by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 19, 2026
The remarkable black Rheinlander stallion Zonik Plus has set another personal best for his rider, Belgium’s Justin Verboomen, earning a stratospheric 91.855 percent in the Fontainebleu, France 5-star Dressage Grand Prix Freestyle this weekend.
One judge had the 10-year-old son of Zonik marked at 93.850 percent. The scores put runner-up Lottie Fry of Great Britain in the shade with Glamourdale, another black stallion, doing their usual Glamourdale Airlines routine.
The world champion, who will defend her title this August in Aachen, was marked at 88.225, although one judge did give her more than 90 percent, with a 90.150. Frederic Wandres of Germany finished third on Bluetooth Old with 81.085.
Justin, the number one-ranked dressage rider in the world, said “The setting at Fontainebleau is exceptional. I was really looking forward to taking Zonik out to compete outdoors again, because I feel that in this environment, he really wants to show off, to put on a show.
Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus.
“For our return to outdoor competition, we delivered the two finest tests of our career. (He received 83.500 for the Grand Prix.)
“I am truly delighted. Before the class, I stay completely focused and in my own bubble; however, once we leave the arena and during the prize-giving ceremony, it is incredibly gratifying to see so many people lining the ring.”
In the Grand Prix Special, Isabell Werth of Germany, the world’s most decorated dressage rider, was the winner with Wendy de Fontaine.
“I’m really happy with my mare this weekend, even though we still need to do a bit of work on the Special test.,” Isabell conceded after receiving a mark of 79.893 percent.
“The competition was exceptional: a mini-Paris 2024. I came to Fontainebleau two years ago and it was already amazing at the time. But the competition has really gone from strength to strength. I say this with a smile, but we’re really looking forward to a World Championship stage being held here.”
Isabell was part of the German team that won the Nations Cup earlier in the week, with Britain second and Belgium, led by Verboomen, third.
Second in the Special was Carl Hester of Great Britain with Fame.
“Today, I really felt my horse was with me,” he said.
“And we undoubtedly performed one of our best Grand Prix Special tests ever. The horse was relaxed, easy to ride and in good spirits. Since this was the first outdoor competition of the season,”
Click here for Freestyle results
Click here for the Special results
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 17, 2026
There’s a long way to go before the FEI World Championships this August in Aachen, but the candidates for the U.S. show jumping squad were announced today.
There are 10 riders on the short list, but plans call for prospects to compete over five different observation events in Europe.
Those on the list include Olympic silver medal teammates Laura Kraut, Karl Cook and McLain Ward, who has been out of action for a month due to a fall when his horse refused a fence in March.
As expected, Kent Farrington — winner of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final last weekend — is part of the group. He is ranked number two in the world and in March, won the $1 million Rolex US Open.
Katie Dinan, who appeared on the podium with Kent at the World Cup, where she placed third, is also on the list, along with Aaron Vale, seventh in the Cup and Lillie Keenan, who was tenth. Others named were Natalie Dean, Marilyn Little and Callie Schott.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 17, 2026
There was much speculation about why Great Britain’s multi-gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin dropped out of last weekend’s Zen Elite FEI World Cup Dressage Final after accepting a place for the contest in Fort Worth, Texas.
But the answer, revealed by Eurodressage, is that her mount, Alive and Kicking, was sold to five-time Olympian Kristy Oatley, who rides for Australia. The actual transaction was made to Rosalind Oatley, Kristy’s mother, and Bollmoor Partner GmbH & Co.
Charlotte was second with the mare at the London International Horse Show last December, and seemed a likely pick for the British team that will be competing in Aachen this summer at the FEI world championships. She discovered the Westfalian, now 12, as a four-year-old.
Alive and Kicking appeared to be the perfect comeback vehicle for Charlotte to resurrect her career after serving a year-long suspension for a whipping incident that left her open to a storm of criticism.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 14, 2026
You’ve seen top show jumpers, such as Laura Kraut and Jimmy Torano, wearing safety vests in competition. They believe the vests protect them in case of a fall — but research has been insufficient to determine the extent of the protection they provide.
This photo shows the built-in safety vest in Laura Kraut’s jacket.
To continue the research and arrive at a definitive answer, more funding is required. The U.S. Equestrian Federation now is putting $100,000 toward that procwess, part of its commitment to horse and rider welfare.
