by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 27, 2025
Boyd Martin stood second with Commando 3 going into the show jumping finale at the Defender Kentucky 5-star three-day event on Sunday. The highest-ranked American in the competition knew he had just two chances — slim and none — of defeating the leader, Olympic champion Michael Jung on fischerChipmunk.
After a fault-free effort in the Rolex Arena, all Boyd could do was watch the leader’s ride and wait. His only hope, he recounted with his typical wry sense of humor, was that Michael either “had too much bourbon” at a club on Saturday night or “maybe he goes off course.”
But other than that, “I was just hoping for second place,” Boyd said. And that’s where he wound up, with 32.8 penalties, as the U.S. national 5-star champion for the third time in his career. He also was sixth with his Olympic mount, Federman B (40.6) and seventh on Luke 140 (44.7).
Following Saturday’s cross-country at the Kentucky Horse Park, where Michi picked up just 2.4 time penalties and Boyd logged 6.8, the gap between them widened from 7.4 penalties following dressage to 11.8. That meant Michi could knock down two fences in show jumping and collect time penalties before his lead was gone.
So when the German rider had a rail at the vertical obstacle that was just the third of 13 jumps on the Steve Stephens-designed course, the crowd of 11,000 gasped.
Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk on their way to victory. (U.S. Eventing Association photo)
As usual, however, Michi stayed cool.
Recounting his trip around the course, he said, “I start the round a little bit with a nice forward rhythm. I had a pole down very early; I said `okay…we had a long way, many jumps to do.’ I tried to give him a bit more balance.
“He’s jumping great. I tried to do seven strides into the last combination to get him a bit more on the hind leg and slow down a little bit, because it’s a big horse and just (on) the way to the entrance at the end of the course, he’s sometimes a little bit too much forward. It went well.”
That means he picked up the $123,000 winner’s share of the prize money.
Expressing his appreciation for the Kentucky Horse Park, Michi said, “I always had a lot of luck here. Without luck, you win nothing.”
His total was 25 penalties, nearly five more than when he set a record winning the event in 2022, but he still was a wire-to-wire winner, as they say at the racetrack.
In his first appearance at the park in 2015 before he became a legend, Michi won the world championship. Since then, he has collected three Olympic individual gold medals, most recently in Paris last year. His victory this weekend set a record as his fifth in the 5-star event. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who presented the trophy, told Michi, “If you win this one more time, you have to move to Kentucky.”
That might be okay with the champion.
“This place is amazing, so many big fields. I really like this place,” he said.
Finishing third with a clean trip on Et Hop du Matz (34.2 penalties) was Great Britain’s Harry Meade, who also was fourth with Graffenacht (39.6) after toppling a rail and collecting 0.4 time penalties. On cross-country, he was the lone rider to make the tight optimum time, doing it not just once, but on both his horses.
Harry Meade and Et Hop du Matz. (Amy Dragoo photo)
That means he was the only rider to finish on his dressage score. He had moved up with Et Hop du Matz from being seventeenth in the first phase on 34.2 penalties. He was thrilled with his results and his experience in the Blue Grass.
Events such as Kentucky offer “a motivation for these big moments,” said Harry.
“There’s very few places like this that make the hairs on your neck stand up and this is one of them,” he noted.
Three great riders: Boyd Martin, Michael Jung and Harry Meade.
Michi never fails to graciously mention his gratitude to Chipmunk’s sponsor, the fischer group, and his family, with his parents and wife on hand to support him, as well as thanking his team that keeps everything running.
And even at age 17, Chipmunk is running just fine. While Michi doesn’t plan on taking him to Britain’s Badminton 5-star in 10 days time (said with a smile), he notes the horse “is looking super-strong…better and better and better.”
Chipmunk has a good share of thoroughbred blood from Heraldik, his dam sire, which is a big help in keeping him fit.
The big question is whether he can do the world championships at home in Aachen, Germany, next year.
“At the moment,” said Michi, “he has a really great feeling. You can feel that the horse is really motivated (in) what he’s doing.”
How long can he go?
“ Hopefully, a few more years,” the rider maintained.
Boyd called Michi “an inspiration to my riding,” noting he has even tried to copy him.
“I’ve never seen a rider who is so good in all three phases,” he pointed out.
