Looking ahead to the FEI Jumping World Cup Final 2023
Wednesday 05 April 2023
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The Longines FEI World Cup Final starts today (Wednesday, 5 April) in Omaha, Nebraska, with Britain’s new Number 1 rider Harry Charles along with Scott Brash representing Great Britain in the USA.
The prestigious Jumping Final opens with a 1.60m speed and handiness Table C (seconds added for a knockdown) competition starting at 19.15 – 21.30 hrs (Thursday, 6 April, 01.15 – 03.30 hrs BST). Forty riders from nineteen nations take part and Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs is out to defend his 2022 title.
Scott is drawn 13th on Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham’s Hello Jefferson while Harry – placed fourth in last year’s Final and comfortably qualified for the 2023 Final in fourth – is drawn 27th riding Ann Thompson’s Balou Du Reventon.
Round two on Thursday, 6 April at 19.15 – 22.00 hrs (Friday, 7 April, 01.15 – 04.00 hrs BST) sees the riders start in reverse order of merit over a 1.50 – 1.60m course. Jumping and time penalties incurred will decide their ranking, with any clear rounds going forward to a jump-off.
Based on penalties accrued, the winning combination in each of the first two rounds is given one more point than the number of starters at the beginning of the competition. The second-placed combination gets two points less than the winner, and so on.
After the first two rounds, the points are turned into penalties. The highest placed rider will have zero penalties while the following competitors will receive penalties based on the difference between the points total and that of the leading rider.
The final on Saturday, 8 April 18.15 – 21.45 hrs (Sunday, 9 April, 00.15 – 03.45 hrs BST) follows a similar format to round two. Riders jump in reverse order of merit with any accrued penalties added to their two-round total. The winner is the rider with the fewest penalties after three rounds. In the event of a tie-breaker for the title, a jump-off will decide the winner.
You can watch all three rounds of the final live on FEI.TV - you’ll need a subscription to tune in. Some highlights will also be available on the FEI YouTube channel. All the information about the FEI Jumping World Cup Final, including a list of participants can be found here.