Although riding helmets have a standardized system for testing and rating products, there is far less standardization of rating safety vests. Many international ratings systems are based on motorcycle vests, which may not be absorbing the same kinds of impact as equestrian safety vests.
The research effort will have an academic partner to establish testing standards, then test existing products against those standards, similar to the helmet ratings work that took place at Virginia Tech. The unknown aspects of safety vest protection don’t mean that equestrians shouldn’t be wearing them, but it does mean there’s a gap in the understanding of their strength and limitations.
Noting that fall injuries can be catastrophic on relatively rare occasions, Dr. Mark Hart, chair of the FEI Equestrian Safety Vest Working Group and former chair of the US Equestrian Human and Equine Safety & Welfare Committee, said. “We feel it’s our duty as an organization to take a leadership role to evaluate and improve riders’ personal protective equipment. A lot of our USEF members have been requesting that this research be done to enhance rider safety.”
Funding for the project also is coming from a number of national and international governing bodies and affiliates, as well as private donors.
USEF also is directing another $100,000 to the Chromatic Fund, in addition to the $100,000 already allocated to research projects beginning in 2026.
This year marks the first series of projects made possible by the fFund, a collaboration with the American Association of Equine Practitioners; Chromatic BF’s breeder, KC Branscomb, and The Foundation for the Horse. The first year’s projects include a study on the effects of vitamin E supplementation on vitamin K in healthy horses, and another examining the safety of high-dose versus repeated low-dose steroid use.
The fund was started in memory of a show jumper who died after being administered a cocktail of several pharmaceuticals after a competition at the 2024 Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Finals in Saudi Arabia.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 12, 2026
After victories in the first and second legs of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final, it seemed practically inevitable that the USA’s Kent Farrington would win the annual indoor championship for the first time.
He had planned carefully, using Toulayna in the initial speed leg, then switching to a very ready Greya for the last two days.
His approach gave him a four-penalty lead over Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat, who was going for a record fourth Cup victory,. Naturally, the crowd in Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena was cheering Kent on. But nothing is ever for sure in show jumping until the last finish line is crossed, and Kent suffered that truth again.
Kent and Greya at the Longines triple.
In the first leg of Sunday’s two-round finale competition, a delicate plank on the Longines oxer slid off the cups after a mere brush from the hooves of magical mare Greya. But while Steve had a rail down with Albfuehrens Iashin Sitte, Daniel Deusser of Germany, the 2014 Cup champ, was fault-free on the 12-year-old stallion, Otello de Guldenboom, bringing his final total to seven penalties.. That development gave Kent only a three-penalty lead. He knew all too well it was not enough. If he had another four-fault rail in the second round ,and Daniel was penalty-free again, the world number two-ranked rider would lose the prize he had dreamed of since his childhood.
Meanwhile, another U.S. stalwart, Katie Dinan, was climbing up the ranks. She produced two clean rounds on Out of the Blue SCF, the only American-bred horse in the competition, having come from Spy Coast Farm in Kentucky. Katie was the highest-placed U.S. rider last year at the Cup final in Basel, and was close to reaching the same distinction this time.
Daniel noted his horse “really tried his heart out. The last couple of months, I had very consistent results. Of course, my expectations were high, that’s why I’m coming here.”
However, he added, “I didn’t really think about winning because I know everything was very close together and we had very strong combinations here. But you always dream a little bit, of course.”
Katie, who finished on 9 penalties, also had praise for her mare.
Katie Dinan and Out of the Blue SCF
“I’m in awe of my horse. She was spectacular every day I owe everything to her,” said Kate, whose trainer, Beat Maendli, won the Cup himself in 2007.
But neither rival was able to deny Kent realization of his lifelong dream.
“From a little kid, I’ve always put a lot of pressure on myself, and at a certain point, there’s no more pressure to put on,” Kent noted, explaining how he stays cool in situations that would rattle others.
So he turned in a perfect trip over a second course, beautifully designed by Anderson Lima. As soon as Greya cleared the last fence, Kent collapsed with relief and gratitude onto her neck as the crowd erupted in cheers. Then he took off his helmet, raised his arm in triumph and smiled very wide indeed, acknowledging the fans who saluted him.
