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Cassio Rivetti and Temple Road jumping for Ukraine in Gijon yesterday. Photo by FEI/tankalab.com.Ukraine won the FEI Nations Cup Promotional League 2012 title after finishing fourth in the Nations Cup in Gijon, Spain, yesterday. As the FEI Nations Cup Series will undergo a total make over in the coming months, the win does not upgrade the Ukrainian team to the Top League as it would have if the system had stayed as it has been. The plans are to introduce a new system of regional qualifying leagues, semi-finals and a world final. A draft copy of proposed changes for 2013 has already been sent to National Federations, the International Jumping Riders Club, Chef d'Equipes and show organizers for their comments. These will be considered at a meeting of the FEI Jumping Committee on 12/13 September, following which a final proposal will be submitted to the FEI Bureau for approval.  

Rusty Stewart and Bristol - here in the Showpark Jumper Classic earlier this weekend. Photo © Amy McCool Photography.Rusty Stewart and Bristol made a flawless performance in Saturday's $50,000 Showpark World Cup Grand Prix, presented by EQU Lifestyle Magazine. Stewart guided Bristol to the only double clear round of the day over the large track set by Michel Vaillancourt  (CAN). It was an FEI regulated course at it's finest with large spreads and tall verticals with an objective to shave down the field. Many pairs fell victim to the multiple combinations, while a select few had to end their day when the brick wall caused for refusal. Ashlee Bond and her mount Wistful were the only other pair to post a clear round and qualify for the jump-off.

William Funnel and Billy Congo - here seen in Rome earlier this year. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The biggest Grand Prix today was the five star one at the Donbass Tour in Ukraine, and it was won by William Funnel on Billy Congo. The British rider beat a field of thirty riders on the lovely Vechta-stallion, and had one of six double clear rounds in the class. William and Billy Congo were slightly faster than runner-up Max Kühner on Coeur de Lion (Coriano x Cassini I), with 41.19 in the jump-off compared to Max’s 41.50. Third place went to Edwina Tops-Alexander and the lovely stallion Guccio (Quick Star x Cantus) on the time of 42.16 in the jump-off.

Click here for full results.

McLain Ward is unbeatable at The Hampton Classic. Here seen in London. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.McLain Ward scored his fourth victory this week at the 37th Annual Hampton Classic Horse Show when he guided Vocas to the top prize in the $30,000 Pilatus Cup on Saturday afternoon. This was also his second consecutive victory in the Pilatus Cup and his third victory in the class in the last four years.

Vocas was the only one of the five horses who qualified for the jump-off to finish the second round  faultlessly, which he did in 34.22 seconds. Twisther and Jonathan McCrea, of Suffield, Conn., finished second (4 faults/31.87 seconds), while Carribas Z and Irish rider Richie Maloney finished third (4/32.61).

Penelope Leprevost and Mylord Carthago on the winning team in Gijon. Here seen after their Nations Cup win in Aachen earlier this year. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The French team took home the win in the Promotional League Nations Cup in Gijon today . The French team consisted of Penelope Leprevost riding Mylord Carthago (Carthago x Jalisco B), Kevin Staut with Reveur de Hurtebise HDC (Kashmir van Schuttershof x Capricieux des Six Censes), Marie Hecart with Myself de Breve (Quidam de Revel x Grand Veneur) and Aymeric de Ponnat riding Armitages Boy (Armitage x Feo). With a final score of 13 faults after two rounds France was never threatened in the second round, and they only needed three riders to secure their win. The only team close to France was Italy at 19 faults. Great Britian ended third with 29 faults.

Michelle Park and Xel Ha wins. Photo by Blenheims EquiSports. Leave it to Michelle Parker to outdo herself by not only posting the fastest clear round time of the day, but the second fastest as well. Today's $32,000 Showpark Jumper Classic was a race against the clock as thirty-six horse and rider combinations gave it their all in the one-round speed competition. Many riders were preparing their mounts today for this Saturday's $50,000 World Cup Grand Prix, however with only four clear rounds posted, numerous riders became aware that a new level of performance would have to be met to earn those valuable World Cup Qualifying points.

Eurocommerce London can travel abroad again. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.After the trustee in the Eurocommerce bankruptcy seized Olympic silver medalist London – in addition to other Eurocommerce horses – the horses’ passports were confiscated. This prevented the horses from travelling abroad. Horses.nl now reports that the passports belonging to London, New Orleans, Callahan and Capetown have been returned to Eurocommerce – enabling the horses to yet again cross the border and going to shows. The passports were apparantly returned after a legal request from Eurocommerce’s lawyer.

