The FEI World Cup Jumping Final Begins Wednesday, April 11th

After a year of waiting, The FEI World Cup Jumping Final has returned for its 2018 showdown in Paris. Beginning on Wednesday, April 11th, the World Cup Final offers five days of elite dressage and show jumping competition that has drawn in top talent from all over the globe. We have rounded up everything you need to know about this year’s FEI World Cup, including rider lists, how to watch, and more.

The Schedule

The weekend is packed with classes you aren’t going to want to miss. Check out the schedule below:

Wednesday features the opening warm-up class, which allows horse and rider pairs an opportunity to get a firsthand feel for the AccorHotels Arena.

The actual competition begins on Thursday with a Table C style class featuring jumps up to 1.60m in height. The goal is for entries to have the fastest round possible and jumping faults are transformed into seconds which add to their final time. The rider with the fastest overall time will be awarded zero points.

Friday is the second phase of the Final and features a jump-off. According to the FEI World Cup Finals website, the starting order will be the reverse order of the standings from Thursday’s competition. Riders who fared better on Thursday will have the opportunity to watch their competition ride before them and plan their round accordingly, bettering their odds of putting in a clear round to make it to the jump-off. After the results of the second class have been counted, overall provisional standings for the final leg of competition will be calculated by adding the First and Second Final competitions faults together.

After a day of rest, the top 30 riders from the weekend will return for a final round. The top 20 of those entries will go through to round two in reverse order from the standings after round one. Only one horse and rider duo can be crowned king or queen and all eyes are on the competition to see who will bring home the glory.

The Competitors

This year boasts a list of riders that are sure to keep the heat going all weekend long. With 39 riders representing 19 countries, there is someone for every show jumping fan to cheer for. Fan favorite, McLain Ward (USA), returns to the 2018 FEI World Cup Jumping Final with HH Azur ready to defend his title after winning the Final in Omaha last year.

Last year they led from the outset and couldn’t be stopped – America’s McLain Ward and the amazing mare, HH Azur, return to the defend their title at the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2018 Final in Paris (FRA) in three weeks time. (FEI/Liz Gregg)

Also representing the United States is young gun Kristen Vanderveen aboard her own Bull Run’s Faustino De Tili. Kristen had an exceptional showing aboard “Frosty” this winter, including her win in the $100,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Qualifier Grand Prix which granted her the opportunity to compete here in Paris. Will Kristen and her gorgeous gray stallion have what it takes to claim the top prize?

The US is greatly represented this year by 11 riders, one of which (Richard Spooner) has two mounts competing. Check out the list of American riders below:

But the US isn’t the only country with some phenomenal riders in attendance. The Western European League has a huge list of well-known names such as Eduardo Alvarez Aznar (ESP), Simon Delsetre (FRA), Olivier Philippaerts (BEL), Daniel Deusser (GER), and Henrik Von Eckermann (SWE).

Flags from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Estonia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Mexico, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and USA will all be waving high during this week’s competition. You can find the full list of riders HERE. 

Where to Watch

The FEI World Cup Final is offered through FEI TV, but you do need to have a membership to access the live stream. You can purchase a monthly membership for $34.99 or if you wish to enroll in an annual membership for $79.99, you can receive one month for free. You can find all the details regarding FEI TV live stream memberships HERE.

And if you aren’t able to catch the live stream, don’t fret! We will keep you up to date on all the latest and greatest from Paris this week here at Jumper Nation.

Go Jumping!