Boyd Martin and Commando 3. (U.S. Eventing Association photo)
For his part, Boyd appreciates the “freakishly talented animals” he rides, saying he was (understandably) “very, very pleased” with his three mounts.
Boyd’s wife, Silva Martin, and their sons supported their main man from the ringside kiss-and-cry stand.
He had questioned whether Commando (known as Connor at the barn) had the “guts and the heart to get through an epic competition like this.
“After going through this event, i think he could be a career-changing horse. He’s beautifully bred with plenty of thoroughbred and he’s strong in all phases. So I think this is just the beginning.”
Boyd added, however, that the Holsteiner “hasn’t been the easiest horse to ride”
At the same time, “He’s got amazing quality; I knew right from the get-go he was a special horse. It’s taken me a fair bit of time to get there, but he’s arrived now.”
click here for 5-star results
In the Cosequin 4-star Short that runs concurrently with the 5-star, Will Coleman won for the second year in a row. Riding Off the Record, he, like Michi, was a wire-to-wire victor.
A rail down in the show jumping made his 33-penalty score perilously close to Phillip Dutton’s runner-up, Possante, on 33.9, but close doesn’t count.
Will Coleman collected his second trophy in a row in the 4-star Short.
“I did hear the rail fall,” recalled Will, “and I said, ‘`Now I really have to think about my clock.’ I hustled a little bit.”
Timmy, as the16-year-old Irishbred gelding by Arkansas is called at home, was up to the task.
“The truth is, the horse has gotten this far in the sport with grit and determination and just try. He showed all those things to come home with no more penalties and keep us out in front. I’m just happy for the horse that I didn’t let him down,” said Will.
He mentioned how much he appreciated the course designed by Steve Stephens.”It’s important that every day matters at a three-day event. The show jumping designer has a lot to do with finishing off on a good note.
“I thought he set a really great test.”
Will didn’t have the best year in 2024, missing out on the Olympics when his horses had some issues. So he relished the way things went in Kentucky and was so relaxed he even took a nap before the show jumping.
Will got support from the enthusiastic fans at the Rolex Arena.
“I thought it was an exciting day. I really just enjoyed the whole weekend,” he said with a smile.
click here for the 4-star results
Meanwhile, in Saturday night’s $400,000 Split Rock Jumping Tour Kentucky International grand prix, first-to-go Kent Farrington issued a challenge none of the others in the nine-horse jump-off could match.
The world number two-ranked rider and his ever-improving Greya set an unmatchable mark of 42.930 seconds that forced a few of his rivals to make risky turns that paid off in refusals. Second place went to Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam on James Kann Cruz in 45 seconds, followed by whiz kid Mimi Gochman in 46.060 on Inclen BH.
Kent, a U.S. Olympic medalist who also was the alternate in Paris last year, said of his mare, “She’s incredibly fast, super careful and a fighter. She’s a real winner in her heart and an incredible horse.” He believes that her assets make her “the quintessential modern show jumper.”
The grand prix was a 5-star for the first time at the park.
Click here for grand prix results
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 26, 2025
Hard to believe, but German superstar Michael Jung fell just short of perfection on the cross-country course at the Defender Kentucky 5-star three-day event Saturday afternoon.
The Olympic multi-gold medalist and the superlative fischerChipmunk FRH finished 2.4 seconds over the 11-minute, 20-second optimum time along the marvelous route that Derek di Grazia designed at the Kentucky Horse Park. They stand on a mere 21 penalties going into Sunday’s show jumping finale.
“It was a bit of hard work,” Michi reported matter-of-factly about his trip, but then, there was no reason for him to rush.
Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk. (Amy Dragoo photo)
The comfortable 7.4 penalty lead he held over the USA’s Boyd Martin on Commando 3 after day two of dressage Friday had expanded to 11.8 penalties, giving him breathing room to knock down two rails and collect a few time penalties, if necessary, in Sunday’s show jumping finale. Under that scenario, he would still win his record fifth Kentucky 5-star, no matter how Boyd fared.
Michi was effusive in praising fisherChipmunk, calling the 17-year-old Hanoverian “an amazing horse,” and who could argue with that?
“He’s super to ride in the dressage, super calm. If you go to the cross-country, he’s full of energy,” said Michi about the son of Contendro I.
“He has very big strides, he’s very honest, he’s very well with me, I really can trust him.”
