Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final Archives - Practical Horseman https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/competitions/world-cup/ Tue, 06 May 2025 15:50:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 https://s3.amazonaws.com/wp-s3-practicalhorsemanmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/14150009/cropped-practical-horseman-fav-icon-32x32.png Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final Archives - Practical Horseman https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/competitions/world-cup/ 32 32 U.S.’s Kent Farrington Leads Jumping World Rankings https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/news/u-s-s-kent-farrington-leads-jumping-world-rankings/ Tue, 06 May 2025 15:50:09 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=29265 May 6, 2025—Following an update to the Longines Rankings published today, the U.S.’s Kent Farrington has been confirmed as the new world number one, taking the lead in the show jumping world rankings with 3,269 points.

Farrington has enjoyed a string of strong performances on home soil in Wellington, Florida, and Lexington, Kentucky. His most recent triumph, a commanding win at the CSI5* in Lexington, earned him crucial ranking points that propelled him to the top of the Longines Rankings. After months of chasing Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann, Farrington now claims the coveted world number-one spot.

Kent Farrington (USA) and Toulayna who won the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2024/25. ©FEI/Sara Shier

This is the second time in Farrington’s career that he has led the global standings. He first reached the top spot in May 2017, overtaking fellow American show jumper McLain Ward. He held the leading position for a full year before ceding it to the Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders in May 2018. To date, Farrington and Ward remain the only American athletes to have held the top spot in the Longines Rankings*.

This marks the end of a significant era for the discipline of jumping, as von Eckermann has been at the top for the longest consecutive period—since August 2022—and held the widest gap registered in the last 14 years*, when he had a 593-point advantage from France’s Julien Epaillard in May 2023.

Behind Farrington, Ben Maher (GBR) climbs to number two with 3,064 points, followed by former number-one, von Eckermann who is now third on 3,026 points. Olympic champion Christian Kukuk (GER) drops to fourth position with 2,928 points, while Steve Guerdat (SUI) maintains his fifth position with a tally of 2,886 points.

*The FEI Database only contains Jumping World Rankings from the last 15 years (Ranking No. 114)

You can view the full list of Longines Rankings here.

To read more about Kent Farrington, click here.

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Olympic Veterans Headline Inaugural Santa Anita CSI5*-W Hosted By 1/ST https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/competitions/olympic-veterans-headline-inaugural-santa-anita-csi5-w-hosted-by-1-st/ Tue, 19 Nov 2024 16:15:50 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=27124 ARCADIA, CA (November 11, 2024) — Thirteen athletes from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games headline a distinguished list of entries for the inaugural Santa Anita CSI5*-W hosted by 1/ST in collaboration with the Lugano Diamonds Split Rock Jumping Tour at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The event marks a historic moment for U.S. equestrian sports, with a total of 17 Olympic veterans and international stars from 18 countries entering the competition.

Santa Anita Park, one of the world’s most prestigious racetracks renowned for its stunning backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains, has hosted a record 11 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, and was the site of the 1984 Olympic Games equestrian events. This November, in partnership with 1/ST, North America’s leading brand for Thoroughbred horse racing, entertainment, and wagering, the Lugano Diamonds Split Rock Jumping Tour (SRJT) will host two weeks of world-class equestrian competition: the Los Angeles National, November 13-17, followed by the Santa Anita CSI5*-W, November 20-24, featuring the $400,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Los Angeles CSI5*-W qualifying event presented by Lugano Diamonds.

World-Class Competitors

The star-studded lineup includes all four members of the U.S.’s 2024 Olympic Silver medal-winning team: Karl Cook, who made his Olympic debut in Paris and completed the team competition without penalty; Kent Farrington, 2016 team silver medalist and World #4 in the Longines FEI Jumping Rider Rankings; Laura Kraut, three-time Olympic medalist; and McLain Ward, six-time Olympian and World #8 in the Longines FEI Rankings.

Three-time Olympic medalist Laura Kraut is one of the athletes in the star-studded lineup for the Santa Anita CSI5*-W hosted by 1/ST. ©Amy K. Dragoo

Prominent riders from the 2024 Paris Olympics also include Richard Vogel (World #7) of Germany, Daniel Coyle (World #13) and Cian O’Connor (World #17) of Ireland, Erynn Ballard (World #22) and Tiffany Foster (World #24) of Canada, Harry Charles of Great Britain’s gold medal team (World #18), Daniel Bluman (World #28) and Ashlee Bond of Israel, and Nayel Nassar of Egypt.

Other Olympic veterans include U.S. team silver medalists Lucy Davis (2016) and Jessica Springsteen (2021), as well as Eduardo Pereira de Menezes of Brazil and two-time Olympic veteran Mark Watring of Puerto Rico.

The lineup also includes several riders from Southern California, including Cook, Davis, Zazou Hoffman and Alessandra Volpi.

