It would have been a fabulous four days.
How do I know that for a fact about the FEI World Cup finals, which were to start today in Las Vegas–had it not been for Covid-19.
I know because I have been to all six Cup finals in Vegas since the glittering city’s first time showcasing equestrian sport in 2000, and I was looking forward to number seven on the 20th anniversary of its debut.
This year’s renewal might have made history with the first four-time Cup winners–could it have been Steve Guerdat of Switzerland in the show jumping and Germay’s Isabell Werth on Weiheigold in the dressage–though we were anticipating quite a showdown for her with fierce rival Charlotte Dujardin of Great Britain on Mount Saint John Freestyle in contention.
Although Vegas has become a favorite destination for Cup fans, none of us knew what to expect when we came to the Thomas & Mack Center two decades ago to watch the jumping debut in a glitzy city with a reputation for show biz, not horse show biz.
Lasers and fireworks were a revolutionary addition to show jumping when the FEI World Cup Finals came to Las Vegas.
But it turned out to be a revelation, a new approach that shook things up and influenced the way show jumping would be presented in the future, with lots of music and pizzaz. Shawn Davis, whose production flair helped make the annual National Finals Rodeo a sell-out at Thomas & Mack, put his knowhow to work for the World Cup. His version of the indoor show jumping world championships came complete with fireworks, lasers, showgirls and Elvis impersonators, all part of an energetic program that made each session fly by.
What is a Vegas World Cup final without a mounted Elvis impersonator? (Photo © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer)
Highlights in 2000 included a third straight show jumping Cup win for Rodrigo Pessoa, as well as a dressage demonstration by Debbie McDonald and Brentina, the valiant mare owned by one of the arena’s namesakes, Parry Thomas, and his wife, Peggy.
When she was approached about doing the exhibition, Debbie recalled, “I thought, `Wow, how cool, to go in that arena, being Parry Thomas’ arena.’”
And then it occurred to her, “How cool if they have a World Cup in dressage and we could come and ride here. And then it ended up being that way,” she said.
After the 2000 and 2003 show jumping finals, the dressage final joined the lineup in 2005.
“It’s two Super Bowls,” came the explanation at the time from Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events, which presented the finals in conjunction with the FEI.
So the big names in both disciplines flocked to Vegas that year and for the next three renewals in Nevada, enjoying their time in the casino hotels nearly as much as their sojourn in the arena. But nothing could beat the fans and atmosphere at Thomas & Mack.
Riding in the venue just a few miles from Vegas’ famous strip is a unique experience, according to Debbie.
“It’s one of the most fun environments to go into. You come down this long tunnel and they open the curtains and the crowd is all above you and they’re crazy. You feel like everyone’s there looking at you, not like in a big, big arena, where they’re farther away. It’s a very special place for me.”
Debbie and Brentina had a big moment in 2005, when their passage down center line to the song “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”” (which is something Brentina didn’t get enough of from judges) had the audience clapping in time to the music and cheering. Although she finished third behind Dutch riders Anky van Grunsven with Salinero and Edward Gal on Lingh, Brentina and Debbie definitely won the hearts of the fans.
Debbie McDonald was jubilant after her freestyle on Brentina in the 2005 World Cup final, and the crowd shared her enthusiasm. (Photo © 2005 by Nancy Jaffer)
That was among so many special moments I enjoyed during the time I spent at Thomas & Mack over the years.
The 2009 jumping final was memorable, with U.S. favorites McLain Ward and Sapphire just missing the title as Meredith Michaels Beerbaum took her third Cup title on Shutterfly for Germany. Steffen Peters’ dressage victory on Ravel the same year struck a chord, the first time a U.S. rider had earned the honor in the USA. (Debbie won the 2003 dressage Cup two months after the competition, in which the original victor was disqualified when her horse tested positive for a prohibited substance.)
Riding Shutterfly, Meredith Michaels Beerbaum won her third FEI World Cup final in 2009 in Vegas. Photo © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer
Steffen was eager to try again for that title this year with Suppenkasper after 11 victories in Florida this winter, inspired by mental images of his 2009 win, but that just was not to be.
What I will remember most about 2009, however, was Brentina’s emotional retirement ceremony with theThomas family and Debbie’s husband, Bob on hand in the arena. Debbie (and many of the rest of us) couldn’t hold back tears as she and Brentina left the ring, with the mare gracefully passaging her way toward the exit.
“That proved to me that she really loved what she did,” said Debbie.
Debbie McDonald with her husband, Bob; Peggy, Jane and Parry Thomas, as Brentina was retired during the 2009 FEI World Cup final. (Photo © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer)
The 2015 finals was interesting in that the audience for dressage outdrew show jumping, even as Steve Guerdat won a nailbiter over Penelope LeProvost and teenage Bertram Allen. The previous night, the crowd of 11,000 offered a heartfelt standing ovation after watching Charlotte and the magical Valegro win the freestyle with a score of 94.196 percent.
Charlotte Dujardin and the great Valegro captured hearts along with the FEI Reem Acra World Cup title in 2015. Photo © 2015 by Nancy Jaffer
We couldn’t wait to come back. Vegas was supposed to get the 2018 Cup finals, but a problem with the space for dressage judges around the arena scuttled that plan.
A $70 million renovation had fixed the problem and updated the building, which was to offer a luxe VIP area this month. The entertainment was scheduled to be more sophisticated than in past years, with a rock band starting off the show and not an Elvis or a showgirl in sight. We were promised lots more surprises. But then came the pandemic. It’s likely we’ll see the Cups in Vegas again in 2025, but that’s a long time to wait. Too long for this special venue.
On the other hand, the Cups will be back in the U.S. before then, coming to Omaha in 2023 to reprise their 2017 initial appearance in Nebraska. Let’s hope the pandemic is over by then…