Michi conceded the horse “felt a bit tired some places” on cross-country, “so I give him a bit of time.”
It wasn’t a big break, but Michi was aware of exactly where he could offer some breathing room.
“I know I was behind the (optimum) time, but he was really, really good galloping to the end of the course,” he commented.
One would be tempted to think that if Michi couldn’t make the time, no one could. But Great Britain’s Harry Meade managed to do it – twice! Harry is third on Et Hop du Matz “who gave me a peach of a ride” that kept him on 34.2 penalties, moving up from seventeenth place after dressage. He is also fourth on Graffenacht, William Fox-Pitt’s former mount, who was eighteenth after dressage but added nothing to her 35.2 penalties as she traveled around the scenic course.
Harry Meade and Graffenacht.
Harry conceded he “doesn’t know her at all” and didn’t have a proper cross-country school on the mare before crossing the Atlantic ocean “so I was coming in here a bit blind. I was actually questioning as to whether I’d run her as of 11:30 this morning. Then I thought I’d just start out and see how she was.”
So how was she?
“She was magic,” he enthused.
He basked in the glow of the day and the way his horses went. The rider offered them an opportunity to slice a few instants here and a few there off their time, even though he wisely made a last-minute decision to take the long way out of the Head of the Lake with Graffenacht. But he couldn’t have asked more from either mount.
“I love these two,” said Harry. He’s the son of the late legendary British team eventer, Richard Meade, who won three Olympic gold medals.
Boyd, whose energy never seems to flag, rode three horses. He is seventh on Federman B (40.2 penalties) and ninth on Luke 140 (44.7) in addition to being second on 32.38 penalties with the 12-year-old Commando 3 (known around the barn as Connor).
Riding three horses on a challenging course is “tiring and nerve wracking,” he said, but he is uplifted by his horses’ efforts.
“I have so much admiration for their heart and desire,” he said.
Boyd and Commando 3 on cross-country.
“I thought it was a tough course, and the ground with all the rain we got yesterday was quite holding and tiring. My first horse, Bruno (Fedeman B) got tired early and I was a bit too cautious on Luke. And then I thought, `I’ve got the young horse last, he’s young and naïve, let’s go for it.’ Connor was fantastic.”
The pressure is ” bloody nerve-wracking, especially when you go in the afternoon. I don’t sleep that well the night before, trying to go through the course and trying to make sure I understand how I want to jump each jump. As you get closer and closer, for me, you’ve sort of got to make a deal with yourself that you’re going to have a crack at it because it’s very easy to talk yourself out of not going for it.
“Leading up to the cross-country, I’m always saying, `What the hell am I doing this for?’ When you’re finished with it, you’re like `Okay, where’s the next one?’ It’s a real feel of satisfaction that you’ve trained your horse to get to this place.”
Boyd Martin with his toddler son, Koa, who wanted to be part of the press conference. (Where did he get his love of attention?)
Boyd has a huge cheering section wherever he goes. His charm and sense of humor have won him lots of fans.
“I love eventing in America,” said Boyd, citing “the best crowds in the world.”
Looking ahead to the final test in the Rolex Arena on Sunday, he cited his luck in having Olympic show jumping team gold medalist Peter Wylde to coach him.
And as far as his trio of equine stars goes, he observed, that they are “all good show jumping horses. I just have got to give them a good ride. Hopfeully, they recover well, get a good night’s sleep and come prancing out of the stall tomorrow.”
Tom McEwan of Great Britain, ranked world number one, was 0.02 penalties behind Boyd after dressage with Brookfield Quality. But 10.4 time penalties have put him fifth with a 36.6 total to this point.
“It his first proper, proper 5-star,” said Tom about his Irishbred horse, explaining an outing to the Pau, France, 5-star last fall was difficult because of the mud and wind that meant the cross-country had to be cut to eight minutes optimum time.
In Kentucky, the horse nicknamed Nervous Norris “tried his heart out; he’s straight as a die. He’s been pretty amazing and for the amount of riding I was doing, I felt like I was a jockey for Willie Mullins,” Tom joked, referring to a top British steeplechase trainer.
Click here for 5-star results
In the 4-star Short that runs concurrently with the 5-star, U.S. team veteran Will Coleman and the very experienced 16-year-old Off the Record kept their lead from dressage with the fastest clocking, just 7.2 time penalties. No horse made the time, but everyone in the top 20 was free of course faults, such as refusals and frangible pin problems.t
When Will walked the course, like the 5-star a Derek di Grazia creation, he knew it would be tough to finish without time faults.