A Top-Notch Experience

Beyond the elite competition, the Santa Anita CSI5*-W event from November 20-24 will offer elevated hospitality and entertainment experiences synonymous with 1/ST, including a boutique VIP pop-up experience presented by The h.wood Group’s Delilah. Guests will enjoy exciting partner activations, curated spaces and a multi-tiered VIP area with premium food and beverage options.

The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Los Angeles CSI5*-W is one of only eight events in the 2024 FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League (NAL). The competition will offer valuable points in determining which riders qualify for the 2025 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in Basel, Switzerland. The action-packed weekend will include the $400,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Los Angeles CSI5*-W Presented by Lugano Diamonds on Saturday evening, November 23, as well as three other high level FEI events: the $35,000 1.45m Special Two-Phase CSI5* on Wednesday, the $125,000 Lugano Diamonds 1.50m Welcome Stake CSI5* on Thursday, and the $40,000 Winning Round CSI5* on Sunday.

A Joint Effort for the Inaugural Event

“We are thrilled to partner with 1/ST to feature an all-new Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Qualifier and two weeks of world-class equestrian competition at the historic Santa Anita Park,” said Derek Braun, SRJT founder and president. “With this inaugural event featuring a competitive field of athletes of the highest caliber, we look forward to bringing to audiences on the West Coast an equestrian experience unlike any other.”

“1/ST is proud to partner with the Lugano Diamonds Split Rock Jumping Tour as part of our ongoing commitment to connect the world of equestrian sport and Thoroughbred racing. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Santa Anita Park for an unforgetting event that will merge 1/ST’s brand of entertainment and hospitality with some of the best competitors in the sport of show jumping!” said Nicole Walker, Vice President, The Stronach Group and professional equestrian.

For More Information

To register for tickets and VIP experiences for the Santa Anita CSI5*-W event, November 20-24, click here.

To obtain required media credentials, please click here.

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Practical Horseman Podcast: FEI Jumping World Cup Washington CSI5* Winners https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/competitions/washington-international-horse-show/practical-horseman-podcast-fei-jumping-world-cup-washington/ Fri, 17 Nov 2023 22:27:21 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=22075

This special episode, sponsored by Cosequin®, features the top three finishers of the $450,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Washington CSI5*. Katie Dinan (USA) and Brego R’N B placed first. Rene Dittmer (GER) and Corsica X placed second. And Devin Ryan (USA) and Eddie Blue placed third. The conversation comes from the press conference following the competition, part of the 2023 Washington International Horse Show.

This class is one of eight qualifiers for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final’s North American League. The qualifiers narrow down the riders from North America who will compete in the 2024 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final, April 16-20, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Top Three

The Washington International Horse Show was held October 23-29, 2023, at Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. In the press conference, Dinan, who charged through the jump-off with Brego R’N B, talks about winning their first five-star class. She shares how Brego had “wings” over the last fence in the jump-off. Practical Horseman’s Instagram page has a reel of them over that oxer.

Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Washington
Katie Dinan (USA) and Brego R’N B. © Amy K. Dragoo

Second-place finisher Dittmer was on fire during the week. He and Corsica won the $78,000 FEI Welcome Stake on Thursday night. Also on Thursday night, Dittmer and Burlington Riverland won the $40,000 Accumulator Costume Class. And on Friday night, that pair placed fifth in the $78,000 Speed Final.

Finally, third-place finisher Ryan chats about his longtime partner, Eddie Blue and the course, which was designed by Bernardo Cabral.

The Course

Here’s a look at the FEI Longines Jumping World Cup™ Washington course, designed by Bernardo Cabral. The jump-off fences are listed in the top right of the photo.

Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Washington CSI5*

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Ask a Pro: Marc Koene, DVM https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/competitions/world-cup/ask-a-pro-marc-koene-dvm/ Thu, 13 Apr 2023 17:11:12 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=19190 Koene
Marc Koene, DVM
© Friso Gentsch/dpa/Alamy Live News

Marc Koene, DVM, is an acknowledged German equine practitioner, FEI veterinary delegate and FEI permitted treating veterinarian. He’s been a team veterinarian for the German Olympic Driving Team for ten years and for the German Dressage Team for three years. He has served these teams at several Olympic Games, World Equestrian Games and German and European Championships.

At the Luesche Equine Veterinary Clinic in Germany, Dr. Koene works on lame horses, surgery, ophthalmology, sporthorse support and pre-purchase examinations. Additionally, he is active in research and application of new technologies such as 3D printing, feed supplements and laser treatment.

Audience Questions for Dr. Koene

At the 2023 FEI World Cup Finals in Omaha, Nebraska, Practical Horseman sat down with Dr. Koene for a live Q&A session courtesy of Arthramid Vet. In the two weeks leading up to the Finals, Practical Horseman’s audience submitted questions for Dr. Koene including “How do you prepare horses to fly?” and “What’s your best advice to keep a high performance horse successfully competitive and sound for the course of a long career?”