After clinching the Cup title, Kent put his head on Greya’s neck in relief and gratifude.
Daniel was second and Katie third, but Kent was the one who got to hold up the iconic trophy, which has been awarded since 1979.
“These guys made me work very hard today,” said Kent with a smile for his former competitors at the post-competition press conference.
Kent triumphantly holds the World Cup trophy aloft while on the podium with second-place Daniel Deusser and third-place Katie Dinan.
Despite the pressure, he was not shaken and just did what he does best.
“I’m very confident in my horse. I was hoping she would perform like she did, and she delivered.,” he pointed out.
“She’s really a super-star athlete.”
He also praised Toulayna, noting she was a big part of his victory also.
Although Kent has had a career studded with meaningful victories — from an Olympic team silver to the $1 million Rolex US Open grand prix last month, the Cup has special significance for the rider.
While he wasn’t able to attend high-end equestrian competition in person, his family had cassette tapes of the World Cup Finals, and that was what he watched; over and over — until the tapes were destroyed from being used so much.
“I would study all the riders and pretend I could ride like them,” said the first U.S. winner wince 2018.
“To be winning today is really special for me, and I’m really proud to have my name on the trophy.”
click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 12, 2026
That wasn’t “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” that they were playing during the award ceremonies of the Zen Elite FEI World Cup Dressage Finals Saturday night.
Same tune, different song.
It was God Save the King, Britain’s anthem in honor of winner Becky Moody at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, after she earned a Personal Best on her homebred Jaegerbomb to top the standings with 88.330 percent. The judge at H even had her at a whopping 90.325.
“This is pretty crazy,” Becky observed with delight, bubbling after the victory pass on her homebred star, who danced to a medley of Beatles tunes.
“Such a cool competition. The crowd in there were absolutely flipping out,” Becky observed.
She had fulfilled her ambition in the Lone Star State. When an interviewer earlier in the week had asked about her goal for the show, Becky replied, “I would like a PB in my freestyle.”
Becky and Jaegerbomb stepping out.
The fans were enthusiastic not only about the victor, but also the other riders on the podium, and frankly, everyone in the 16-horse competition who entertained the approximately 8,000 spectators with their routines. You might not have expected that reaction from people living in a city nicknamed Cowtown, but they were really into what they were seeing.
Near and dear to most of those in the seats was, of course, the American, Christian Simonson, also scoring a PB with his beloved Indian Rock, marked at 83.810. The stallion, known as Rocky, appropriately performed to music from the Rocky movies, with the crowd going wild as soon as they heard the first famous “da-da dum, da-dadum” notes of the music.
The crowd stood to salute Christian Simonson and Rocky.
“This whole week has been a childhood dream come true” said Christian. It happened sooner rather than later; he’s only 23 and still eligible for U25 competition, even as he’s moved forward to become the highest-ranked American on the international roster, in twelfth place.
He got a standing ovation as he rode out of the ring..
“Seeing this wall of people standing up and applauding Rocky” he said, was something “I’ll never forget.”
He was overcome with emotion while recounting his Texas experience, calling it “surreal.”
Christian and Rocky.
Third place went to Sandra Sysojeva of Poland on her precocious 10-year-old black Oldenburg mare, Maxima Bella, of the metronome piaffe and “can-do” attitude. She rode to the same music that accompanied her freestyle at the Paris Olympics, with a mention of Texas slipped in for the occasion.
“I’m really very proud of her, she’s still young really really getting a lot of experience doing shows like this. And I’m really proud to be here,” Sandra said, noting it was her first time in the U.S.
Sandra Sysojeva and Maxima Bella.
Impressed by the talent that had surrounded her on the podium, Becky said firmly, “I think all our horses are complete and utter diamonds.”
A fourth horse also was awarded more than 80 percent. That was 2024 Cup winner Touchdown, ridden by Patrick Kittel of Sweden to a mark of 80.260.
Several other starters were especially worthy of note. Pan American Games individual gold medalist Julio Mendoza Loor was sixth with 78.645 percent on Jewel’s Goldstrike, the Dutchbred he purchased for $20 because he wasn’t a good match for the horse’s previous owner. The rider, representing Ecuador, is based in North Carolina.
