title-holder, Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat, has “a bit of a magical relationship with the World Cup Final” and he’s right about that. Few who witnessed it will forget his electrifying winning round when he first lifted the trophy at the Thomas & Mack Centre in Las Vegas (USA) in 2015 with Albfuehren’s Paille. And a year later he did it again in the Scandinavium Arena in Gothenburg (SWE), this time partnering Corbinian.

Plenty of history

The last time the Final was staged it took place at the same Swedish venue in 2019 where he steered Alamo to victory ahead of two men who have made plenty of history themselves since then. Swiss compatriot, Martin Fuchs, was runner-up with the brilliant Clooney who subsequently went on to win individual European gold later that year, and in 2021 Fuchs claimed team gold and individual silver at the Longines FEI Jumping European Championships at Riesenbeck (GER) with another brilliant grey, Leone Jei.

Third place at the 2019 Final went to Sweden’s Peder Fredricson who has also enjoyed a real purple patch ever since, the 2017 European champion moving into the number one spot in the world rankings following phenomenal results that included individual bronze at the European Championships just a few short weeks after clinching team gold for his country at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Peder will not compete in Leipzig next week but the Fredricson family will be represented by his older brother, Jens, who comfortably qualified when finishing eighth in the 2021/2022 Western European League.

19 countries

The 36 competing athletes represent 19 different countries and amongst them is another three-time winner, Germany’s Marcus Ehning, who has also known plenty of glory during his great career. He first scooped the World Cup honours with Anka in Las Vegas (USA) in 2003, then with Sandro Boy in Kuala Lumpur (MAS) in 2006 and  again in 2010 with Noltes Küchengirl and Plot Blue.

This time around he brings the power-packed stallion Stargold whose enthusiasm for his job has endeared himself to spectators everywhere over the last year and more.

Only one other rider has scored a hat-trick of wins and that is Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa who proved absolutely unbeatable with the super-stallion Baloubet du Rouet between 1998 and 2000.

If Guerdat can come out on top again this time around he’ll make history as the first four-time champion, so there’s a lot hanging in the balance for him and there’s no better man under pressure. He brings the 13-year-old gelding Victorio des Frotards to do battle this time around.

However the start-list also features two more former champions.

Hard to believe

It’s hard to believe so many years have passed since the glorious partnership of Great Britain’s John Whitaker and the magical Milton won the first of their two consecutive titles back in 1990. And it’s even harder to believe that John is still so highly competitive that, riding his reliable 14-year-old gelding Equine America Unick du Francport, he joins his 20-year-old nephew Jack Whitaker and 22-year-old Harry Charles on the British contingent at this year’s event.

What a story it would be if John could clinch that title once again, 32 years on…..

The last of the four previous winners is 2017 champion McLain Ward, currently 12th in the world rankings and one of nine riders to represent the USA at the year’s Final. And nobody thinks that this American is making up the numbers.

He posted that memorable victory with the mare HH Azur who was flawless all week on home ground in Omaha (USA) and, after 16 previous attempts, it was emotional in the aftermath. He brought the American tally of wins in the Jumping World Cup series to 10, matching Germany’s record, but the following year Beezie Madden was victorious in Paris (FRA) so US athletes now have the advantage with 11 wins in total.

Startlist

Riding the super-exciting 13-year-old gelding Contagious this time around, Ward is likely to make a big impact from the outset, and amongst other notable names on the startlist are his compatriot, the decorated veteran Margie Goldstein Engle, Ireland’s Conor Swail who has risen to seventh in the world rankings thanks to spectacular performances on the US circuit this season and his fellow-countryman Denis Lynch who topped the Western European League table.

The Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders is rarely far from the sharp end and neither is Belgium’s Jos Verlooy, while Germany’s David Will, 16th in the current rankings, was in sensational form with C Vier 2 in Riesenbeck last year where he helped clinch team silver and finished individually seventh with the 14-year-old gelding who is qualified for the Leipzig finale.

However at every Final since the story began with a win for Austria’s Hugo Simon back in 1979 there are always a few surprises. Austria will be represented by Max Kühner this time around while athletes from Egypt, Finland, France, Hungary, Lithuania, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan will also fly their country’s flags. And with Germany’s Frank Rothenberger designing the courses they can expect to face a very significant challenge.