He also elaborated on topics such as joint health, equine jet leg and keeping horses happy while on the road. “Every horse has his own team, so they’re not only ridden, they will have massage, they have physical therapy,” said Dr. Koene in the Q&A. “Most horses really like to go to the show because they get very special attention. It’s 24-hour VIP service for the horses. They enjoy it!”

Dr. Koene noted that sleep is also an important factor when horses are traveling, which can be influenced by their surroundings. “Horses do have friends and it’s underestimated. If you change horses’ stalls to somewhere else, they can be happy or unhappy because they don’t like their neighbor. And, it has influences even on their sleeping behavior, because to avoid stress, a horse needs to lay down. Otherwise, he can’t have the REM phase of sleep.”

In addition, horses prefer a dark, quiet place to sleep, just like humans. “It’s now in the FEI veterinary regulations, the new ones, that at every show, [horses] need six hours of dampened light and noise reduction.”

Watch Dr. Koene’s Q&A

Thank you to the sponsor of Dr. Koene’s Ask a Pro Q&A, Arthramid Vet.

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Henrik von Eckermann Rules FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/competitions/world-cup/henrik-von-eckermann-rules-fei-jumping-world-cup-final/ Sun, 09 Apr 2023 06:57:22 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=19154 World No. 1 rider Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) said since he was young and attended several FEI Jumping World Cup™ Finals in Gothenburg, Sweden, he’s dreamed of having his name on the competition’s trophy. Last December, his team decided they wanted to try to win the 2023 edition.

And win they did.

“Even if it’s a fantastic horse, we all know it’s horses, and it’s very easy that it doesn’t go your way. So, it makes it even more special now that we had the goal, and we made it,” Eckermann said. 

The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final is part of the 2023 FEI World Cup™ Finals, which has been at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska, April 4-8. The Finals included the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final. The Burlington Capital FEI Vaulting World Cup™ Final is being held in North America.

Following von Eckermann, Harrie Smolders (NED) and Monaco N.O.P. climbed their way from their seventh-place spot going into Saturday’s Final III to finish in second place overall. And Hunter Holloway (USA) and her Pepita Con Spita moved up from fifth place going into Final III to finish in third place overall. 

The Course

The three-leg jumping final is a cumulative effort. Final III consisted of two rounds. The top 30 riders from Final II on Thursday night returned to ride Final III, Round 1. Then the top 20 riders came back for Round 2. Riders carried penalty points accumulated from Final I and Final II into Round III. In both rounds, a rail down added four points to a rider’s score.

Each of course designer Bernardo Costa Cabral’s two rounds in Final III consisted of 15 jumping efforts and 12 numbered obstacles. 

Course designer Bernardo Costa Cabral shares his thoughts about building the courses for the 2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™.
© Amy K. Dragoo

Cabral said he was happy with the result of his courses throughout the week. The various courses had elements of asking the horses to go forward and collect. “If I just make them go a little shorter, a little long, just that variation in rhythm creates problems to the rider, but not to the horse,” Cabral said. “They can have four faults or eight faults and still feel great and fresh afterward and positive.”

Only Denis Lynch (IRL) and Brooklyn Heights, a 14-year-old BWP gelding, jumped clean in both rounds. This allowed them to move up from 19th before Round 1 to wind up in seventh overall.

The overnight leaders, Pius Schwizer (SUI) and Andreas Schou (Den), each fell from the top of the leaderboard. Schou and Darc de Lux, a 12-year-old Holsteiner stallion, had three rails down in Round 1. They went clean in Round 2 to finish in fifth. Schwizer and Vancouver de Lanlore, a 14-year-old Selle Français stallion, had one rail down in Round 1 and two rails down in Round II. The effort put them into sixth. Yuri Mansur (BRA) and Vitki, a 15-year-old Hanoverian stallion, ended the competition in fourth place. He had two rails down in Round 1 and went clean in Round 2.

Von Eckermann and King Edward

With von Eckermann’s World Cup win, he cemented his spot as the World No. 1 rider in the Longines FEI Ranking. Throughout the three legs of the World Cup Final competition, he and King Edward, a 13-year-old BWP gelding, persevered. They won the first leg of the Final on Wednesday night. Then in Final II, they had one rail. So they entered Saturday night’s Final III in third place. In first round of Final III, they had a rail. Then in Round 2, they jumped clean to finish with an overall score of five penalty points. 