And Morgan Barbancon of France got a standing ovation for her 20-year-old mount, Sir Donnerhall II, because it was the last show for the Oldenburg stallion before he retires to stud duty and a life of pleasure riding. He was marked at 72.460 to finish thirteenth.
The podium group with organizer Derek Braun of Split Rock, Zen Elite’s Heidi Humphries, FEI President Ingmar DeVos and Christof Umbach, president of the ground jury.
click here for freestyle results
The show draws to a close Sunday with the two-round finale of the jumping. Horses were inspected Saturday afternoon to insure their fitness to compete. After two rounds, the lead is held by Kent Farrington, who will be aboard the sensational Greya.
Greya at the trot-up with groom Denise Moriarty.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 11, 2026
Could the eighth time be the charm?
Kent Farrington had competed in seven FEI World Cup Show Jumping finals before coming to Fort Worth, Texas this week to try again for his first title in the annual indoor championship. The look of intense determination on his face as he sped over the fences at Dickies Arena matched his results so far — he’s two for two.
After winning the first speed leg on Thursday on Toulayna, he came back Friday with the brilliant Greya, seemingly his perfect equine match, to dominate the 34-entry competition yet another time. In the seven-horse jump-off, the world number two-ranked rider finished more than half a second ahead of the runner-up, three-time Olympian Eikan Sato of Japan on Chadellano JRA in his first World Cup appearance.
Eikan Sato of Japan and Chadellano JRA
Kent didn’t have to do anything drastic to gain his edge.
“I just did her normal round, and her normal round, I thought, would be fast enough for the class,” said Kent who, of course, was right.
“I’m just excited to be here with a chance to win,” Kent said.
In the overall standings going into Sunday’s two-round finale for the top 30 riders, Kent is on 0 penalties, 4 ahead of Steve Guerdat of Switzerland, who is seeking a record fourth Cup title. But Steve was running behind after toppling a rail in the tiebreaker, where he wound up fifth on Albfuehren’s Iashin Sitte.
Kent enjoys a precious gem in Greya, a 12-year-old Oldenburg mare he understandably treasures.
Kent Farrington and Greya.
“I’m really thinking about the final on Sunday, so I was trying to measure her efforts and measure my speed to put myself in the best position possible. And then hopefully, we have some luck on Sunday.”
He didn’t want Greya to be stressed by coming back into the arena for the presentation, so he borrowed Skylar Wireman’s Tornado for that appearance. The crowd would have noticed Tornado was a bay and no look-alike for the winner, but they cheered Kent with great fervor nonetheless.
While the U.S. dominated the top six with three riders besides Kent in the Thursday opener, the next best American in Friday’s class was Katie Dinan, coming in seventh after dropping two rails on the Anderson Lima-designed course with Out of the Blue SCF.
Jacob Pope was having a terrific round with Highway FBH until he had 4 faults at the final fence to drop him from fifth to eighth overall, tying with Katie on nine penalties.
It could have been worse. The last fence was a disaster for European Champion Richie Vogel on Gangster Montdesir, who crashed through the oxer, leaving his rider on the ground — but not before he had crossed the finish line after clinging to his mount’s neck for precious moments.
Happily, the world number three-ranked rider escaped Gangster’s hooves and was able to hop up and head toward his mount, who was running loose. The incident at that oxer was charged merely as a 4-penalty knockdown to bring Richie’s total for the class to eight penalties, putting him in twenty-third place.
Richie Vogel clung to his horse’s neck while crossing the finish line, escaping elimination.
Going into Sunday, Richi is in a three-way tie for seventeenth overall with 18 penalties.
Eiken hasn’t had it easy in qualifying for the Cup, because he had to do it in highly competitive Europe, since Japan has no indoor shows.
The rider’s Olympic experience showed in his masterful rides with his 15-year-old Chacco Blue gelding.
“I’m really happy about second place,” said Eiken, noting at the post-competition press conference that he was sitting next to “the best rider in the world.”
Of Chadellano, Eiken noted with a smile, “He’s a really good horse and I’ve had four years with him. He’s really fit this year and I’m really happy with how my horse jumped.”
Kevin Staut, a Frenchman who is a former European champion and now ranked thirtieth in the world, was grateful to have the chance to compete with Visconti du Telman, finishing third in 35.79 seconds in the jump-off and now is standing third overall on six penalties. one better than Eikan.
