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 next month in Fort Worth, Texas.
My anticipation, however, is not just because it’s a unique location, which also will host the FEI Zen Elite Dressage World Cup Finals under the auspices of the Split Rock Jumping Tour.
Show jumping’s indoor championship always has been an international high-point in the year. 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.
But 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 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. Texas 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.
While locations enhance the aura of a Cup final, what really makes it important is the caliber of the riders, and there will be big names aplenty in Texas.
The line-up from abroad includes European Champion Richie Vogel of Germany, a winner last week in the Rolex Masters in the Netherlands; 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.
McLain Ward has won three World Cup finals–can he take a fourth in Ft. Worth?
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, since at age 50, he feels this may well be the last time he competes in a Cup final in the U.S.
No U.S. city has been named as a possible site for the Cup in the future, so the country’s hosting reputation hangs on Fort Worth for the foreseeable future. McLain will be joined by world number two Kent Farrington, who is often his teammate; and you can say the same about Laura Kraut and Aaron Vale. Katie Dinan, the top-placed American in the 2025 Cup, will be competing, along with Kaitlin Campbell, another regular on the U.S. team.
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 buy, contact Sydney at GroupSales@DickiesArena.com. Full ticket information is available online at https://www.fortworth2026.com/tickets, For more information, click here.