Henrik Von Eckermann rules
Sweden’s Henrik Von Eckermann rules the 2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in Omaha, Nebraska.
© Amy K. Dragoo

“He was fresh, and he was really jumping good. I jumped very little on the warm-up because he felt amazing,” Eckermann said about how King Edward felt before Round 1. “Then in the first round, I came in probably a little bit too far off the oxer [to the triple combination], protecting him a little bit too much from the front bar. So, I got far in, and then he has so much power, so then it was difficult to get back to the number B and had that one.

“So I should have gone a little closer to the oxer,” Eckermann continued. “With that rail, I was of course a little bit, ‘Oh, this was maybe the chance that I had, and it’s gone.’ But then how it went on, kept on going, the chance kept on being there. And then in the second round, I jumped three jumps on the warm-up because he felt better than ever.”

Smolders and Monaco N.O.P.

Going into Round 2, von Eckermann had been tied with Harrie Smolders (NED) and Monaco N.O.P., a 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding. Smolders entered Round 1 in seventh place and rode a clear round. For Round 2, he had one rail down, which gave him a score of nine penalty points.

Harrie Smolders (NED) and Monaco N.O.P. captured second place in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final.
© Amy K. Dragoo

“I’ve had him since he was 7 years old, and he’s 14 now. He’s a truly amazing horse,” Smolders said. “Also I think if you see statistics, the consistency from him is amazing in the last few years. It feels like he’s still getting better and improving. And even at this age, I think today he was probably jumped the best ever.

“I would’ve loved to go in the jump off because Monaco was—I think also people that saw him this morning at the vet check—he felt still amazing in his energy level and focus,” Smolders continued. “And this was probably a day that I could compete against King Edward. But we don’t need to be ashamed to be second and to have such a champion in front of us.”

Holloway and Pepita Con Spita

Hunter Holloway and Pepita Con Spita also moved their way up the leaderboard throughout the week. They entered Final III, Round 1 tied for fifth. In the first round, she had two rails down, which dropped her to sixth. 

It was her second World Cup Final and her first trip to the podium with the 12-year-old Westphalian mare. Her first World Cup was last year in Leipzig, Germany.

Hunter Holloway (USA) was the top placing U.S. rider in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final. She and Pepita Con Spita placed third.

“After we got the first one under our belt, she felt super and felt like I knew she could do it, and I could do it,” Holloway said. “So, I was just really excited to come back and attack it again on home soil.”

Holloway also appreciated being a Midwest favorite. “I appreciate it and I love it. I’m from Kansas, which is only about two hours away from here, so I get a lot of that home support and a lot of that family support. And everyone here really makes you feel like family.”

U.S. Team Coach Robert Ridland said that Saturday morning, he wouldn’t have anticipated a U.S. rider on the podium. “So, it was pretty exciting. Hunter just rode lights out all week long,” he added. “This wasn’t just today, these two rounds. It was all four of the rounds. She was amazing. She was focused. I think the experience that she got last year in the World Cup Final helped her a lot. And so, it’s pretty darn exciting to be on the podium and to have somebody from the Midwest on the podium right here in Omaha.”

For complete results, click here.

The Competition Concludes

To read about the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final II, click here, the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final I, click here. And the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ warm-up, click here. For the First Horse Inspection, click here

Thanks to ADM Animal Nutrition for our coverage of the 2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final, including rider interviews, competition reports, photos, videos and more!

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FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final III Photo Gallery https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/competitions/world-cup/fei-jumping-world-cup-final-iii-photo-gallery/ Sun, 09 Apr 2023 06:36:33 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=19152 There’s a reason he’s world No. 1! Henrik von Eckermann piloted King Edward to yet another win, this time at the 2023 FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in Omaha, Nebraska. Over three days of competition, von Eckermann garnered only 5 penalty points, putting him at the top of the leaderboard.

The Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders and Monaco N.O.P. finished the week in second place with 9 penalties, followed by hometown hero Hunter Holloway (USA) and Pepita Con Spita in third with a final score of 11 points.

For the full results, click here.

Thanks to WeatherBeeta for our coverage of the 2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final, including rider interviews, competition reports, photos, videos and more!⁣

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A World Cup Comeback https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/competitions/world-cup/a-world-cup-comeback/ Sat, 08 Apr 2023 20:44:43 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=19142 After a bad fall in the 2018 CHIO Aachen grand prix, Yuri Mansur entered the clinic where veterinarians were examining his horse, Vitiki. There he found his best friend crying as he looked at the X-rays of the horse’s front right leg. “I’ll never forget. This was a hard, hard moment,” Mansur said. “They were even speaking about putting him down.”

The horse had broken his pastern joint in several places. After such a grim diagnosis, many thought Vitiki would never return to the competition arena, let alone compete at the CSI5* level.

They were wrong. 

Tonight, Vitiki and Mansur will enter the arena for the 2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final III in Omaha, Nebraska, tied for fifth place.

“I don’t know why, but I always had in my mind that he would come back,” Mansur said of his now 15-year-old chestnut Hanoverian stallion.