The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2022 will, no doubt, expose more relatively unknown talent while providing three days of super sport, beginning with the opening Speed event on Thursday 6 April followed by the Jump-Off competition on Friday 7 and the deciding Third Final competition on Sunday 10 April when the 2022 champion will be crowned.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Further information here…..

By Joanne Eccles

After a three-year hiatus, the long-awaited FEI Vaulting World Cup™ Final will return on the 8^th and 9^th April 2022 at the Partner Pferd in the Leipziger Messe (GER).  Alongside the FEI Jumping, Dressage & Driving World Cup Finals, it is sure to be a high energy, thrilling spectacle as the World’s elite take to the stage.

World champions and previous medalists will come together to battle it out for glory as FEI Vaulting returns with a new format. This year, individual athletes will be required to show a Technical Test in Round 1 and a Freestyle in the final round, both of which have been allocated an extra 10 seconds over normal competition to allow the vaulters to fully explore their artistic concept.  The scores of both rounds will combine to crown the new FEI Vaulting World Cup™ winners in the Individual Male, Female and Pas de Deux classes. 

Janika Derks (GER) is the only reigning champion returning this year as she hopes to retain her 2019 FEI Vaulting World Cup™ title and end her vaulting career on top of the podium.  She will face stiff competition from Eva Nagiller (AUT) who took the bronze medal at the FEI Vaulting World Championships in August 2021, finishing hard on the heels of Derks who won the silver, and Manon Moutinho (FRA) who placed closely behind in 5^th.  Hannah Steverding (GER) and Jolina Ossenberg-Engels (GER) will aim to thrill the judges and the audience to earn their place in World Cup history, whilst the USA’s Kayln Noah and Kimberly Palmer will provide a challenge to their European rivals. Young talent Annebeth Kubbe (NED) will be looking to make her mark at her first World Cup final.

In the male category all eyes will be on decorated vaulter Lambert Leclezio (FRA).  The thrice World Champion is making his debut at the FEI World Cup™ Final and will aim to complete his trophy cabinet with a World Cup win, in what will be his final season of competitive Individual Vaulting. Vice World Champion Jannik Heiland (GER) alongside team-mate Thomas Brüsewitz (GER) will try to thwart Leclezio and use the home crowd to their advantage.  Also looking to take the top spot and beat his previous best, second place 2017 FEI World Cup™ Final finish, is seasoned World Cup competitor Lukas Heppler (SUI). Bringing personality and grace to his performance, Lorenzo Lupacchini will represent Italy alongside David Zanella, whilst Austria’s Philip Clement completes the Men’s line up.

Four of the World’s best Pas de Deux will compete for World Cup honors in what promises to be an exciting and emotional exhibition as World Champions Janika Derks and Johannes Kay (GER) go for gold in their final performance together.  Highlighting the gravity of the event, Kay stated “It is very special for us to get the last round in Leipzig, as we have never done any World Cup competition before, so it is the last thing we were missing, and we thought that there might be no more World Cup. It is very special that we will have the opportunity to join the final and get our last round done in this awesome circle”.

They will face hard-fought competition from fellow compatriots, Vice-World Champions Chiara Congia and Justin Van Gerven who will also be looking to gain the title for the first time with the long-time partnership of Jolina Ossenberg-Engels and Timo Gerdes hoping to beat them both to it.  Austrians Romana Hintner and Eva Nagiller round out the incredibly strong competition and are equally likely to be crowned worthy winners.

There is plenty to look forward to in what promises to be a high-stakes, exhilarating FEI Vaulting World Cup™ Final.

Further information on the FEI Vaulting World Cup™ Final can be found here.

Joint statement from the FEI and EEF

A webinar was held today for the European Equestrian National Federations and associated European Equestrian Federation (EEF) members to provide a comprehensive update on the situation in Ukraine.

