Edited press release from Longines Equita Lyon

Germany's Richard Vogel and the 12-year-old stallion United Touch S (Untouched x Lux Z) won Sunday's CSI5*-W 1.60m Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ of Lyon – the third qualifier in the Western European League for the 2024/2025-season – at the 30th edition of Longines Equita Lyon, France.

Taking all the risk already in the first round, Vogel and United Touch S were the only couple to make a shortcut to deal with the tight time allowed set by the French course designer Grégory Bodo – who co-designed the Olympic courses at Versailles this summer and for whom it all really started at the Longines Equita Lyon Concours Hippique International a few years ago. 

From the forty horse-and-rider combinations at start in Sunday's Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ of Lyon, four were caught by the time allowed, including some of the most seasoned couples – Switzerland's Steve Guerdat and his Dynamix de Belheme (Snaike de Blondel x Cornet Obolensky), reigning Olympic vice-champions, were one of the pairs kept out of the jump-off due to time penalties.

However, ten pairs produced clear rounds inside the time allowed and joined the jump-off where the top five finished only fractions apart from each other. Vogel and United Touch S took the win with a time of 37.36 seconds, leaving Harrie Smolders (NED) and Monaco N.O.P. (Cassini II x Contender) to the runner-up spot – with only 0.16 seconds separating the two riders. Eduardo Alvarez Aznar (ESP) and Legend (Ogano Sitte x Nabab de Reve) placed third after crossing the finish line in 37.62, followed by the host nation's own Julien Anquetin and Blood Diamond du Pont (Diamant de Semilly x Arpege Pierreville) in fourth in 37.64 and Gregory Wathelet (BEL) aboard Bond Jamesbond de Hay (Diamant de Semilly x Kannan) in fifth in 37.88. 

“I had a very good feeling in the first round," Vogel said. "The jump-off was very exciting. It was not easy to leave out strides, so I had to tighten the turns. It’s my first time in Lyon and certainly not the last! The atmosphere is incredible, the public really supports us. The Longines FEI World Cup Final will be one of my goals for the season." 

With the third of the fourteen legs of the WEL 2024/2025-season now completed in Lyon, the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ continues to Verona, Italy, where the fourth qualifier will take place next week. 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. 

After the third Western European League-leg in Lyon, Gregory Wathelet (BEL) tops the overall standings with 32 points, followed by Yuri Mansur (BRA) on 25. Sitting third and fourth, Kevin Staut (FRA) and Steve Guerdat (SUI) each have 24 points, while Harrie Smolders (NED) is fifth on 23 points.