2023: The Year in Jumping

Patricia Salem

(Patricia is a former professional equine massage therapist
and recreational rider. )

We celebrate the highlights of the last 12 months...

With the 2024 Paris Olympic Games just around the corner, 2023 was a very busy year for Jumping!

Not only were there many prestigious events with prizes on offer, there were berths to France to qualify for as well. Here’s a look back at the major Jumping competitions of 2023 as we turn the page to 2024.

Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™

Omaha, Nebraska hosted the 2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final, where fans packed the stands at the CHI Health Center Omaha Arena for three glorious days of Jumping thrills. Participants reached the Omaha Final by earning points in qualifying legs across a season that began in the autumn of 2022.

Scores were carried forward, and the field was whittled down by Bernardo Costa Cabral’s daunting courses. It was a real nail biter to the end.

Olympic and World champion Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden led the field on Day 1, only to lose his lead on the second day. But the cool-as-a-cucumber Swede came roaring back with his longtime partner King Edward on Day 3 to take the top honours, ending his campaign in the USA with only 5 penalty points. It was another stunning year for the Swede, who remained World No.1 throughout.

Harrie Smolders of the Netherlands and Monaco N.O.P. picked up second place — a repeat of Smolders’ finish in the 2022 Leipzig Final — after rising from a seventh-place tie on Day 2. The home crowd were elated to see American athlete Hunter Holloway and Pepita Con Spita take the bronze medal after making their World Cup Final debut just a year before.

FEI Jumping European Championship

Von Eckermann was also instrumental securing his country a Team medal at this year’s FEI Jumping European Championship, held in Milan at the San Siro racecourse’s stunning equestrian facility. It was only the second time in history that a team has held the Olympic, world, and European titles simultaneously, but it was a roller coaster of a leaderboard that led to the feat.

With the help of teammates Jens Fredricson and Markan Cosmopolit, Wilma Hellström and Cicci BJN, and Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Zuccero, the World Cup champ — this time with Iliana — added another prize to the Swedish trophy case, under the direction of Chef d’Equipe Henrik Ankarcrona.

Ireland won the silver medal, led by Michael Blake. It was Austria and Chef d’Equipe Angelika May who joined them on the podium for third place, earning them a spot at the Château de Versailles next summer.

Spain and Switzerland, who finished fifth and sixth at the event, also won tickets to Paris 2024.

Former Olympic and World Cup champion Steve Guerdat of Switzerland claimed the Individual gold aboard the Selle Français mare Dynamix de Belheme. Guerdat finished on 0.43 penalty points, the lowest ever in the history of the championship.

Philip Weishaupt of Germany and Zineday took home the Individual silver, after staying near the top of the field on Uliano Vezzani’s tracks throughout each day of Jumping. Julien Epaillard and Dubai du Cedre were elated to bring the bronze medal home to France.

Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™

Fifteen countries were on the roster on Day 1 of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final, hosted in spectacular fashion by the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona at the end of September. After the first day, eight advanced to Sunday’s Final, whilst the remaining teams had the opportunity to vie for the Challenge Cup under the lights on Saturday night — an event that always draws Spanish equestrian sport aficionados in their finest black tie attire.

The Netherlands, under the direction of Chef d’Equipe Jos Lansink, ultimately won the Challenge Cup in an exhilarating jump off with Australia, coached by Stephen Lamb. Team Mexico, who won the Challenge Cup in 2022, took third place with their Chef d’Equipe Mark Laskin.

Germany, led by Chef d’Equipe Otto Becker, won the Nations Cup, ending on a remarkable score of zero penalty points. It was Germany’s first win since 2016. France and Belgium joined them on the podium in second and third places, respectively, and Brazil acquired a qualification for the Paris Olympic Games.

Congratulations to German athletes Jana Wargers (Dorette), Christian Kukuk (Checker 47), Hans-Dieter Dreher (Elysium), and Richard Vogel (United Touch S)!

19th Asian Games

The Asian Games may have been postponed for a year, but in 2023, fans finally got to see some of their favourite Jumping athletes compete in beautiful Hangzhou, China.

Countries of the Arabian peninsula dominated the Jumping events, with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia winning the Team gold medal. Ramzy Al Duhami (Untouchable 32), Meshal Alhumaidi Alharbi (Cascadello Boy RM), Abdulrahman Alrajhi (Ventago), and Abdullah Al-Sharbatly (Skorphults Baloutendro) brought home the metal for their country.

Qatar were awarded the silver medal. The Team bronze went to the United Arab Emirates.

In the Individual competition, Al-Shabartly — the 2014 champion — took his second gold of the Games, following a five-person jump off. Omar Aljneibi and Abdullah Mohd Al Marri, both representing the United Arab Emirates won the silver and bronze medals.

2023 Santiago Pan American Games

The stunning mountainous countryside outside Valparaiso, Santiago’s sister city, was the setting for the 2023 Pan American Games in Chile.

At the Escuela de Equitación Regimiento Granaderos in Quotilla, the USA, under the direction of Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland, brought home the Team Jumping medal, moving up from a precarious fifth place on Day 1. All four athletes posted clear rounds on the final track designed by Marina Azevedo of Brazil: McLain Ward (Contagious), Karl Cook (Caracole de La Roque), Kent Farrington (Landon), and Laura Kraut (Dorado).

It looked good for Team Brazil, the defending champions from 2019, but they wound up taking the bronze medal to Canada’s silver after the last ride.

Fortunately, Brazil had already secured their tickets to Paris in 2024. That left the USA, Canada, and fourth-place Mexico to snap up the three Team berths available at Santiago.

Brazil’s Stephan De Freitas Barcha was the winner of the Individual gold medal aboard Chevaux Primavera Imperio Egipcio. Farrington and Landon ended their campaign in South America less than 2 points behind the brilliant Brazilian to win the silver. McLain Ward took home the bronze medal after a gruelling day of multiple elimination rounds.

While several nations secured their Paris 2024 spots in regional championships this year, others did so by special qualifiers in July. Israel and Poland confirmed their places at an event in Prague, while Australia and Japan were celebrating in Valkenswaard (NED). Saudi Arabia and UAE punched their tickets to Paris in Doha in March.

It’s hard to believe the current Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ season is already well underway, with the Final at Riyadh beckoning in April. Catch all the action live on FEI TV to see who will head to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the spring!