Welcome to the final day of competition and the final two rounds that will determine the FEI World Cup Jumping Winner!
Once again, the riders will be riding in reverse order of penalties, so McLain Ward will be going last today on his zero penalty score.
Notes for following your first live updates thread:
Just keep refreshing this post every 30 seconds or so to see the next update on the thread, which will be posted in chronological order.
Links for Optimal Live Viewing:
#Omaha2017: Event Website, Orders of Go/Results, Facebook, Twitter, JN Coverage,
There are two rounds (no jump-off) and two different courses, with 13 and 12 efforts respectively:
FEI TV Goes live at 1:50 CST with rounds starting at around 2:10 pm. If you intend to watch, don’t forget to check/pay your subscription ahead of time to catch all the action!
2:05 pm – These opening ceremonies from Omaha have been entirely charming! They have really gone all out.
2:08 pm – They’re playing the William Tell Overture now! Entirely appropriate.
2:10 pm – The first in the ring is going to be German raised but US-based Christian Heineking on NKH Caruso, who holds 29 penalty points at the moment.
2:12 pm – We’ve got 7 riders within 2 rails of the leader, so it’s still very much anyone’s game here tonight with two huge rounds to get done tonight. McLain has a good start, but there’s still a long way to go.
2:16 pm – And here we go! Christian adds a rail about halfway in but otherwise a phenomenal round! What a stunning way to end their first trip to the World Cup Final. Well done, Christian!
2:18pm – Longtime jumper Rein Pill in now and has an early rail in the first combination.
2:20 pm – He adds two more to that to finish on 38 penalties.
2:22 pm – Todd Minikus and Babalou in now – the two have been getting better and better through the week after a rough start. They have a rail at the second fence and another in the diagonal….
2:23 pm – And they finish with three more altogether. Todd and Babalou will live to fight another day!
2:24 pm – Marcus Brinkmann and Pikeur Dylon of Germany add two rails to their day to finish on 31 penalties altogether.
2:26 pm – Gabor Szabo Jr. and Timpex Bolcsesz made the most of their experience here, but take down the double across the diagonal to end the day on 29 faults. We certainly hope to see this pair here again!
2:28 pm Eric Navet and Catypso in now, one of the living legends of our sport.
2:29 pm – Eric adds only one rail to his score for a really lovely final day here in Omaha! Final score of 24.
2:30 pm – One of our World Cup rookies now, who has made it to the final! Christopher Surbey of Canada and Chalacorada. They have a hard rub at the plank but it stays up, and then have the very last fence down, which I suspect may catch a few today. It’s a very camoflaged fence with very little to the height, but has a super-looky liverpool.
2:31 pm – Keean White and For Freedom Z head out on 18 penalties and add 2 rails to that – very impressive for an up and coming rider, and especially if you’ve been following his live instagram posts out partying on Omaha every night after the show!
2:34 pm – Sheikh Ali al Thani in now, who told JN earlier this week that it was such a huge honor to be at the World Cup, and you could tell he genuinely meant it. They seemed to tire a bit at the end of the course and have a handful down to end on 33. When this mare is at her top fitness and performance, I can’t wait to see where she goes.
2:36 pm – Lorenzo de Luca and Ensor de Litrange in now, certainly a rider for the future. Give him 3 or 4 more World Cups under his belt and he’s going to be on top of this thing, mark my words.
2:38 pm – Lorenzo is our first clear round of the day, heading out on 16 penalties as he started!
2:40 pm – American Charlie Jacobs has had a rollercoaster weekend, but he’s scrapped through to sit just outside the top 15. They add just a rail today to leave the ring on 20 penalties.
Charlie Jacobs on Cassinia S finish with 4 faults. #FEIWorldCupFinals pic.twitter.com/JDCPwtUtBc
— Jumper Nation (@gojumping) April 2, 2017
2:41 pm – Flying Frenchman Kevin Staut heading in now on his veteran and Olympic gold partner, Reveur de Hurtebise.
2:42 pm – He has a handful of hard rubs early on but keeps it all together to go clear today, staying on his 16 faults!
Kevon Staut from France has a clear round also. #FEIWorldCupFinals pic.twitter.com/MSoz86y7WO
— Jumper Nation (@gojumping) April 2, 2017
2:44 pm – Denis Lynch and All Star head in and grabs a block off the wall right away.
2:46 pm – All Star otherwise has the round we know the horse to be, jumping beautifully to add just the one rail and sit on 19 total.
2:47 pm – We’re on a drag break now! Take a quick break, and we’ll have the scores up in a minute.
Here’s your top ten at the break – this will obviously change a bit!
