Superstar lineup ready for FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final in Basel

After an exhilarating FEI Dressage World Cup™ season, the lineup for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final has been confirmed. From 2–6 April, the St. Jakobshalle in Basel (SUI) will set the stage for the first-ever FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final to be held in Switzerland. Defending champion Patrik Kittel (SWE) will make his way to Basel to battle for back-to-back victories.

Over the past  2024-2025 season, 38 qualifiers took place across four leagues: the Western European League, the North American League, the Central European League, and the Pacific League. With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games behind us, the world's top Dressage athletes have set their sights on the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2025. The race for the 18 coveted spots was fiercely contested, with a star-studded field making a last-minute push for points in ’s-Hertogenbosch last weekend.

Kittel to defend his title

18 athletes from 13 nations will go head-to-head in pursuit of the prestigious FEI Dressage World Cup™ World Cup title. Defending champion and current World No. 10 Patrik Kittel (SWE) qualified his  mare Forever Young HRH (owned by the athlete and Gestüt Peterhof). The mare delivered strong performances in the Amsterdam (NED) and ’s-Hertogenbosch (NED) qualifiers, proving she is ready for the Final.

Joining Kittel are nine combinations from the Western European League, including World No. 2 Isabell Werth (GER), who will bring DSP Quantaz (owned by Madeleine Winter-Schulze and Victoria Max-Theurer) to Basel. With this horse, she secured third place at the last two Finals in Riyadh (KSA) and Omaha (USA). As a legend of the sport, Werth will make her 26th FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final appearance. Her track record speaks for itself. She has reached the podium in her last six Finals and claimed the title five times, with her first victory dating back to Gothenburg (SWE) in 1992. Having won the Lyon (FRA), Stuttgart (GER), and Basel qualifiers this season, Werth is in top form heading into the Final.

Western European League contenders

World No. 3 and reigning Freestyle Olympic bronze medallist Charlotte Fry (GBR) has also confirmed her participation. She will partner with her black powerhouse Glamourdale (owned by the athlete and Van Olst Horses), with whom she dominated the London, Amsterdam, and ’s-Hertogenbosch qualifiers, with her last two wins trending towards the 90% mark.

Germany will be well-represented in Basel, having secured the maximum number of spots allowed per nation. Alongside Werth, Bianca Nowag-Aulenbrock (GER) will compete with Florine OLD (owned by Elisabeth von Wulffen), while Carina Scholz (GER) will bring Tarantino (owned by Sportpferde Scholz). Nowag-Aulenbrock set a new personal best of 80.450% in ’s-Hertogenbosch and also claimed victory in Mariakalnok while also reaching the podium in Stuttgart. Scholz has enjoyed a strong FEI Dressage World Cup™ season with multiple horses, and has confirmed that her routineer Tarantino 5, runner-up in Madrid (ESP), will be her mount for Basel.

France will be represented by two of their Olympic combinations, including Corentin Pottier (FRA) and Gotilas du Feuillard (owned by Camille Judet Cheret, Herve Pottier and Maryse Pottier), who finished second in the FEI Dressage World Cup™ standings, just behind Werth. Pottier launched his campaign late in the season, beginning in Mechelen (BEL) in December, but secured crucial points with two third-place finishes in Neumünster (GER) and Gothenburg (SWE), as well as a victory in Motesice (SVK) in the Central European League. His compatriot Pauline Basquin (FRA), winner of the Madrid qualifier, will also make her FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final debut with Sertorius de Rima Z IFCE (owned by Institut Francais Du Cheval Et De L’Equitation).

Belgium’s Larissa Pauluis (BEL) will return to the final with Flambeau (owned by Marie Christine Pauluis, Jean Pauluis, Emmanuel Lepage and Caroline Lepage), having competed in Riyadh (KSA) last year with First-Step Valentin. Also making a repeat appearance is Borja Carrascosa (ESP) with Sir Hubert NRW (owned by the athlete and Sportpferde Hofmann GbR), winner of the qualifier in Lerma, St. Vincent, Mexico.

Isabell Freese (NOR) has confirmed her participation with Total Hope OLD (owned by Paul Schockemöhle, Lone Boegh-Hendriksen and Oivind Bache), the stallion she also rode in the Olympic Freestyle Final. A true legacy horse, Total Hope OLD is the product of two former FEI Dressage World Cup™ champions: sired by Totilas and with triple FEI Dressage World Cup™ winner Weihegold OLD as his mom. Basel will mark Freese’s first-ever World Cup Final appearance.

North American League

Spanning 10 competitions, the North American League allocated three tickets to the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final, all of which were secured by American combinations. The first points were claimed by Kevin Kohmann and Duenensee (owned by Diamante Farms), who secured victory in Devon at the end of September.

The second leg of the NAL made history as the first-ever FEI Dressage World Cup™ qualifier in Mexico, held in Lerma, St. Vincent. In an unexpected twist, the win went to Western European League athlete Borja Carrascosa flew his Sir Hubert NRW across the Atlantic and picked up 20 points in Mexico. Kohmann also capitalised on the opportunity, finishing second.