World Cup Comeback
Vitiki has made a World Cup comeback. In 2018, the stallion had broken his right pastern after a fall with rider Yuri Mansur (BRA). They qualified for the final leg of the 2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in Omaha, Nebraska.
© Amy K. Dragoo

A Special Horse from the Beginning

Mansur, who trains in Europe, bought Vitiki in September of 2017. A friend living in Europe had been diagnosed with cancer and wanted to return to his homeland of Brazil for treatment. The friend decided to sell Vitiki and suggested Mansur ride him. Another Brazilian rider had tried the horse but wasn’t interested. Knowing that, Mansur had doubts about whether he’d like the stallion.

“But then I rode the horse, and already by the second jump, I had bought him in my mind. I realized it was a super, super horse—the roundness, the front technique, the really balanced blood. He was a bit more my type of horse. All this together made me really believe that I was sitting on a special horse and straightaway, we bought him.”

The Accident

An X-ray of Vitiki’s pastern where it broke down the middle.
Courtesy, Louise Weber

Vitiki and Mansur connected immediately. They were jumping 1.30 meters, and “everything went in the right direction all the time,” he said. By the following May, the pair were part of Brazil’s FEI Nations Cup team in La Baule, France. A month later, they were riding in the grand prix at the famed 2018 CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival in Germany. They had qualified for the jump-off when the accident happened. Mansur said he was a little long to one fence, and the pair fell.

Mansur hit his head. While doctors checked him, veterinarians at a nearby clinic examined Vitiki and discovered he had broken his right front pastern joint. Despite the news of the break, Mansur said luck was on their side. A friend was there, and said they needed to speak with U.S. veterinarian surgeon Jack Snyder. And Snyder was in Aachen at the time. He examined Vitiki and recommended a surgery that involved putting seven screws in the pastern to stabilize it. Doctors then put Vitiki in a thick cast from the knee to below the pastern. The horse returned home, and they kept him on stall rest for one month.

The Recovery

After breaking his pastern, Vitiki spent a month confined to his stall and then hand-walking for four months. He wore the cast for 2-1/2 months.
Courtesy, Louise Weber

Though Mansur described Vitiki as a “fresh horse” with “a lot of blood,” the stallion aided in his recovery during the stall confinement. Said Mansur’s wife, Louise Weber, “He was very clever because he knew that he needed to stay quiet. He was super calm. He let us treat him.”

Around that time, some veterinarians treating Vitiki questioned if one of the screws had been put in the correct place. Because of that, they wondered if Vitiki would even walk again. Mansur and Weber put their faith in Dr. Snyder, who said everything had been done correctly.

They also faced the challenge of the leg cast causing sores on the skin under it. “It was very stressful,” Mansur said of that time.

But after the month of stall rest, they were able to hand-walk Vitiki, which they did for four months. As expected, Vitiki lost all of his muscle mass and tone, and his body condition was “terrible,” Mansur said. The stall rest and hand-walking was taking its toll. 

So after the four months and in the in spite of the vet’s skepticism, Mansur decided to walk Vitiki under saddle. That felt OK, so he asked him to trot. “It was a terrible time because the first two or three moments, he was lame. I almost died,” he said. “But then after that, Vitiki started to get better.”

The Comeback

Mansur continued to gradually increase Vitiki’s exercise routine, adding more trot and eventually canter work. Six months after the surgery, veterinarians took out some of the screws. But Vitiki was still not feeling 100-hundred percent. Then a veterinarian from Italy who was working with Mansur found a special shoe to help support Vitiki’s pastern. “The day we did put this shoe on, everything went to the much better way,” Mansur said. Vitiki’s trot and canter smoothed out. A third veterinarian from Wellington, Florida, also suggested various treatments that helped in Vitiki’s recovery. “With all these three good vets and my obsession [to return Vitiki to complete health], things were going in the right direction.”

Mansur and his team continued to rehabilitate Vitiki. A year after the accident, in the spring of 2019, he decided Vitiki was strong enough to jump. Vets were not as confident. Mansur’s brother jumped the stallion while Mansur was at a competition. Despite being ridden to a long distance, Vitiki responded positively, jumping small fences with ease.

World Cup Comeback
Yuri Mansur (BRA) and Vitiki jump in the warm-up at the 2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final.
© Amy K. Dragoo

A Different Horse

As Vitiki’s recovery and rehab progressed, sometimes the horse would be a little lame, and Mansur and his team would have to back off of his training. Veterinarians suggested it might be time to look for another top grand prix horse. Instead, following his feeling that Vitiki would continue to recover, Mansur took him to a competition that fall. As they jumped a few classes at 1.20 meters over the next two weeks, Vitiki felt better and better. 

“From this day, he just improved—the movement, the soundness, the feeling, the scope,” Mansur said of the long process. “But he was a different horse. The body was different. He adapted to the shoeing and the new body he had.”