Discussing his trip in the tie-breaker, Kevin said, “I have a 17-year-old mare. She’s jumping wonderfully, but she’s not that fast, honestly. There were some riders that had some faults in the jump-off, so I just went in trying to do a normal round.”
Kevin appreciates the work that has gone into making the Fort Worth show run, and organizer Derek Braun was in the room to hear what Kevin had to say about the first Cup final ever organized in Texas.
Kevin Staut and Visconti du Telman.
“It’s not so easy to find the energy to organize this type of final,” Kevin observed, noting, “as riders, we sometimes complain because we want the best, but we also have to say thank you and recognize when the organization is perfect. The stables are wonderful, the horses are great, the grooms are happy, — so thank you.”
Click here for results of Friday’s class.
Click this link for standings after two rounds.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 10, 2026
“Love your outfit!” someone in the lively crowd at the Zen Elite FEI World Dressage Cup Final yelled to Becky Moody, all a-twinkle in sparkly gold glitter across her helmet and brown tail coat on Thursday night.
The British star was definitely a favorite, and she delivered for her fans with her homebred Jaegerbomb, earning 76.761 percent to top a 16-horse field at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
“It was an amazing crowd, they were so enthusiastic,” Becky commented.
A sparkly Becky Moody and her Jaegerbomb.
And ham that he is, Jaegerbomb appreciated the appreciation.
“It was really cool for him because he loves that as well, the more people cheer, the better he is.”
Although the top four-ranked international dressage riders declined to make the trip to the Lone Star State, Becky, who is number five, wanted to see how her 12-year-old Dutchbred gelding would handle flying across the ocean.
“He was amazing traveling,” Becky said, joy infusing her voice, as it often does.
“He came off the transport here quite nice and pingy. He has been super cool to work with all week,” she continued.
“He felt really good today. I had that nice balance of energy with relaxation. I say he’s not exceptional at anything but he’s really good at everything. He’s just a joy to ride in an arena like that.”
Finishing a close second was 23-year-old Christian Simonson, earning 75.413 percent with Indian Rock.
Christian Simonson and Indian Rock.
Christian’s first World Cup was double special, because his sponsor Zen Elite Equestrian, is also the sponsor of the competition.
Rocky, as the Dutchbred stallion is known, was in perfect sync with his rider.
“He was amazing tonight. He’s a horse that is just so dependable. I love him so much,” said Christian, who kissed his horse on the neck after the final salute.
Christian Simonson had a kiss for Indian Rock.
“We have a good bond together,” the rider emphasized. He loved the fact that as he circled the arena, he could hear the spectators chanting and yelling encouragement.
“The crowd really was fabulous,” noted Christian, the USA’s highest ranked dressage competitor at number 12 in the standings .
Patrik Kittel brought his 2024 Cup champion, Touchdown, and earned a third-place finish with 72.869 percent on the Swedish warmblood gelding.
“It’s been a fantastic night. Normally, i don’t smile when I go around the ring,” he revealed but then someone yelled “We love you Patrik.” That got the Swede smiling “from ear to ear, even before I started.”
He added, it’s just nice to see the people in the audience getting into the game.
A delighted Patrik Kittel thanks Touchdown for a fun ride.
“We want to present our horses that we work with every day, that we love every day, that we train with every day for this audience when they can take in what we give. That’s the best feeling, the horses enjoy it so much. You can really feel it. It’s a pleasure to be in the horse sport.
click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 9, 2026
It wasn’t a shocker when Kent Farrington headed to the top of the leaderboard — and stayed there — in the opening leg of Thursday’s FEI World Cup Show Jumping Final in Fort Worth, Texas.
Ranked number two in the world (number one, Scott Brash of Great Britain isn’t competing) Kent was clocked in 62.03 seconds over the one-round speed course with Toulayna, a 12-year-old Zangerheide mare he describes as versatile, reliable and naturally fast.
Kent enjoys his triumph.
“I’m pretty confident on this horse to do what I want to do,” the winner said, noting he wasn’t looking at what the 14 riders before him had done, or worrying about what the 19 yet to come after him would do.