“It was not surprising to me that no one got that close to it,” said Will,
Speaking of his horse, “He gave me everything he could today. He stands on 29 penalties.
Phillip Dutton, who led after day one dressage with Denim, is second with Possante, who also was second after dressage was copleted. He has 33.5 penalties, which gives Will a rail’s worth of breathing room in Sunday’s show jumping. Denim is on 37.2 penalties, keeping his third place ranking.
The second-fastest time belonged to Canada’s Jessica Phoenix, who had just 8 penalties on Freedom G.S. to be fourth.
Click here for 4-star results
In Saturday night’s $400,000 Split Rock Jumping Tour Kentucky International grand prix, first-to-go Kent Farrington issued a challenge none of the others in the nine-horse jump-off could match. The world number two-ranked rider and his ever-improving Greya set an unmatchable mark of 42.930 seconds that forced a few of his rivals to make risky turns that paid off in refusals. Second place went to Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam on James Kann Cruz in 45 seconds, followed by whiz kid Mimi Gochman in 46.060 on Inclen BH.
Kent, a U.S. Olympic medalist who also was the alternate in Paris last year, said of his mare, “She’s incredibly fast, super careful and a fighter. She’s a real winner in her heart and an incredible horse.” He believes that her assets make her “the quintessential modern show jumper.”
The grand prix was a 5-star for the first time at the park.
Click here for grand prix results
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 25, 2025
Riding amidst the downpour that wrapped up day two of the Defender Kentucky 5-star eventing dressage on Friday, Boyd Martin did not flinch during the soaking that drenched much of his performance with Commando 3.
That type of heroic perseverance, for which Boyd is known, made him not only the top American in the competition so far, but installed him in second place on 26 penalties. That’s just 0.02 penalties ahead of world number one-ranked Tom McEwen from Great Britain and Brookfield Quality in third.
Both are chasing Olympic champion Michael Jung of Germany with fischerChipmunk FRH. Michi will be trying to set a new 5-star record at the Kentucky Horse Park if he finishes on his Thursday dressage score of 18.6 penalties, which would beat his landmark 20.1 penalty victory in the 2022 event. A victory would also make him the only rider to have topped the standings at Kentucky five times.
After a soaking during his dressage test, Boyd Martin smiled for a job well-done with Commando.
Commando, a 12-year-old Holsteiner known as Connor (like his sire, Connor 48), was just one of Boyd’s three rides in the event. He is sixth with Luke 140 (27.9) and eleventh with his Olympic mount, Federman B (29.8).
While doing a dressage test through a curtain of rain wasn’t comfortable, Boyd said the weather actually helped him with Connor.
“He sort of put his head down a bit further. In sport, there’s some things you’ve got no control over…I just tried to stay in the moment. Commando 3 is a champion horse and he stayed focused,” said the Pennsylvania resident, noting Connor can be spooky.
“Maybe it distracted him a bit,” Boyd theorized about the rain.
“But he went in and did a good job in there.”
After his final salute, Boyd said with a smile that he was “very relieved I could go and get some dry underwear on.”
The brief discomfort was worth it for the result.
He considers Kentucky as “one of these premier 5-stars that I live for. I’ve been thinking about this event since the beginning of the year, and these horses, everything has been pointing toward this moment, thousands of hours of practice and galloping and lead-up competitions and we’re here.”
Boyd Martin with Luke 140, who is sixth.
Tom characterized his mount, who he took over from his compatriot Piggy March in 2022, as “such a cool horse.”
Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality.
Added Tom, “he’s a bit nervous, but he really tries and puts everything he can into it. I was just delighted with the test. He did some real nice work.”
Tom, who has just missed winning Kentucky in the past, had some issues in his test during the half-pirouette right and the transition to the collected trot, which earned him several marks of 5.
He noted it was “a shame about a little mistake halfway through, but mistakes happen.”
Of his Irishbred gelding’s performance, Tom noted, “When he went in there, his eyes came out on stalks a little bit and he sort of froze and held his breath.” However, “The more the test went on, I felt the better and better it got.”
