Harrie Smolders (NED) has secured the number one spot on the Longines Ranking for the first time in his career, taking over from Kent Farrington (USA) who has been holding on to the top of the ranking since May 2017.

Smolders, who turns 38 next week, has been snapping at the heels of Farrington (34) for several months from second position. Now at the top of the world ranking list with 3158 points, Smolders earns further recognition after his incredible year in 2017 which was marked by one dominant performance after another. Smolders took individual silver with Don VHP Z at the 2017 Longines FEI European Championships in Gothenburg, and shortly after clinched victory for his country at the 2017 Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final in Barcelona. Smolders was awarded the Rider of the Year in the Netherlands in 2017, another first in his career, as an acknowledgement of his accomplishments in a single season and also made history with his double victory winning both the 2017 Longines Global Champions Tour and the 2017 Longines Global Champions league. 

Kent Farrington who is well on the road to recovery after breaking his right leg in a fall in mid-February now sits in second position on 2913 points, followed closely by Peder Fredricson (SWE) who remains at number three on 2821 points.

Kevin Staut (FRA) remains as rank four, while Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) is up one spot to rank five. McLain Ward (USA) climbs two spots to rank six, while Simon Delestre (FRA) falls two spots down to rank seven. Marcus Ehning (GER) is back in the top ten, and goes from rank twelve to eight while Steve Guerdat (SUI) remains as rank nine. Daniel Deusser (GER) makes a huge climb, and goes from rank seventeen to ten this month.