2:48 pm – Interview highlight from Denis Lynch – “I’m disappointed, but that’s show jumping.” We’ve all been there and done that, Denis. #wefeelyoubro
2:53 pm – And we’re back! That was a fast one. In now is Simon Delestre of France on Chadino.
2:55 pm – Simon and Chadino have the round we know them for, and go perfectly clear and lovely! They’ll stay on their 15 penalties.
2:56 pm – Laura Kraut and Zeremonie now – such a stupendous pair who have made it here despite Laura telling us it’s only the horse’s third time showing indoors!
2:57 pm – They bring down the back bar of the diagonal triple as well as the last bogey liverpool, but Laura has nothing but big pats for Zara regardless. Such a class act, these two.
2:59 pm – Maikel van der Vleuten and Verdi have a good buck after a clean round to stay on their 12 faults, putting them momentarily in the lead!
3:00 pm – Leopold van Asten and Zidane in now, also on 12 faults. Zidane’s taking a quick potty break before they start, which apparently deeply charmed the Omaha crowd.
3:01 pm – That last road apple must have been just what Zidane needed to lose to get it done, as they go clear to stay on their 12, as well!
3:02 pm – None other than Marcus Ehning and Pret a Tout in now.
3:05 pm – Marcus unfortunately adds two rails to the day to leave on a score of 18, definitely looks a bit disappointed.
3:07 pm – This is a pair I’m thrilled got some exposure to American audiences this week, as he’s such a force over in Europe and rides so beautifully.
3:08 pm – He makes another wonderful impression, going clear here to stay on his nine faults and he’s now sitting in the lead!
3:09 pm – In comes the first of our 8-fault riders, none other than Steve Guerdat and Bianca.
1 rail for the reigning world cup champion Steve Guerdat and Bianca.#FEIWorldCupFinals pic.twitter.com/uq8Zdja3uL
— Jumper Nation (@gojumping) April 2, 2017
3:10 pm – The mare is overjumping everything, causing the crowd to gasp with every fence. What a horse! She brings down a rail in that diagonal triple that’s been tripping folks up all day, so they now sit on 12 faults, in second place.
3:11 pm – Henrik von Eckermann and Mary Lou in now to make up for a rough second day after an epic start – what will today bring?
3:12 pm – Henrik and Mary Lou have a hard rub in that diagonal line, but they keep it all up to stay on 8!
3:13 pm – German rookie and 21-year-old Guido Klatte in now on Qinghai, who together have made such an impressio on this crowd. They had a scary stop in the jump-off friday night, but looking more forward and thoughtful today.
3:15 pm – Guido and Qinghai add just one rail to sit on 11. What a great weekend for them.
3:16 pm – Martin Fuchs and Clooney get going, and look utterly determined.
3:18 pm – Martin and Clooney, despite all the focus and athleticism let the second-to-last fence get away from them to finish this round on a 9.
3:19 – Third placed Romain Duguet and his ginger girl 22 have many hard rubs in the first half and then COME ALIVE, leaving them up to stay on four!
3:22 – Gregory and Forlap come in and flub the first triple to bring down a rail, what a bummer! These two have stolen a lot of hearts this week, and they’re going to go out with 7 faults to sit in 2nd for the moment. Only one rider to go…
3:23 – The crowd is electrically silent as McLain and Annie come in.
3:25 – They do what they have done all week, and make American fans weep for joy as they stay clear going into the final round. Just one rail between him and Romain Duguet!
Here is our current leaderboard:
They grab a quick interview with McLain, who had this to say when the commentator suggested Annie was main girl: “She’s number three to my wife and my daughter, but she’s pretty great.”
This is the hero America is looking for, can we all agree on that?
3:32 – They’re currently rebuilding the arena for round 2 – we’re anticipating around another *30 minutes before we get going again.
Here’s a link to your course B.
3:34 – They’re doing a quick run-through of interviews with the riders, highlights: Lorenzo de Luca says it’s “big enough”. Charlie Jacobs lets us in on the secret that it’s a bit of work to keep Cassinja S together at the end of course, but it’s nice to know she’s still got so much in the tank! Laura Kraut shares that Zara seems to be feeling a little bit tired at the end of a long championship, but she’s obviously still thrilled with the horse.
3:38 – For ease reading, we’re going to start a second thread for the final round so you don’t have as much scrolling to do! We’ll drop a link here at the bottom of this thread so you don’t miss a moment. Thank you for joining us through round A, and don’t go away!
LINK TO ROUND B THREAD: http://jumpernation.com/fei-world-cup-jumping-live-updates-round-3-b/