The International Omaha annual horse show ended a successful run last weekend, paving the way for the second FEI World Cup™ finals to be hosted in the city next year at the CHI Health Center.
All-session tickets are now on sale for the April 4-8 competition, which includes finals in show jumping, dressage and vaulting, the latter being a new addition to the line-up that ran when the 2017 finals debuted in Omaha.
All-session tickets range from $75 – $1,400, depending on the discipline and seat location. All-session packages include admission to either four dressage sessions, four jumping sessions or three vaulting sessions. Included are options for VIP and hospitality lounge passes and fully catered ringside tables for the duration of the event.
To order tickets, go to this link at Ticketmaster.com. Single-session tickets will go on sale July 11.
“With so much interest in the World Cup’s return to Omaha, we anticipate that the all-session tickets will sell quickly,” said Lisa Roskens, chair of the Omaha Equestrian Foundation, producer of the finals in Omaha.
“We are really looking forward to welcoming the world’s best horses, riders, vaulters and fans from around the world and we are committed to living up to the standard set in 2017 and producing the best FEI World Cup™ Finals ever held!”
The Omaha competition is likely to be the last World Cup finals held in North America for quite some time. The 2020 finals in Las Vegas were cancelled due to Covid, and Las Vegas did not bid for the 2025 finals.
The 2023 competition will offer a tribute to the horse’s regional tradition and cultural impact, with the Native American heritage as part of the event’s theme and program.
The foundation is seeking to broaden community understanding of Native American history with its initiative at the show. The finals feature not only show jumping and dressage, as was the case in 2017, but also vaulting, which is gymnastics on horseback.
Beginning in 1723, horses transformed the Great Plains region tribes’ hunting tactics, inspired artistry, strengthened transportation routes and expanded their health and wealth. Plains tribes with roots in Nebraska include the Omaha, Northern Ponca and Santee.
“Where we’re standing here in Omaha was the site of a societal transformation 300 years ago — horses changed our way of life on the Plains,” said Steve Tamayo, a traditional Sicangu Lakota artist who founded the Bluebird Cultural Initiative.
“As we celebrate the horse’s majesty and grace at the renowned FEI World Cup Finals, we’re excited to use the international platform to share authentic stories about the horse’s lineage in this region and its cherished place within our people’s history.”
Tamayo consulted on the design of the FEI World Cup™ Finals 2023 first promotional poster, which presents a thematic template for the event by depicting two triumphant horses from two different eras and alluding to their ancestral linkage. The marketing campaign was created by Turnpost Creative Group in Omaha under the guidance of Stuart Lundgren, principal and creative director.
The horse on the left side of the poster has dressage braids, an English bridle and a purple and white competition ribbon. The horse on the right has a white circle painted around its left eye to commend its keen vision — and it has stripes painted across its nose and feathers attached to its mane, features representing valor and courage in battle.
The poster also includes symbolic cultural references within its multi-colored background stripes — horse hoof imprints and four-direction sun emblems are positioned between rhythmic waves and the legendary thunderbird.
“Just as we honor horses today for their achievements in a world-class competition event such as the Final of the FEI World Cup, our indigenous relatives of the Plains decorated and adorned their horses and told a dozen different stories with regalia and symbols,” Tamayo said.
“The markings explained all of the deeds and achievements carried out by the horse, a valued and respected member of the tribe.”
In addition to the competitions, the FEI World Cup™ Finals 2023 will include shows, exhibits and demonstrations,