Fourth place with 27.1 penalties belongs to an unsung Kentucky newcomer, Germany’s Libussa Lübbeke aboard Caramia 34. The mare is a homebred ridden previously by 24-year-old Libussa’s brothers, who were on hand to cheer for her.
Libussa trains at the Bundeswehr Sports School for top-level athletes at the country’s Warendorf center (think of it as Germany’s version of what Gladstone used to be in the old U..S. Equestrian Team days).
She wears the very sharp uniform of the German air force, and gave a smart military salute to the judges when she presented her mare for the horse inspection on Wednesday.
Libussa Lübbeke and Caramia 34.
“It’s amazing to be here in this arena with this horse. The whole family is here. To be at this event is like a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said.
Of her mare, Libussa noted, “She’s unique and tries her heart out for me. It’s the best horse to try the first Kentucky.”
Discussing Derek di Grazia’s cross-country course that is the focus of Saturday’s program, the German observed, “It looks amazing. It’s a bit different to European courses. All technical questions are clear; it’s a course to ride forward.”
Click here for 5-star results
In the 4-star Short that runs concurrently with the 5-star, Will Coleman and the veteran Off the Record were marked at 21.8 penalties to supplant first-day leader Phillip Dutton. Phillip actually supplanted himself as well. Riding Possante to a 23.1-penalty mark, he moved into second place ahead of Denim, who was the best on Thursday with 25.6 penalties. Click here for 4-star results.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 24, 2025
Paraphrasing a saying from the Eighteenth Century that referred to the dominant racehorse, Eclipse, you could sum up the results from day one of the Defender Kentucky 5-star three-day event by saying, “Michael Jung first, the rest nowhere.”
Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH (Amy Dragoo photo)
The Olympic gold medalist and four-time Kentucky winner offered judges at the Kentucky Horse Park a superlative dressage test, with fischerChipmunk FRH moving as effortlessly as if he were controlled by telepathy, rather than anything Michi did from the saddle.
The judges paid tribute to the German rider’s excellence, scoring him with a mere18.6 penalties, nearly 10 penalties less than Tim Price (Jarillo) and Clarke Johnstone (Menlo Park), the pair of New Zealanders tied for second place on 28.4.
It’s the first time Clarke has been at Kentucky since 2010 when the FEI World Equestrian Games were held there. He described his horse, whom he rode in the world championships and Olympics, as ” just a lovely guy.”
Tim, ranked number two in the world, also is fourth on 29.1 penalties with Happy Boy, and Boyd Martin is the top contender for the home team in fifth place (29.8), riding his Olympic mount, Federman B.
Federman B and Boyd Martin had a test with some wonderful moments. (Photo courtesy Boyd Martin)
While it’s early days yet, with another afternoon of dressage scheduled for Friday (not to mention Saturday’s anything-can-happen cross-country and Sunday’s show jumping) Michi is very much at home in Kentucky, where he has won the 5-star four times. That bodes well for the prospect of having him set a possible new record for the number of victories one rider has scored at the event.
“I’m always quite a bit lucky here, so it’s a good place for me. This is a perfect place for competition,” he said.
“When I went in, I feel he was completely relaxed and calm and with me, and I could start riding forward and have really a test like I wished.”
Of the 17-year-old Chipmunk, Michi noted, “he’s in really great shape,” and thanked his team for keeping the horse that way.
“He’s getting older, but the feeling is, he’s getting stronger and stronger, and better and more muscle. And the body looks like he’s a young boy. A great horse.”
Michi already holds the world record for a 5-star of winning by finishing three phases on his dressage score of 20.1 penalties, which happened at Kentucky in 2022. If he does the same this weekend, that will be another world record score for the globe’s most successful eventer.
But of course it won’t be easy, even for Michi, with resident course designer Derek DiGrazia’s cross-country route posing its usual stern test.
“It’s pretty serious,” observed Boyd, who has two more horses to ride on Friday.
“It’s a good, strong course; challenging and there are a couple of alternative routes that aren’t that time-expensive. It’s going to be an exciting day.”
Tim, who also has three horses, will be riding his most experienced mount, Falco, on Friday.
But he was impressed by Jarillo, a Dutchbred chestnut 9-year-old with four white stockings. (Tim obviously didn’t pay attention to the old rhyme that says, “If you have a horse with four white legs, send him far away.”)
