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.