Stars line up for opening leg of Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ - Western European League in Oslo this weekend

After the spectacular Jumping witnessed at the Olympic Games in Versailles, Western Europe now looks forward to the indoor season of top-level competition with the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™. This season, a series of 14 events will provide athletes with the opportunity to qualify for the Final in April next year, with the first leg taking place in Oslo (NOR), this Sunday, 20 October where athletes from 16 countries will compete.

Lining up for Switzerland, three-time Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final winner, Steve Guerdat – who is also currently number two in the Longines Rankings - will bring Is-Minka, Lancelotta, and Easy Star de Talma.  Last season, he finished 9th in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final with the 11-year-old mare Is-Minka, and this summer, he claimed individual silver at the Olympic Games in Paris with the 11-year-old mare Dynamix de Belheme, with whom he also became winner of the FEI Jumping European Championship in Milan (ITA) last year. 

The combination of Harrie Smolders (NED) and Monaco N.O.P., who finished second in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in both 2022 and 2023, is also listed for the opening event. Alongside the experienced 15-year-old gelding Monaco N.O.P., Smolders will bring the 11-year-old stallion Springfield 21, with whom he secured three podium finishes in international 5* competitions this year.

Also in the lineup is Belgian Gregory Wathelet (BEL). In 2023, as part of team Belgium, he claimed 3rd place with the13-year-old stallion Bond Jamesbond de Hay in the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final. At the end of last season, he finished 10th in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final with the 14-year-old gelding Ace of Hearts.

Sweden’s Peder Fredricson is also a familiar face in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™, having finished 3rd in the final earlier this year with Catch Me Not S. This 18-year-old gelding was also part of the Swedish team that won bronze earlier this month at the Longines League of Nations™ Final.

Fredricson’s fellow Swede Henrik von Eckermann, world number one and winner of the previous two Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Finals with King Edward, has chosen not to compete at the opening event. As the defending champion, he is automatically qualified for the 2025 Final in April.  All eyes will still be on von Eckermann this season to see if he claims victory for a third time.

14 Events

The competition in Oslo is the first in a series of 14 events in Western Europe, where athletes can accumulate points with various horses to secure their spot in the Final. The top 18 Western European League athletes with the most points will qualify for the Final in Basel, Switzerland, from 2-6 April 2025, along with the best athletes from the other leagues. 

The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™, Western European League, kicks off on 20 October in Oslo (NOR), followed by Helsinki (FIN) a week later, and Lyon (FRA), Verona (ITA), and Stuttgart (GER) in November. December will feature four events in Madrid (ESP), A Coruña (ESP), London Excel (GBR), and Mechelen (BEL). 
In 2025, January will see competitions in Basel (SUI), Leipzig (GER), and Amsterdam (NED). February will conclude the qualifiers in Bordeaux (FRA) and Gothenburg (SWE). 

More info can be found HERE