Jointly hosted by the European Equestrian Federation (EEF), Ukrainian Equestrian Federation (UEF), UEF Charity Foundation and the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the meeting included a thorough overview of the current actions and priorities in Ukraine, as well as an interactive discussion to establish the most efficient processes required to support the equestrian community (including the horses) in Ukraine and those who have fled to neighbouring nations.

The meeting also highlighted the strong collaborative spirit between the National Federations and the willingness from the equestrian community to provide both financial and logistical support through donations of supplies and materials, offers to host individuals and/or horses and employment opportunities.

Since the onset of the war, the FEI, EEF and UEF have worked together and tirelessly to provide support and aid through the UEF Charity Foundation and the FEI Solidarity Relief Fund.

Current situation in Ukraine

The UEF Charity Foundation, which was set up at the start of the conflict and has the full support of the FEI and EEF manages the logistics and coordination of humanitarian aid, the evacuation of horses and the general information flow to/from the community and those externally wishing to help. Through the website www.helpukrainehorses.eu offers of material aid (feed, shavings etc.), monetary donations and accommodation have been received from across Europe and overseas. To date, over 375 tonnes of material aid have been received at their central hub in Poland and over €75,000 has been donated directly to the Charity Foundation.

Working hand in hand and funded by the FEI Solidarity Relief Fund, the Foundation has also managed the creation of a logistical hub in Granat, located between Lviv and the Polish border, able to accommodate up to 40 horses so they can be prepared for transfer into the European Union. Individuals should contact the UEF Charity Foundation for more information. It is expected this hub will be at full capacity in the coming days.

Whilst the achievements so far have been remarkable, the UEF Charity Foundation gave a stark warning that the requirement for aid is ongoing. Over the next month, an expected 2,000 horses will require support from the Foundation which would equate to triple the number of supplies currently held. As such, there is a need to continue working cooperatively across Europe in order to facilitate the supply of aid.  

FEI Solidarity Director Jean-Phillippe Camboulives took this opportunity to urge all National Equestrian Federations “to designate an official representative to first coordinate the offers of support and supplies nationally, and then liaise with the FEI, EEF and UEF to ensure logistical efficiency.”  

Among other things, this would entail that offers for accommodation or employment be coordinated through National Federations, prior to reaching the UEF Charity Foundation and the FEI Solidarity Relief Fund.  

Camboulives added, the “FEI Solidarity Relief Fund has been able to provide great support to individual members in the Ukrainian community through neighbouring and European member federations such as the Ukrainian Vaulting team which is currently training and living in Slovakia thanks to the efforts of the host National Federation and the determination of their Secretary General Zuzana Baciak. And there are many examples like this at the moment. We must continue to work together and to coordinate our efforts and use our resources effectively.”

EU Regulations on the movement of horses

FEI Veterinary Director Göran Åkerström provided an update on the situation regarding the transfer of horses from Ukraine into neighbouring EU countries as well as the essential biosecurity protocols and sanitary requirements which must be respected to safeguard horse welfare and horse populations both inside and outside of Ukraine. Among the topics covered, he also informed member nations of recent amendments to the existing Health Certificate published this week by the European Commission and taking effect on 29 March through to 15 December 2022 which could facilitate the transit of horses. Given the recent publication, the documents are currently under review by the FEI and clear guidance will be shared to all relevant stakeholders in the coming days.  

Looking ahead and planning the future 

Reflecting on the complete collapse of the Ukrainian equestrian industry, the EEF and the FEI gave their full support to help rebuild the Ukrainian Equestrian Federation and the community.

To conclude the meeting, EEF President Theo Ploegmakers said “the situation in Ukraine is devastating, but the collaboration we have seen across Europe through our members and the FEI is incredibly encouraging. There is still a huge amount of work to be done to help both the equines and the wider equestrian community in Ukraine and I believe through our network in Europe we can continue to provide the necessary support”.

About:

FEI Solidarity Relief Fund:

The FEI set aside a CHF 1 Million Solidarity Relief Fund for the equestrian community in Ukraine, following the invasion by Russian military forces. The allocation was approved by the FEI Executive Board during a meeting convened on 28 February 2022, where members also unanimously condemned the invasion and agreed to remove all international equestrian events in Russia and Belarus from the 2022 FEI calendar. The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has also joined forces with the FEI Solidarity Relief Fund, establishing the USEF Ukraine Relief Fund to Support Ukraine horses and equestrians, with 100% of funds raised going to the FEI Solidarity Relief Fund to be distributed by the FEI.