Vitiki continued to improve, and by the end of 2020, he competed in his first small grand prix. “He wasn’t the same star that he was before, but he was going,” Mansur said. Again, they continued to work on Vitiki’s conditioning, and by early 2021, they competed in two five-star grand prix classes in Wellington, Florida. In the second, Vitiki was the only Brazilian horse to jump clear. “That was a really emotional moment for us,” Mansur said.

Sinus Surgery

In spite of the excitement of Vitiki’s successful return to five-star competition , Mansur noticed some changes in 2021. “He start to cry all the time with the left eye and was a bit strange. And he was getting hotter and hotter, different going in the ring. I could not imagine. And then one day, he had fever in the show. And the doctor came and she found a cyst in the nose.”

Veterinarians operated on Vitiki in 2021 to removed a cyst in his left sinus.
Courtesy, Louise Weber

They monitored the cyst in the horse’s left sinus area. It continue to grow and began affecting Vitiki’s breathing. Mansur decided to have surgery to remove the cyst in mid-2021. “I knew that he couldn’t be worse. He could just be better because in the end he was breathing only with one side of his nostril.”

The surgery was dramatic to watch—veterinarians had to cut a hole in Vitiki’s skull to remove the cyst. But his recovery was straightforward. By October of 2021, Mansur and Vitiki were doing well in the Sunshine Tour in Spain. “This shows how strong this horse is,” Mansur said. 

Next were stops to compete in the second and third legs of the 2022 Longines FEI Global Champions Tour. These were in Miami and Mexico City. Vitiki jumped great, Mansur said. The Brazilian team’s chef d’équipe asked Mansur to take Vitiki to the competition in La Boule, France, where they placed second in the grand prix. They continued to do well that year, winning a grand prix in Valkenburg, Holland.

They ended 2022 with Brazilian legend Nelson Pessoa suggesting that Mansur stop riding Vitiki with spurs and a whip. So Mansur did that for the last two shows of the year, and the horse “went to the next step,” he said, improving even more. 

A World Cup Comeback: Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final

Leading up to the 2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final, Mansur and Vitiki rode in only four qualifiers in 2022-2023 season. They were invited to attend the Final, being held in Omaha, Nebraska, April 4-8. 

But even that road wasn’t completely smooth. Two weeks before the competition, Vitiki was rolling in his stall and cut his elbow with his shoe, which required five stitches. “I told my wife, ‘I’m out of the World Cup. What a shame,” Mansur recalled. But Vitiki had other ideas, and four days later, he was fine.

The nail-biting still wasn’t over. They arrived in Omaha, and the Friday before the competition, a dressage horse kicked Vitiki over the knee. He needed more stitches but recovered quickly. “He’s a fighter,” said Mansur of Vitiki, who still has four screws in his pastern.

World Cup Comeback
Yuri Mansur and Vitiki exit the arena after riding the second leg of the 2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final. They earned a sixth place for the class and fifth in the overall standings heading into the final leg.
© Amy K. Dragoo

In the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final I, the speed class on Wednesday night, Mansur and Vitiki jumped a clear round to finish in ninth. For Final II on Thursday night, they qualified for the jump-off. In the jump-off, they had the last rail down and finished in sixth. They go into tonight’s third and final round tied for fifth.

Despite the bleak prospects after the 2018 accident, with veterinarian care and Mansur’s faith that this special horse could do it, Vitiki has proved his doubters wrong.

Getting a little choked up sharing his story, Mansur concluded, “Being here, it’s a dream.” 

The 2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final III starts tonight at 6:15 p.m. CDT. To read reports from our coverage of the 2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final, click here.

Thanks to Weatherbeeta for our coverage of the 2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final, including rider interviews, competition reports, photos, videos and more!⁣

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FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final II Photo Gallery https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/competitions/world-cup/fei-jumping-world-cup-final-ii-photo-gallery/ Fri, 07 Apr 2023 16:16:38 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=19107 The stakes were higher Thursday night at the 2023 FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final as only 30 of the 40 competitors would punch their ticket to the next round of competition. The format of Final II competition was Table A with a jump-off, and nine of the 40 made it to the final test.

Germany’s Richard Vogel and United Touch S topped the leaderboard at the end of the jump-off, followed by Great Britain’s Harry Charles and Balou du Reventon, while Denmark’s Andreas Schou and Darc de Lux rounded out the top three.

U.S. competitors Devin Ryan, Hunter Holloway, Nicholas Dello Joio, Elisa Broz, Aaron Vale and McLain Ward made the top-30 cut to advance to the finale on Saturday.

The 2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final resumes Saturday, April 8, at 6:15 p.m. CT.

For the full results, click here.

For the full schedule, click here.