Kohmann enjoyed a strong season, claiming another 20 points with a win in Wellington (USA) in early March. His consistent performances in Ocala (USA) in December, and in Wellington in January and March, secured him a well-earned spot in the Final. He returns for his second consecutive appearance, having competed in last year’s Final in Riyadh with Duenensee.

Two more combinations secured 60 points to qualify: Genay Vaughn and Adrienne Lyle. For 31-year-old Vaughn, it will be a debut appearance at the Final. With Gino (owned by Michele Vaughn), she secured victories in Thermal (USA) and Del Mar (USA) in February, amassing the necessary 60 points in just three competitions.

Three-time Olympian Adrienne Lyle also had a successful campaign with Helix (owned by Zen Elite Equestrian Center), her Paris 2024 Olympic partner. She won all three of her outings, taking top honours in Ocala in December, as well as back-to-back victories in Wellington in January and February. This propelled her above Anna Marek and Kevin Kohmann, who finished second and third in Ocala. Marek, who competed in last year’s Final in Riyadh with Fire Fly (owned by Janet Simile), came close once again but fell just short, despite strong performances in Ocala and Wellington.

Central European League

The Central European League featured no fewer than 14 qualifiers, kicking off in May in Budapest (HUN). The two coveted tickets to the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final were secured by Anikó Komjáthy-Losonczy and Sandra Sysojeva, both finishing on 80 points.

The season opener in Budapest saw home athlete Yazmin Yom-Tov and her grey Konfucius (owned by Arie Yom Tov) claim victory ahead of Katarzyna Milczarek. The Polish athlete delivered an impressive season aboard Guapo (owned by the Athlete), winning in Brno (CZE) and Wroclaw (POL), but her final tally of 74 points left her just outside qualification.

Paris Olympian and Riyadh World Cup Finalist Justina Vanagaite (LTU) took the second qualifier in Olomouc (CZE) with Nabab (owned by the athlete and Jurga Girniute and Ramunas Bogdanas) and later finished second in Motesice (SVK) in October. As the highest-placed CEL athlete in that event, she gained 20 points. She also posted two runner-up finishes in Riga (LAT) and Tallinn (EST), rounding off a strong season, but ultimately falling short of qualification with 74 points.

Sandra Sysojeva (POL) and her Olympic Freestyle-finalist mare Maxima Bella (owned by the athlete and Dominika Krasko Bialek and Piet Lenskens) captured the hearts of many with an unbeaten record in four FEI Dressage World Cup™ qualifiers, triumphing in Pärnu (EST), Riga (LAT), Wierzbna Bialy Las (POL), and Tallinn (EST).

Anikó Komjáthy-Losonczy (HUN) also secured four maximum-score performances with her big grey Dior S (owned by Okura Co Ltd). The pair finished second in Lipica (SLO) in June and sixth in Samorin (SVK) and Mariakalnok (HUN). However, as all combinations ahead of her were from other leagues, she still gained the full 20 points in both events, securing her place in for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final in Basel.

Pacific League

The Pacific League consisted of three qualifiers, all held in Australia: CDI-W Werribee in March, CDI-W Melbourne in December, and the Pacific League Final, which returned to Werribee.

The opening qualifier went to the only 21-year-old Jessica Dertell (AUS) with Cennin, narrowly edging out David McKinnon (AUS). Dertell also finished third aboard Syriana, the horse previously campaigned by Mary Hanna (AUS), who took fourth place with her new ride, Ivanhoe.

McKinnon took the Melbourne leg aboard Estupendo (owned by Vivien Lipshut), scoring 75.400% in the Freestyle to claim victory over Hanna and Ivanhoe (owned by the athlete), who finished second with 73.695%.

Hanna returned to the top of the podium in the final qualifier in Werribee with Syriana, just ahead of New Zealand’s Wendi Williamson in second and McKinnon in third. With this result, the 71-year-old Hanna, who represented Australia at no fewer than six Olympic Games, secured her ticket to Basel, marking her sixth FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final appearance. 

Non-league and FEI Extra starting place

The non-league starting place has been allocated to Renderson Silva de Oliveira (BRA) with Fogoso Campline, as the highest-ranked non-league athlete on the FEI Dressage World Ranking List, based on the application of the Brazilian National Federation. He guided his Lusitano grey to a seventh-place finish in Madrid and an impressive ninth place in a strong field in Neumünster, scoring no less than 76.845%.

The FEI Extra starting place has been assigned, in accordance with the rules, to Jessica Neuhauser (SUI) and Rockson (owned by Hildegard Magdalena Riedmaier), as the highest-scoring athlete from the Western European League, from the host nation across at least two FEI Dressage World Cup™ qualifiers.

One thing is certain: Basel will crown a new FEI Dressage World Cup™ champion, as none of the competing combinations have previously claimed the title.

The competition kicks off in Basel on Friday, 4 April, at 13:00 CET. The Freestyle Final on Saturday, 5 April, at 19:30 CET will determine who takes home the FEI Dressage World Cup™ title.

The Definite Entries list for the Longines FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final can be found here