The Longines League of Nations show jumping is the kind of competition for which Ocala’s lavish World Equestrian Center was created.
Teams from 10 countries from three continents are being showcased at a setting offering the ultimate comfort for horses, in luxurious stables, and for their riders in a 5-star hotel that serves as the scenic backdrop for their rivalry in the ring.
World number one Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden called WEC “very, very special; not only that it looks nice, but the most important thing, the footing is good, the stabling is super.” Then he smiled and said in a masterpiece of understatement, “Nothing to complain of.”
When I asked whether he’d been to another venue with such amenities, he replied, “No, to be honest. I don’t think there’s another place like this. It’s unique.”
He is among eight of the globe’s top 10 show jumpers competing in what can be considered a preview for a smart assessment of this summer’s Paris Olympics.
Competition started Wednesday, with many riders entering the arena just to give their horses a look-see, rather than trying to win. In the final class of the day, for instance, a 1.40-meter two-phase, France’s Oliver Perreau went for it to take first prize with Calypso des Joanins Z. But he told me that is not his horse for the League of Nations, so he was able to go for it.
Five riders in the class retired, after giving their horses a chance to scope out the Grand Arena, where the featured event will be held on Saturday. It’s a two-round affair, with four riders from each side competing in the afternoon, giving every nation a drop score. In the evening, the second round over the same course will only be contested by three riders from each nation, tightening the contest because no drop score is available.
The first leg of this new format for the Nations Cup debuted last month in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The next two will be held in the Netherlands and Switzerland, with the eight best teams total advancing to an October final in Barcelona.
WEC, which has a four-year contract to host the League, has impressed everyone who is seeing the facility for the first time. The vast acreage, with restaurants that run from gourmet and Mexican to a patisserie, is also a construction zone (situated away from the competition arenas) with an event center under construction that will be ready next year. It also has its own veterinary hospital.
It’s a lot to take in and Todd Hinde, an Australian who is director of show jumping for the FEI (international equestrian federation) is captivated.
“From the moment I walked in the gate, I loved it,” he said, taking a break from preparing banners for the parade of nations that will precede the League competition.
“Having the amazing hotel in the background gives it that unique feeling. But also on the horse front, it’s a very horse-friendly facility. The horses love it. From the size of the boxes (stalls) to the hand-grazing areas to all the paths they can walk on, it’s an amazing property.” And he mentioned there is a “natural feel” to the surroundings, another aspect that makes it comfortable for the horses.
U.S. Coach Robert Ridland has brought his A-team—McLain Ward, Kent Farrington, Laura Kraut and Aaron Vale–to what he called, “an absolute first-class venue and facility.” But it true status lies in the fact that “it’s our home Nations Cup, and the home Nations Cup is always important. The caliber of jumping is going to be tremendous.”
As he noted, the U.S. squad has “collectively won, how many? Ten thousand grands prix together.”
While there is the Lugano Diamonds grand prix Thursday night, it will include national riders as well as international stars who brought extra horses. But the grand prix is not the star of this week’s show.
“The focus is on the Nations Cup, for sure. I think it’s the foundation of the sport,” said Robert, who rode in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.