The flashy Jarillo and Tim Price.
Jarillo’s smitten rider definitely won’t be following that advice.
“He’s just so glamorous,” Tim pointed out as he outlined the horse’s other attributes.
“He’s quirky, he’s sexy. Good looking men, you know, they’ve definitely got an edge to them,” he continued, adding the horse is an “out-and-out talent. To bring him over here is a real treat.” Tim did mention that “he’s a little bit of a fiddle to ride,” saying that means “I need to hold his hand everywhere.”
As you may remember, I made New Zealand’s Monica Spencer my pick for best dressed during Wednesday’s horse inspection, citing her black leather pants and cape-like contrasting jacket.
Turns out I wasn’t alone in my choice. She won the official best-dressed award from Dubarry, as Danny Hulse presented her with a pair of boots,
Danny Hulse of Dubarry and Monica Spencer. (Amy Dragoo photo)
click here for 5-star results
In the 4-star that runs concurrently with the 5-star, the very veteran Phillip Dutton is first with Denim. He leads the top 22 entries, all of whom, like him, are from the USA.
Click here for the 4-star results
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 23, 2025
Although the weather forecast for the next few days in Lexington, Ky., isn’t the best, the sun shone bright (as the song goes) on the Kentucky Horse Park for the Defender 5-star eventing horse inspection Wednesday.
Boyd Martin had three horses he showed to the judges, but perhaps his best shot at victory is with his Olympic mount, Federman B. (His others are Luke 140 and Commando 3).
You have to figure, though, that the combo to beat will be Germany’s Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH. As past winners, they are hard to bet against, and Michi’s record in the sport is unsurpassed.
Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH.
Sadly, Jennie Brannigan’s ride, Twilight’s Last Gleam, was not accepted after being re-presented following a stint in the holding box. That was the only entry to be rejected.
Jennie was gracious about her 15-year-old mount’s fate, noting owners “Tim and Nina Gardner and myself love this horse and he owes us absolutely nothing.”
No worries, though; we’ll still see Jennie in competition. She will be able to compete on FE Lifestyle in the field that has been narrowed to 34 starters.
Jennie Brannigan and the beautifully turned-out Twilight’s Last Gleam sadly got a “no” from the judges.
The most eye-catching horse is Fluorescent Adolescent with a coat of splashy spots. He’s ridden by the only Canadian competitor, Jessica Phoenix.
Jessica Phoenix and the Flourescent Adolescent.
The 5-star trot-up is always a fashion show, and my choice as the best-dressed is New Zealand’s Monica Spencer, who will be riding Artist. She wore black leather pants and a cape-like checked top in a shade of oatmeal, both stylish and classy.
Monica Spencer and Artist.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 18, 2025
I’ve attended 25 World Cup Finals since the first one held in the U.S. in 1980. Aside from a few special touches, most were like your average fancy European horse show, such as those staged when Volvo was the Cup sponsor in its home city of Gothenburg, Sweden. On the fun side, those finals were known for their fantastic flower arrangements that made it difficult to see some of the jumps. And then there was the indoor lake on the course at Dortmund, Germany, in 1990.
But the game changers that redefined the Cup competition were the glitzy finals complete with fireworks in Las Vegas. That wildly popular series debuted in 2000 and ran in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2015. Covid sadly cancelled the 2020 edition. It seems unlikely that Vegas, which put the dressage and show jumping Cups together for the first time, will be held again in the near future.
But now we can look forward to another innovative Longines FEI World Cup Finals, scheduled for April 8-12, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Derek Braun, whose Split Rock Jumping Tour is putting on the finals, promises iconic longhorn cattle will be part of the scene. Indeed, longhorns are driven through the stockyard in an exhibition twice daily. You can’t miss it. So polish up those cowboy boots and grab yourself a 10-gallon hat to fit right in.
A twice-daily cattle drive is a feature in Fort Worth. (Photo courtesy Dickies Arena)
“We’re going heavy with the Texas vibe, very western, very cowboy, very cow country-oriented. Which is what Fort Worth has to offer. I think it’s going to be a fun, cool, new exciting fresh take on it,” advised Derek, who noted accessibility of the massive Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport means the Cup destination is only one flight away from almost anywhere in the world.