EEF:

Founded in 2009, the European Equestrian Federation (EEF) is the representative body for the European based National equestrian Federations. Working closely with the Federation Internationale Equestre (FEI) and the National Federations, the EEF works to maximise the potential and development of equestrianism throughout the continent. The EEF is committed to promoting the sport equestrianism and its good practices, developing the sport across Europe, and providing leadership for a collective European voice in the sport.

UEF Charity Foundation:

The Charity Foundation is registered in Belgium and its mission is to help the Ukrainian equestrian community during the crisis. The Foundation works closely with the FEI and national equestrian federations. For all the latest information and activities visit https://helpukrainehorses.eu/

By Sarah Dance

For the first time since 2008 the FEI Driving World Cup™ Final returns to Leipzig (GER) to round off the 2021-22 indoor season.  The Driving will take place alongside the FEI World Cup™ Finals for Dressage, Jumping and Vaulting.

Six of the world’s best international four-in-hand drivers will be vying to take the title in this enthralling event.  Requiring skill, agility and bravery, teams of four powerful horses must work together as they are steered at the gallop through a combination of obstacles and pairs of cones, with many tight twists and turns.  Although competitors aim for the fastest time, they must also be accurate as penalties are added for any balls that are knocked off.  This event is a popular spectacle which engages the crowd, the electric atmosphere enhanced with rock music and theatrical lighting.

Reigning indoor and outdoor FEI Driving World Champion Boyd Exell (AUS) leads the rankings going into the final.  Winner of more Four-in-Hand World Championships than any other driver, Boyd first took the indoor World Cup title in 2009 in Gothenburg (SWE).  He admits it has been a difficult season, with the early events running so close to each other at the end of 2021, then a long wait until the final.  Having won three of the four qualifying events in Lyon, Stockholm then London just before Christmas, Boyd said,

“We are keeping our teams, both horse and human, focussed and not taking anything for granted.  It would be a mistake to underestimate the competition.”

Course designer Jeroen Houterman (NED), who designed the tracks in Lyon and London, is keeping his course a secret until he gets to Leipzig.  Mindful of the lack of competition practice the horses have had going into the finals, he has created the sort of test he would produce at the beginning of a season, making it relatively simple.  He hopes his design will encourage flowing driving that is not too difficult on the horses and when walking the course, drivers should be able to see what their options are. 

The six qualified finalists are Boyd Exell (AUS), Bram Chardon (NED), who won in Geneva, Koos de Ronde (NED), Glenn Geerts (BEL), Dries Degrieck (BEL) and Mareike Harm (GER).  A seventh, ‘wild card’ competitor has been invited to drive too, Michael Brauchle (GER), but the rules state that he cannot contend for the title. 

Competition will be fierce between these talented drivers, with both Koos and Bram being previous title holders, and the home crowd will be cheering loudest for Michael and Mareike, who has the accolade of being the first female to compete at the final.  Mareike had an excellent drive in London and finished in third place, which helped seal her place in Leipzig.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic there has not been an FEI World Cup™ Final since Bordeaux in February 2020, and this year the event is being held in April which is later than usual.  However, the drivers, their horses, and the support teams around them are all highly experienced and will have altered their preparation to take this timing into account.

Driving Ground Jury President, Mark Wentein (BEL), said, “After the Covid-19 lockdowns and cancellation of some of the planned FEI World Cup qualifiers, the top drivers from the international driving scene are very keen to start in Leipzig for the final. Personally, I am convinced that the battle and the sporting standards will be very high. You have of course the World Champion and the title holder Boyd Exell (AUS), but perhaps some other drivers will put the pressure on his shoulders. Anyway, Leipzig will host the four different legs of FEI World Cup Finals and will be the most thrilling moment of the indoor season 2021-22. I expect great sportsmanship from all the competitors.”

Further information on the FEI Driving World Cup™ Final can be found here.