Germany’s Daniel Deusser, a former World Cup champion, was just a stride or so off the pace in 62.21 seconds with Otello de Guldenboom, a 12-year-old Belgian warmblood stallion.
“My horse has a big stride. He’s not the fastest horse,” Daniel said, noting his approach involved seeking a smooth round over the route designed by Anderson Lima.
Daniel Deusser and Otello de Guldenboom.
Steve Guerdat of Switzerland, seeking to become the first person to win four Cup finals, was right behind in 62.49 seconds on Albfuehren’s Iashin Sitte, to stand third. He was hoping to have a top five finish, so third is a good spot. But as he noted, there are “still a lot of things to do,” observing that there are two strong riders ahead of him “and a lot of strong ones behind.”
After the class it was selfie time for Daniel Deusser, Kent Farrington and Steve Guerdat.
Ironically, Kent actually didn’t have the fastest round in real time. That belonged to fellow U.S. rider Lillie Keenan with the aptly named Kick On, clocked in 60.78 seconds as she started out with her foot on the gas pedal and never let up.
However, a rail down at 7A, the first fence of the second double, added a 3-second penalty to her time under the formula for the class, putting her fourth.
She was a late addition to the line-up when her mentor, McLain Ward, withdrew, still suffering the after-effects of a bad fall he took when a horse refused with him last month. He is on hand to coach Lillie.
Overall, it was a strong showing for team USA. Jacob Pope was fifth on Highway FBH in 63.89 seconds, while Aaron Vale, in the unenviable position of being first to go, stands sixth with a clean performance on Carissimo 25 (64.32 seconds). Lillie was the only one of the top eight to have a knockdown.
“I don’t remember when we had four in the top six on the first day,” said a delighted U.S. coach, Robert Ridland.
He commended Aaron for sticking to his plan as the first rider in the class.
“It didn’t surprise me. He knew his plan and it probably wasn’t going to change if he went first or thirtieth. When everybody sees the start being positive, it helps everybody.”
He knows the key to success in the final standings means, “Don’t lay it all on the table on the first day. If you want to be in the game. Ideally, you want to be in the top10 and go from there. And that’s what happened.”
Kent will switch mounts for Friday’s class to Greya, the mare on whom he won the $1 million Rolex US Open grand prix last month and the Winter Equestrian Festival.
Click here for results
Riders’ positions in the order of go were determined by an unusual draw during a Wednesday party at Sundance Square (sponsor of the Cup show jumping final) in the heart of downtown Ft. Worth.
Derek Braun, the founder of the Split Rock tour that is presenting the finals, picked out hollow balls from fish bowls. Each contained a piece of paper with the name of a rider, who proceeded to come to the stage and select a cowboy boot (the evening was sponsored by Tony Lama boots) from a lineup of varied styles. The boots each had a number on the sole and that is how the riders learned where they would ride in the line-up.
Many of the riders, male and female, sported brand new cowboy hats that some styled to their own taste. Martin Fuchs, for instance, accessorized his with a jaunty feather. Katie Dinan wore a dress with a horse pattern topped off with a black hat. Kent Farrington went the opposite way; no hat, a white T-shirt and a jacket with jeans.
Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs shows Derek Braun of Split Rock the number he got at the draw party. (Photo © 2026 by Nancy Jaffer)
If you’re in the area and want to attend the show –the second round of jumping is Friday night, the dressage freestyle is Saturday night and the jumping finale Sunday afternoon — single-session tickets are available starting at $35. There are special pricing and package opportunities available for groups of nine or more. To purchase, contact Sydney at GroupSales@DickiesArena.com. Full ticket information is available online at https://www.fortworth2026.com/tickets, For more information, click here.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 8, 2026
I’ve been to all 11 FEI World Cup show jumping finals held in the U.S. since 1980, and look forward to adding number 12 this week in Fort Worth, Texas. And I also attended the first FEI World Cup Dressage Finals staged Stateside in 1995, when it was in Los Angeles (which will be the scene of the Olympics in two years.)
This website will be covering competition every day in both the dressage and show jumping Cup finals, which begin on Thursday.
Fort Worth, the eleventh-largest city in the country, will make a special mark with its own style on those attending the Longines FEI Show Jumping World Cup and Zen Elite FEI Dressage World Cup April 8-12. From the stockyards and the twice-daily Longhorn cattle drives, to the famous honky tonk, Billy Bob’s, it’s easy to be impressed. And that’s without even mentioning all the down-home barbeque you can eat.
