Cancellation of the November Las Vegas qualifier for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League has led to new possibilities for the Marshall+Sterling Insurance/USHJA National Championships, which had been scheduled to run with the qualifier at the South Point Hotel and Casino.
Blenheim EquiSports, which got the rights for the qualifier through 2027, called off the competition due to “unforeseen circumstances.” When asked for specifics, Robert Ridland, president of Blenheim, said “I cannot comment at this time.”
The cancellation raised the question about what would happen to the USHJA championships, but that was quickly answered with word that the show will be produced by the Desert International Horse Park, led by Steve Hankin. Pat Boyle will continue as show manager.
Explaining his decision to become involved with the championships, Steve said, “We’re excited to put on a great event in Vegas and continue to help build up the sport. We’re two months out from the event and we want it to be successful. We’re going to put in a lot of energy and focus on the event and the sport and that’s what we care about.”
Showing in Vegas is a highlight of the year for those qualifying for the USHJA Championships.
Discussing working with Steve and Desert International Horse Park, USHJA President Britt McCormick commented, “Their expertise, coupled with Pat Boyle’s continued leadership, will elevate this year’s championships, allowing us to bring more opportunities to our competitors.”
Those include enabling the Nov. 11-17 fixture to accept additional participants and showcase key competitions in slots previously reserved for the international-level show jumping. The Western Conference Equitation Finals will be the highlight on Saturday night, while the IHSA/USHJA 3’3″ Hunter Seat Medal Final West is the feature for Sunday.
As for the World Cup qualifier situation left in question by the cancellation, the FEI is evaluating it and “will prepare a proposal on the way forward, taking into account the calendar, sport and commercial implications, which will be presented to the FEI Board for their final decision.”
The FEI stated, “We understand that this last-minute cancellation is unfortunate, and may impact those who have already made their plans to attend. We sincerely apologize to all stakeholders, including riders, officials, sponsors and fans, for any inconvenience caused, and are committed to ensuring a strong and successful series moving forward.”
Conor Swail won the Longines FEI qualifier in Las Vegas last year. (Andrew Ryback Photography)
Todd Hinde, the FEI director of jumping said, “We are deeply disappointed by the cancellation of the Las Vegas leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League. However, we respect the decision of the Organizing Committee and our priority now is to ensure the continued success of the series, providing top-level competition for athletes and fans across the remaining qualifiers.”
The final will be held in Basel, Switzerland next April.
Ridland has just returned from Paris, where he guided the Olympic show jumping team to its third consecutive silver medal under his direction as chef d’equipe. His contract for that position is up for renewal at the end of this year; such contracts in all the Olympic disciplines run with the Games quadrennium.
It has been a rough year for Blenheim EquiSports, which lost some dates for its shows due to water quality issues involving the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park it runs south of Los Angeles. For previous stories about the topic, click here and here.