Thanks to ADM Animal Nutrition for our coverage of the 2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final, including rider interviews, competition reports, photos, videos and more!⁣

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Leaderboard Shake-Up at the FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final II https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/competitions/world-cup/leaderboard-shake-up-at-the-fei-jumping-world-cup-final-ii/ Fri, 07 Apr 2023 08:50:37 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=19101 Three new faces sat in the top spots of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final II. World Cup™ Final newcomer Richard Vogel (GER) won the competition with United Touch S. Harry Charles (GBR) and Balou du Reventon captured second. And Andreas Schou (DEN) and Darc de Lux claimed third.

In the race for the overall World Cup™ title, the leaderboard saw a mix-up in placings as well. Schou sits in the lead tied with Pius Schwizer (SUI) and Vancouver de Laniore. Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) and King Edward had a rail down in Final II to drop in the overall standings from first to third.

The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final is part of the 2023 FEI World Cup™ Finals, held at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska, April 4-8. The Finals include the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final. This is also the first time the Burlington Capital FEI Vaulting World Cup™ Final is being held in North America.

FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final II
Richard Vogel and United Touch S win the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final II.
© Amy K. Dragoo

The Course by the Numbers

The three-leg jumping final is a cumulative effort. Thursday night’s Final II consisted of a first round of 17 fences. Nine of the 40 starters in round one moved on to the eight-fence jump-off.

Riders commented that the lines in the Final II’s first round tested them to make sure their horses could move forward and back. The course, designed by Bernardo Costa Cabral, included a triple combination, a one-stride line, two liverpool fences and tight turns. The highest fences were 1.60 meters.

In the jump-off, five of the nine horse and rider combinations jumped clean. Three had four faults, and one had eight faults.

Vogel’s 11-year-old Westphalian United Touch S was one of four stallions who took the top spots in Final II. The pair left out strides in the first and last lines in the jump-off to the stop the clock in 35.11 seconds. Charles and Balou du Reventon, a 17-year-old OS stallion, jumped a clear round in 35.25 seconds. And Schou and Darc de Lux, a 12-year-old Holsteiner stallion, rode their clear round in 35.58 seconds.

Vogel: “Lost a Bit of Concentration”

Vogel said United Touch S was focused in Final II. “It’s a very difficult course for him because there’s a lot of short lines, and he has such a big stride. So he really needs to kind of put himself together, which he did,” Vogel said about Final II’s first round. He added that the stallion has “an enormous stride and an unbelievable scope.”

To help adjust United Touch’s stride, at home, Vogel explained one of his go-to exercises: “I like to do some canter poles or cavalletti and really try to leave a stride out and then add a stride and try to get the frequency of the stride higher. [I] try to get him as much as possible on his hind legs so it’s easier for him to shorten his stride and to balance.”

Though it’s Vogel’s first World Cup™ Final experience, he said that he is lucky because he does not usually get nervous. But he did lose focus in Final II’s first round. “I should have kept my concentration a bit more toward the end because on the second-to-last fence, I really let him shift to the right, and I touched even the standard with my right leg. I have to keep him more straight there. And I was a bit deep on the last fence, too. … I was so happy how he jumped and handled all the difficult parts so well—and then I kind of felt we were at home already.”

Harry Charles: “An Honor and a Privilege”

FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final II
Harry Charles (GBR) and Balou du Reventon placed second in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final II.
© Amy K. Dragoo

Harry Charles said he was pleased at improving his Final II performance over Final I’s. In that competition, he had one rail down. “I had a little malfunction yesterday. I lost my stirrup and caused us to lose a bit of balance and focus. So I made sure it wasn’t going to happen today, and I was 110% on it,” Charles said after Final II’s first round. However, he laughed at himself and admitted during the press conference that he lost his stirrup in the jump-off.

Of Final II’s ride, Charles said, “It felt pretty special. I’d say 90% of that is down to the horse himself. He’s just absolutely incredible and made that course feel like it was 1.20 meters to 1.40 meters, which it’s definitely not. I was really happy I could correct my mistakes from yesterday and give him the round he deserves.”

What did Charles do to inspire the change in his performance from Final I to Final II? “I just gave myself a kick up the ass last night and a talking to, to be honest. That was all it was.”

The partnership between Charles and Balou du Reventon is new. He started riding the stallion this year, and the World Cup™ Final is only their third five-star competition together. “Already, he’s definitely the best horse I’ve ever ridden,” Charles said. “He’s incredible. I believe one of the best horses in the world. It’s just an honor and a privilege to be able to have the opportunity to ride him in the first place.”

Though Balou is 17, Charles said he is more in the shape of a 10-year-old. “He’s really the easiest horse for us to have in the stable to work with. It’s the case in the morning, just get out and stretch his neck, stretch his legs, and he’ll take care of the rest. This one’s pretty special like that. Not all of them are like him.”

