The Lorensberg Theatre in the city of Gothenburg played host tonight to the draws for both the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ and FEI Dressage World Cup™ Finals 2019 with competitors, officials and guests from all around the globe enjoying the party atmosphere.
Now it’s all-systems-go, as a total of 35 riders from 20 countries are set to battle it out over three days of Jumping, while 18 riders from 12 nations will contest the Dressage title.
Sweden’s Patrik Kittel and Dominican Republic’s Yvonne Losos de Muniz first pulled out the names and numbers for Friday’s Dressage Grand Prix, and Kittel was delighted to slot into the no. 17 spot of the 18 starters, while Losos de Muniz will be sixth into the Scandinavium Arena.
Going first is never any rider’s choice, but Ireland’s Judy Reynolds is no shrinking violet and when her name was announced as pathfinder she just muttered determinedly, “and that’s where I intend to stay!” Some of the other heavy hitters didn’t get their ideal slot either, Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg will be first after the half-way break in tenth place while her compatriot and double defending champion Isabell Werth will be next, going 11th. Denmark’s Daniel Bachmann Andersen will start in 14th place and America’s Laura Graves 15th.
Tanya Seymour will fly the South African flag and one of the interesting twists to this year’s Dressage Final is the number of older horses competing. There are five 17-year-olds - Seymour’s Ramoneur, Reynolds’ Vancouver K, Don Auriello ridden by Sweden’s Tinne Vilhelmson, Langehanenberg’s Damsey FRH and Graves’ Verdades who are all showing incredible form.
Starting order for FEI World Cup™ Dressage 2018 Final Grand Prix here
Facts and Figures:
Defending champion, Germany’s Isabell Werth, is going for her third consecutive FEI World Cup™ Dressage title and her fifth overall.
She recorded her first victory with Fabienne in 1992 in Gothenburg (SWE), her second in Las Vegas (USA) in 2007 with Warum Nicht, and won again in Omaha (USA) in 2017 and Paris (FRA) in 2018 with Weihegold OLD.
The first FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final was held in ’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands in 1986 where Denmark’s Anne-Grethe Jensen and Marzog reigned supreme.
The youngest Dressage rider at this year’s Final is 28-year-old Daniel Bachmann Andersen representing Denmark. The youngest Dressage horse is the 10-year-old Rheinlander stallion Sun of May Life, ridden by Russia’s Regina Isachkina.
About the FEI World Cup™ Finals
The FEI Dressage World Cup™ Dressage and the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2019 Finals bring together the world’s top horses and riders at the Scandanavium Arena, Gothenburg (SWE). Qualified from leagues right across the globe, Olympic, World and European champions are amongst the representatives from 24 countries hoping to claim the prestigious titles in front of 60,000 fans.
Longines has been based at Saint-Imier (SUI) since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to Elegance, Tradition and Performance. It has generations of experience as the official timekeeper at world championships and as a partner of international sports federations. Longines’ passion for equestrian sports began in 1878, when a timepiece was made with a horse and jockey engraved on the watch face. Over the years, the brand has built strong and long-lasting links with equestrian sports. In 1912, for the first time, the brand was involved as timekeeper for a show jumping event in Portugal.
Today, Longines’ involvement in equestrian sports includes jumping, endurance and flat racing. Longines is a member of The Swatch Group S.A., the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With an excellent reputation for creating refined timepieces, the brand, whose emblem is the winged hourglass, has outlets in over 150 countries.