Ireland’s Darragh Kenny and the 12-year-old gelding Eddy Blue (Eldorado vd Zeshoek x Chacco-Blue) won the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ presented by Agria at London International Horse Show 2024, spoiling a British party when snatching the top spot ahead of three home riders.

Only five horse-and-rider combinations at start managed to clear the first-round track set by Bernardo Costa Cabral (POR), and to the immense joy of the enthusiastic crowd at London International Horse Show, three of them were British: Tim Gredley and Imperial HBF (Glasgow W vh Merelsnest x Original VDL) – as pair number seven out – were the first to jump clear, followed by Darragh Kenny (IRL) on Eddy Blue, Sophie Hinners (GER) on Iron Dames my Prins (Zilverstar T x Winningmood), Ben Maher (GBR) on Point Break (Action-Breaker x Balou du Rouet), and Robert Whitaker (GBR) on his Helsinki-winner Vermento (Argento x Skippy).

With a fence down in the jump-off for Gredley, it was Kenny who as second out set the standard when crossing the finish line in 34.76 seconds with Eddy Blue – leaving a stride out from fence three to four. While Hinners was eliminated after two refusals, Maher got the closest to Kenny’s time when stopping the clock at 35.15 seconds. Opting to do six instead of five strides on the second related line of the jump-off cost Maher the win, while Whitaker’s hopes were smashed right at the very first fence – leaving Kenny and Eddy Blue at the top, with Maher in second, Whitaker in third, Gredley in fourth and Hinners in fifth.

“It’s a show that I always love to come to, I’ve watched it since I was a little kid, it’s one of the best shows of the year, and to have won this World Cup is pretty cool," Kenny said in a press release from London International Horse Show. "I knew going into the ring that I had to be fast because those boys are brilliant and they’re all on form, so I knew I had to really throw it down, but Eddy Blue was unbelievable and jumped great, so it worked out. It’s hard with Ben coming behind you, you never know if you’ve done enough, he’s one of the best riders in the world, so it was a wait and wish situation.”  

“I didn’t start strongly, but it ended up being a good week and this caps it off," Kenny said about claiming the leading rider of the show award. "The crowd here is unbelievable, they’re so fun and it’s brilliant to put on a good show for them.”

With eighth of the fourteen legs in the Western European League 2024/2025-season now completed, the last Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ qualifier of the year takes place in Mechelen (BEL) right after Christmas, with five more venues left in the new year before the final in Basel (SUI) in April 2025.

After the London-leg, Robert Whitaker (GBR) has taken over the lead in the Western European League with 60 points – also the amount of points Kevin Staut (FRA) has collected, sitting second. Gregory Wathelet (BEL) follows in third with 43 points, while Richard Vogel (GER) is fourth on 42 and Steve Guerdat (SUI) fifth on 36.

The top sixteen horse-and-rider combinations at each of the fourteen qualifiers earn points, with the best eighteen from the overall standings in the WEL qualifying for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final held in Basel, Switzerland, in April 2025.