Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat and Martin Fuchs – currently ranked second and fifth in the world – have opted to boycott the FEI’s flagship series Longines League of Nations™ (LLN), Swiss Equestrian announced in a press release on Friday.

“We have had detailed discussions with Martin Fuchs and Steve Guerdat,” Evelyne Niklaus – sports manager for Swiss Equestrian – said in the press release. “We respect their wish. In other Nations Cups, the two of them will be on the team and will give their full commitment to Switzerland.”

“The Nations Cups are very important to me,” Fuchs said in the press release from Swiss Equestrian. “I am critical of the fact that the best traditional shows that have shaped the history of our sport are not included in the LLN calendar, which rather supports [other] shows that, in my opinion, have little audience and esteem. I will be available for Switzerland for all other Nations Cups this season and I am looking forward to a successful year.”

“It is always a great honour for me to represent Switzerland in a Nations Cup,” Guerdat said in the press release. “I also stand one hundred percent behind Swiss Equestrian. The atmosphere at the Swiss Nations Cup in St.Gallen, for example, or at other traditional shows in strong equestrian countries is incomparable. There are fantastic shows with great atmosphere all over the world. It is exactly this atmosphere that I miss at shows that are organized less for the horse-loving public and more for a selected audience – I cannot understand the FEI's strategy regarding the Longines League of Nations™.”

The first stage of the second season of the Longines League of Nations™ is set to take place in Abu Dhabi (UAE) on 15 February, followed by three other qualifiers – Ocala (USA) in March, Rotterdam (NED) in June and Gassin - St-Tropez (FRA) in September – before the final takes place in Barcelona in October. Alongside Switzerland, nine other countries – Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Sweden and the USA – are qualified to compete.

The FEI completely transformed its own Nations Cup-series into the Longines League of Nations™ last year, when it replaced the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™. The FEI-series was not only rebranded, but was also subject to a new formula and format. Firstly, the number of qualifiers world-wide was reduced, secondly there was a drop in the number of countries eligible to compete, and thirdly the competition format was altered. 

While the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™-calendar for the 2023-season included six venues in Europe – St. Gallen (SUI), Sopot (POL), Rotterdam (NED), Falsterbo (SWE), Hickstead (GBR) and Dublin (IRL) – as well as four venues outside of Europe – Abu Dhabi (UAE), San Miguel de Allende (MEX), San Juan Capistrano (USA) and Langley (CAN) – the Longines League of Nations™ 2024-calendar included only four events, in Abu Dhabi (UAE), Ocala (USA), St. Gallen (SUI) and Rotterdam (NED) leading up to the final in Barcelona (ESP). For 2025, FEI opted to terminate its Longines League of Nations™-contract with the Swiss venue St. Gallen – a show with vast history and tradition – bringing in Polo Club de Saint-Tropez in Haras de Gassin as a new host for season two. 

For the 2024 and 2025 LLN-season, participation has been determined by the Longines League of Nations™ Ranking – with the ten highest ranked countries in the world eligible to compete in the four qualifiers. The eight best countries over the four qualifiers move on to the final where the host nation also is automatically qualified. In comparison, seven Europe Division 1 teams, two Middle East teams, as well as two North and Central American & Caribbean teams qualified for the final in Barcelona throughout the ten qualifiers in the 2023 Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™.

With the Longines League of Nations™ stripped down to four qualifiers, the only two venues remaining as hosts from the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™-series are Abu Dhabi and Rotterdam. Several of the venues that used to host FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ qualifiers, including some of the world’s most beautiful, historical and traditional jumping showgrounds like Aachen, Dublin, Falsterbo, Hickstead, La Baule and Rome, now have stand-alone CSIO5* events with their own title-sponsors. Aachen, La Baule and Rome left the FEI’s own series in 2014, 2018 and 2021 respectively. Dublin, Falsterbo, Hickstead and Sopot went independent when FEI launched its Longines League of Nations™ last year, either by their own decision or because they were not included by the FEI as hosts to one of the four qualifiers in the series – which was decided after a bidding process.

The Longines League of Nations™ has been subject of much debate, both prior to its launch and after. For more info on the topic, click here.

*This article has been updated on 8 February 2025 for further context.