Andreas Schou: “Gave Me a Clear Round”

FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final II
Andreas Schou (DEN) and Darc de Lux placed third in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final II. They also are tied for first place in the overall standings after Final I and II.
© Amy K. Dragoo

Andreas Schou and Darc de Lux’s third-place finish in Final II helped propel them to the tie for the overall lead in the Final. The Danish rider gave the stallion all the credit for their placing in Final II, especially in the jump-off. Schou said after he saw Vogel’s jump-off ride, he knew he was going to need to give it his all because Darc de Lux is not a speed horse. But that ended up in a too-tight distance to the second-to-last fence.

“He was entirely honest, wasn’t he?” Schou said. “When I put so much pressure on him the canter, it gets difficult to handle. And when I turned, the first distance wasn’t there, and I had to add one. Luckily, he’s such a sharp and clever horse. … He was fighting us out of that and gave me the clear round.”

After Final I’s class, Schou described what Darc de Lux’s is like to ride. “He gives you so much confidence because he wants to do the best for you every time. He’s very kind.”

As far as what he’s like in the stables: “He’s, as a stallion, very, very sweet. But he’s too spoiled from my groom, Hannah. He loves to bite and be a little bit after you all the time, but it’s only because he gets so many sugars and apples all day.”

Pius Schwizer and Vancouver de Laniore, a 14-year-old Selle Français stallion, are tied with Schou and Darc de Lu for first in the overall race for the World Cup™ after Finals I and II. Schwizer finished both in fourth place.

FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final II
Pius Schwizer (SUI) and Vancouver de Lanlore earned fourth place in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final II. They are tied for first place in the overall standings after Final I and II.
© Amy K. Dragoo

How U.S. Riders Fared

Two U.S. riders qualified for Final II’s jump-off. Hunter Holloway (USA) and Pepita Con Spita, a 12-year-old Westphalian mare, had four faults in the jump-off to finish in seventh. Devin Ryan and Eddie Blue, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, also had four faults and a slower time to finish in eighth place.

Holloway is now tied for fifth place in the overall standings after two competitions. Devin is in a three-way tie for ninth place.

FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final II
Hunter Holloway (USA) and Pepita Con Spita were the highest-placed U.S. competitors in Final II in seventh. To the right is U.S. Team Coach Robert Ridland.
© Amy K. Dragoo

McLain Ward and the 15-year-old Holsteiner mare Callas incurred 13 penalties in Final II, which dropped them to 21st place in the overall standings. Ward said he thought the mare was tired. Aaron Vale and the 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding Prescott, had 12 faults.

Nicholas Dello Joio and the 11-year-old OS gelding Cornet’s Cambridge had a four-fault round in Final II. The remaining U.S. riders had 12 faults or more in that class.

Since the top 30 riders move on to the third leg of competition, for the U.S. riders, that will include: Holloway (5th), Ryan, (9th), Dello Joio (17th), Elisa Broz (25th), Aaron Vale (29th) and Ward (30th).

Brash and Deusser

Scott Brash (GBR) and Hello Jefferson, who were in second place in the overall standings coming into Final II, had 12 faults. The placing dropped them into a tie with Ryan for ninth place in the overall standings, along with Victoria Gulliksen (Norway) and Equine America Papa Roach, who finished in fifth place in Final II and a fault-free jump-off round. Daniel Deusser (GER) and Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z retired on course after a refusal.

The Competition Continues

The jumping competition resumes with Final III, which will crown the overall winner, at 7:15 p.m. CDT, Saturday, April 8, 2023.

For a full schedule, click here.

To read about the:

Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final I, click here.

Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ warm-up, click here.

First Horse Inspection, click here.

Thanks to Absorbine for our coverage of the 2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final, including rider interviews, competition reports, photos, videos and more!

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Practical Horseman Podcast: FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final I https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/podcast/practical-horseman-podcast-fei-jumping-world-cup-final-i/ Thu, 06 Apr 2023 18:31:20 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=19093

This week’s episode of the Practical Horseman Podcast, sponsored by ADM Animal Nutrition, comes to you from the 2023 FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final.

This is the second time the Finals have been held in Omaha, and they include the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final, the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final, and for the first time in North America, the Burlington Capital FEI Vaulting World Cup™ Final.

The Jumping World Cup™ Final consists of three days of jumping. For this podcast, we’re bringing you the audio from the press conference after Wednesday’s class. Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann and King Edward won the class, followed by Great Britain’s Scott Brash who placed second with Hello Jefferson, and Germany’s Daniel Deusser and Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z finished in third. Hunter Holloway is the highest placed U.S. rider, currently sitting in 8th place with Pepita con Spita.

Thanks to ADM Animal Nutrition for our coverage of the 2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final, including rider interviews, competition reports, photos, videos and more!⁣

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