The Texas debut of the Cups will offer a new look for competitors and spectators while imbuing the occasion with the spirit of the true west. It will be a special treat for those coming from overseas. Bet they’ll buy lots of cowboy boots.
My anticipation, however, is not just because it’s a unique location. It’s always great competition, and a chance for fans in the U.S. to see their international favorites in person without leaving the country. On Wednesday, both the dressage riders and show jumpers had a chance to get in the arena so their horses could get a look-see when there isn’t a crowd.
Spectators arrive on Thursday, and the home side will have more to cheer for with another American added to the lineup for the dressage finals, bringing the total number of U.S. competitors in that championship to three.
Ben Ebeling and Bellena, who did not qualify on points for a slot in the competition, are replacing a drop-out and will be joining Christian Simonson, the top-ranked U.S. dressage rider, twelfth in the world with Indian Rock, and Kevin Kohmann with Dünensee.
Christian Simonson and Indian Rock getting familiar with the arena at the World Cup Wednesday.
The other North American representative, Canadian Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu, won’t be coming due to a mishap involving her horse, Jaccardo.
“Unfortunately, Jaccardo got cast in his stall earlier this week and isn’t quite comfortable enough to perform at his best, so we’ve made the decision to withdraw from the World Cup Final.
“While it’s disappointing to miss such a special event, his health and long term well-being always come first,” Brittany said. She would have been the first Canadian in 13 years to have competed in the Cup final.
Carina Cassøe Kruth of Denmark also won’t be coming with Heiline’s Danciera because of an issue with travel documentation.
Key riders who chose not to aim for the dressage final include world number one Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour of Denmark; number two, Justin Verboomen of Belgium, Germany’s Isabell Werth, number three and the defending champion, Lottie Fry of Great Britain. Charlotte Dujardin, also of Great Britain, dropped out after getting a spot but did not give a reason.
With the world championships in both dressage and show jumping set for August in Germany, that is a priority for riders who want to save their horses and not run the risk of crossing the Atlantic while focusing on another show before the biggest competition of the year.
Show jumping’s indoor championship always has been an international high-point in the season. The far-flung venues that hosted the competition in the years following its 1979 inception in Sweden have been located in Asia and the Middle East, as well as Europe and the U.S.
The line-up from abroad for the jumping includes European Champion Richie Vogel of Germany, world number three; Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat, the 2012 Olympic individual gold medalist, and his countryman Martin Fuchs, a former Cup winner, as well as Germany’s Daniel Deusser, another former Cup champion.
It isn’t called the World Cup for nothing–competitors come from a wide range of countries, such as Turkey, the home Necmi Eren riding PSS Levilensky.
The USA’s McLain Ward, who took the title in 2014, 2017 and 2022, told me last year that the 2026 Cup is a priority for him. But after a fall last month that forced him to sit out the Rolex US Open in Wellington, he won’t be competing. His place has been taken by his protege, Lillie Keenan, with Kick On.
In addition to the usual countries fielding riders, the Cup has an eclectic mix of nations not as frequently seen in show jumping. They include Uzbekistan, Georgia (the country, not the state) and Turkey.
No U.S. city has been named as a possible site for the Cup going forward, so the country’s hosting reputation hangs on Fort Worth for the foreseeable future.
In addition to Richie, the show jumpers in the top 10 who are in Fort Worth are world number two Kent Farrington and Laura Kraut, number 10, both of the USA. Other U.S. riders besides those two and Lillie are Aaron Vale; Katie Dinan, the top-placed American in the 2025 Cup, and Kaitlin Campbell, another regular on the U.S. team.
Fresh off his $1 million grand prix win, Kent Farrington brought Toulayna (seen here during the ring familiarization) and Greya to try winning his first World Cup finals.
The younger generation on the U.S. side will be represented by Mimi Gochman, Skylar Wireman and Jacob Pope.
Single-session tickets are available starting at $35, but there are special pricing and package opportunities available for groups of nine or more. To purchase, contact Sydney at GroupSales@DickiesArena.com. Full ticket information is available online at https://www.fortworth2026.com/tickets, For more information, click here.