McLain Ward is the man to beat at The Hampton Classic - here seen in Valkenswaard. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.McLain Ward is hard to beat at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. On Friday afternoon Ward rode Pjotter Van De Zonnehoeve to victory in the $50,000 Spy Coast Farm/Young Horse Show Series Grand Prix Qualifier, and he grabbed third place on Antares F. As the third rider to start in the 13-horse jump-off, Ward, on Antares F, stopped the timers just 0.02 seconds short of the mark Kent Farrington had set right before him on Venus (42.26 seconds). Four more riders tried and failed to lower Farrington’s time before Ward returned to the Grand Prix ring on Pjotter Van De Zonnehoeve. Ward, 36, visibly set his jaw to go for first place and then submarined the two leading times, finishing in 40.33 seconds.

Only one of the remaining six riders finished faultlessly as they attempted to surpass the top pair. Farrington, of Chicago, Ill., kept second place. “I knew I had second with Antares when I came back in, and I thought we could hold it, so I figured I’d go for it,” said Ward. “Pjotter is a very fast horse.”

Laura Chapot with Umberto. Photo by ©ESI Photography. After winning four in a row during Weeks V and VI at HITS Saugerties this summer, Laura Chapot is off to another great start as she and Mary Chapot's Umberto rode to a win in today's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. They topped a field of 30 horses who rode over Jerry Dougherty's track and pocketed the last $25,000 grand prix before HITS Championship Weekend arrives September 7-9.

Bye bye Top League; this is what it looks like right now and Germany will thus be the last team in history to have won the league. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.A regional qualification system, two semi finals and a final – these are some of the components in the draft of the rules for the new FEI Nations Cup Series. From 2013 there will be no more Top League and Promotional League – in addition to the other various leagues. Earlier this year FEI proposed a makeover for the Nations Cup Series, and now the draft of the rules for the new Nations Cup set-up is in circulation. Click here to access the draft of the rules.

McLain Ward won again at The Hampton Classic. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.McLain Ward won his second jumper class of the 37th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show on Thursday morning, guiding Vocas to the fastest clean jump-off round in the $7,5000 Prudential Douglas Elliman 1.45m Open Jumper class. Riding about halfway through the 35-horse class, Ward and Vocas recorded a faultless first round and then finished the jump-off clean in a time of 34.98 seconds to take the lead.  They then withstood the challenges of 13 other horses in the jump-off, against top riders from the United States, Ireland and England. Louisburg Farm, of Boston, Mass., owns Vocas.

Shane Sweetnam rode aggressively, on Spy Coast Farm’s Siri, to try to win his second jumper class of the Hampton Classic, but his time of 35.26 seconds fell just short. Christine McCre urged Candy Tribble and Windsor Show Stables’ Avenir to third place (37.06). McCrea, 34, double Gold Medalist at last year’s Pan American Games, also claimed sixth place on Victor E (38.13).

We are very happy to see Judy-Ann and Levisto Z in the arena again. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Belgian rider Judy-Ann Melchior is  competing again after she gave birth to a baby boy, Leon, in July. This weekend Judy-Ann  is competing at the national show Vosswinkeler Reitertage in Germany where she is riding Carry Z and her wonderful stallion Levisto Z. We look forward to seeing Judy-Ann back in the international arena again as well.

You can follow the results from the show in Vosswinkeler here.

Werner Muff and Kiamon. Here seen in Aachen. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.According to jumpinews.com, Edouard de Rotschild has purchased Werner Muff’s Olympic partner Kiamon (Kolibri x Ramiro’s Match). Kiamon and Muff have been a successful combination over the past couple of years. This year they were a part of the Swiss Nations Cup teams in La Baule, St. Gallen and Aachen as well as being selected for the Olympic Games in London.

With the purchase of Kiamon Switzerland has lost another top horse after the London Games. Earlier this month the news were revealed that also Pius Schwizer has lost the ride on his Olympic horse, Carlina. To make the story complete, Jumpinews.com also writes that Steve Guerdat's ride Ferrari (Furioso II x Polydor) reportedly has been sold to an unknown Brazilian rider. Guerdat and Ferrari recently won the Prize of North-Rhine Westphalia in Aachen in July.

Source: jumpinews.com

Quintero La Silla looks set to be back for the indoor season. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Rolf-Göran Bengtsson’s ride Quintero La Silla (Quantum x Chamonix) is back in training after an injury sustained in Geneva last year. After a long break Quintero La Silla is now in normal training, and the plan is according to Stall Bengtsson & Kristoffersen’s website to get the stallion back in competition when the indoor season kicks off.

Source: stall-bengtsson-kristoffersen.com