Text © World of Showjumping

The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2023 kicked off at the CHI Health Centre in Omaha, USA, on Wednesday evening and it was Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann – a man on a mission – that was the quickest in the opening competition. 

As per the format of the World Cup Final, the first day of competition was a 1.60m class judged as a Table C over a Table A course, and the track set by the Portuguese Level 4 course designer Bernardo Costa Cabral counted 13 obstacles and 16 efforts. With three seconds added for a pole down, it was possible to save time at the end of the course as the track offered the riders two optional inside turns.

Starting to the left with an oxer, followed by seven or eight strides to a wall at fence number two, going across the diagonal on four strides from fence three to an oxer at fence four followed by three strides to a liverpool vertical at fence five, the track was perfectly suited for the varying starting field on day one of competition in Omaha. From the triple bar at fence six, there were five strides to a vertical-vertical double at 7ab and then a possibility to do an inside turn to an oxer at fence eight – with a water tray underneath. The trickiest part of the course, however, ended up being a bended line close to the audience from a double at fence ten, with a very flat four strides to another double at fence eleven, with a white plank on top of the b-element. It was here that even title defender Martin Fuchs (SUI) and the 11-year-old Leone Jei (Baltic VDL x Corland) ran into trouble. The course then ended with another option of an inside turn to the penultimate oxer at fence twelve before finishing with ten or nine strides to the final vertical at fence 13. 

With Denis Lynch (IRL) and the 14-year-old Brooklyn Heights (Nabab de Reve x For Pleasure) as pathfinders, the action in Omaha got underway with a great round from the Irish rider, who – not taking the penultimate inside turn – stopped the clock on 63.25. As pair number six out, Harrie Smolders (NED) and Monaco N.O.P. (Cassini II x Contender) gave a master class and truly set the standard for those to follow with their smooth round in 60.59. Pius Schwizer (SUI) – the oldest rider in the starting field with his 61 years – and Vancouver de Lanlore (Toulon x Le Tot de Semilly) stole the lead from Smolders when they were the first to go under the 60 second mark, crossing the finish line in 59.55. However, Great Britain’s former world number one Scott Brash and his athletic Hello Jefferson (Cooper van de Heffinck x Irco Mena) had an extra gear, cruising around in 59.23 in their trademark style, taking over the lead.

Halfway into the class, Brash was sitting safe on top. Wilma Hellström (SWE) and the lovely Cicci BJN (Ci Ci Senjor ASK x Tornesch) were unapologetic in their approach to Costa Cabral’s track in their World Cup Final debut, jumping a great round and stopping the clock on 60.26. Andreas Schou (DEN) and Darc de Lux (Darco x Contender) followed suit – the Danish rider being perhaps the happiest man in Omaha when he crossed the finish line clear in 60.53. Daniel Deusser (GER) did what he does best, jumping a spot on perfect round with his faithful Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z (Otangelo x Mr Blue) and without risking too much he slotted into second behind Brash in 59.45. 

As the last man out, current world number one, Sweden’s Olympic team champion and double world champion Henrik von Eckermann was a man on a mission. The 42-year-old Swede – who qualified for the final by topping the Western European League – has been on the podium at two previous World Cup Finals, and looked determined to step up to the top this time around. Riding a daring round with his incredible 13-year-old King Edward (Edward x Feo), the pair crossed the finish line in 59.09, pushing Brash to second, Deusser to third and Schwizer fourth, while his compatriot Wilma Hellström finished fifth.

“I was happy to be going last,” von Eckermann said after his win. “In classes like this, it is of course good to see a few and I knew I could be close to Scott – but I also knew I had to cut a little bit. I am very happy now; it was a good start. For sure it was an advantage to watch a little bit and see – you have to know how much risk you really have to take, to not go too crazy when it is not necessary and I got my plan done. Scott’s horse is totally different to mine, so I just stuck to my plan. For example, it suited me to do one less to the triple bar, many did nine there and I could do eight, so I knew there I had a bit of time. And on the other fences, I could keep the pace going and to the last one I did nine, where many did ten – these small things made it so that I was in front. I am really grateful to my horse for the way he jumped, because to be honest, the ground was not nice there in the end after 40 riders, and I hope they get it in better shape for tomorrow – it felt like it took a lot of effort from my horse, which he did, because he is such a fantastic horse and I can only say thank you to him for that.” 

“It is a long way, it is so far away, but I have the best position now, a place I like; now I don’t have to chase anyone, I just have to make sure that I am good enough and then we see where it ends,” von Eckermann continued to speak about his quest for the sought-after title. “When I was here in 2017, I had just started on my own, so to be third in 2017 was unbelievable for me and an amazing experience. Of course, I always want to become better, so I am trying my best and we have to see what happens.”

Second placed Scott Brash was happy with Hello Jefferson. “I think he jumped fantastic,” Brash said. “He is an amazing horse; he is capable of winning anything. I have always believed in him, and it is just about things going right on the day – and so far, so good. He is a quick horse, but he gets tense, so I tried to do a round that was comfortable for him. I was happy with the first half, but then just at the end he got a bit keen and twisted a bit on the white plank – I was a bit forward into that double so that was tight inside for us and he was really good to jump that – but we lost a little bit our balance there before the next fence. We lost a bit of time there, and he lost his relaxation a little bit, but he jumped the end good and hopefully we can keep this up for tomorrow. After finishing off Jefferson, I watched the other guys; it is good to watch, you can always keep learning. To be honest, I didn’t think I had done enough because I thought my round was very good up until the double in the end where he twisted on the plank and I did not get a smooth turn after – so I knew I was slower there. But I am delighted with how Hello Jefferson jumped.”

Another happy man was third placed Daniel Deusser. “To be honest I am very satisfied with my third place tonight,” he commented. “I walked the course, and did my plan already before the first rider went to the ring. I also saw Scott in between, but I knew it would be very difficult for me to beat him tonight, so when I came out and I was second, I was very happy about it. And to have Henrik at the end of the class, trying to win, is always dangerous, so I have to say for me tonight I am very happy and I think it was a good start into the week.”

“At Stephex Stables, we have a good team with riders, grooms and vets, with everything around and I have good confidence in my team at home,” Deusser – who has been sharing his time between the States and Europe for the last weeks – said about how Tobago has gotten ready for Omaha at home in Belgium, while his rider competed with other horses in the US. “I rode him in Paris three weeks ago, and I made this plan also knowing that he is quite easy to ride at home, he does not need a lot to be ready, he has a lot of experience – we just have to keep him fit in his mind.” 

The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2023 continues on Thursday with a Table A class set at 1.50m-1.60m with a jump-off.