With the 2024 Cup in Basel, Switzerland now behind us this month, it’s time to start making plans for next year’s dressage and show jumping finals. Fans already are buying tickets for the Fort Worth competition, to be held in the state-of-the-art Dickies Arena, adjacent to the Will Rogers Memorial Center.
Dickies Arena will host the 2026 Longines FEI World Cup Finals (Photo courtesy Dickies Arena)
Derek was in Basel to accept the hand-off of the Cup finals flag and look at the “inner workings” of the Swiss version of the Cup. There are quite a few differences between the 2025 and 2026 host sites and their offerings.
“Our schedule is a lot lighter than theirs was, they had another 3 star (show jumping) and vaulting. Their days were extremely long,” Derek observed.
Derek Braun accepts the Longines FEI World Cup flag in a hand-off at the end of the Basel show. .(FEI Photo)
“Our days are focused toward just the World Cup sessions. Footing is a major priority for me, we’ve already mixed our footing six months ago. Riders want to make sure the details are absolutely perfect for them.”
While Basel used tents for stabling and warm-up, everything at Fort Worth is permanent.
The interior of Dickies Arena. (Photo courtesy of Dickies Arena)
As Derek pointed out, “there are not many comparable arenas worldwide to Dickies, there’s not a bad seat in the house.” There will be 9,500 of them for the Cup finals. VIP space is limited, so early purchase of tickets is urged. They are available separately for the dressage sessions, jumping sessions and all sessions. Tickets are available at https://www.fortworth2026.com/tickets. VIP reservations can be made at VIP Reservations.
Although Derek’s management resume does not include a dressage show, he’s educated on the details required. But he emphasized that discipline will be guided by Thomas Baur, the German who runs the Adequan Global Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla.
Speaking about Dickies, Thomas said, “I think it’s probably the best venue for a World Cup I’ve seen in this country. There is enough space; for the horses, it will be easily accessible. The plan is to have a vendor and action area between the main ring and the last warm-up ring, so I think that will be great for the spectators. I was there in December and there are a lot of nice restaurants and hotels close by.”
In Fort Worth, he notes, there are “a lot of things to do for people who want to come to the World Cup. It’s absolutely fun.”
Derek is hoping qualifying participation will go “through the roof.” He called the new venue, “A little bit of an ode to the old Las Vegas World Cup finals days, when people got really excited to go to Las Vegas for everything they have to offer. Fort Worth is just as exciting of a town as Vegas, in different ways.
“There’s going to be a lot of activities, the whole town is really going to embrace it and people are going to be able to make a four- or five-day vacation out of this championship.”
Derek explained “the city is a major partner of ours for the final. The entire city is going to be laying out the red carpet. Everyone will be connected city-wide for this final, the restaurants and businesses.”
Two clinics, one each on jumping and dressage, will be presented by professionals from the top 10 lists in their disciplines, who are yet to be selected.
It’s not all clear sailing, however.
“In the state of Texas, we are battling a little bit against the FIFA World Cup (soccer) finals and differentiating between the two,” Derek mentioned.
The 2026 FIFA matches will be held in Dallas Stadium during June and July; thus there is potential for public confusion, even though the Longines FEI World Cup is two months earlier.
“We don’t have major (show jumping and dressage) events in Texas, we were the first ever FEI event in the state four years ago,” Derek said.
So Cup organizers are launching “a year-long strategy on promotion and education of what this is. When people see an ad or image,” he observed, “they understand what it is and the magnitude behind it. FEI and USEF are helping make a big push to advertise the World Cup League.”
The crowded equestrian calendar has another major competition in 2026, when world championships in dressage and jumping (as well as several other disciplines) are being held during August in Aachen, Germany.
“I’m hoping it doesn’t affect us negatively; it’s something I’ve thought about,” Derek said.
“Texas is such a new and incredible draw that I think we’ll stand on our own. It’s far enough away from the world championships that it will be a good stepping stone for them (championship contenders) and their horses.”
In terms of both participants and spectators, Derek believes going west is a draw, especially for people from other parts of the world.
“I think people are really intrigued by the culture. They really want to experience it; they know it’s going to be new, cool and different. Any time there’s a scenario like that, it always intrigues riders from everywhere. We’re going to make sure we let every rider experience the true Texas culture.”
At the same time, he added, “I think participation for people competing from North America will be through the roof.”
For more information about the finals, go to https://www.fortworth2026.com/.
