Audrey Coulter with Capital Colnardo.
Omaha, Neb. – A top group of eight U.S. Show Jumpers will compete for the 2017 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final in Omaha, Neb., March 30 – April 2. The U.S. contingent will face stiff competition from Switzerland’s back-to-back champion and Olympic gold medalist Steve Guerdat and other top Europeans off an indoor season.
LONGINES FEI World Cup™, North American East Coast Sub-League
Audrey Coulter with Capital Colnardo: Coulter (San Francisco, Calif.) will return for her second consecutive World Cup Finals riding Copernicus Stables, LLC’s Capital Colnardo. The 2005 Holsteiner stallion helped Coulter to a second-place finish in the $100,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Qualifier at the HITS Coachella Desert Circuit IV in February.
Charlie Jacobs with Cassinja S: Jacobs (Boston, Mass.) returns for his third World Cup Finals and will ride CMJ Sporthorse LLC’s Cassinja S. The 2006 Zweibrücker mare was instrumental in a second-place finish in the $216,000 American Gold Cup CSI4*-W in September.
Laura Kraut with Zeremonie: Olympic gold medalist Kraut (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) will make her seventh World Cup Final appearance, having placed fifth in the 2003 World Cup Finals. This will be her first World Cup Final with Old Willow Farms, LLC’s Zeremonie. She and the 2007 Holsteiner mare placed second in the $216,000 Longines FEI World FEI World Cup™ Wellington CSI3*-W presented by Sovaro at the Palm Beach Masters.
Todd Minikus with Babalou 41: Minikus (Loxahatchee, Fla.) and Babalou 41, Jack Snyder and Two Swans Farm’s 2005 Oldenburg mare, claimed the $100,000 FEI World Cup™ Qualifier at the Live Oak International this month to earn their entry into the World Cup Final. Minikus has competed for the World Cup Finals title eight times, including in 2015, when he competed with Babalou 41.
McLain Ward with HH Azur: Olympic gold medalist Ward (Brewster, N.Y.) will make his 17th appearance in a World Cup Finals in Omaha with HH Azur. He and the 2006 Belgian Warmblood mare teamed up to win the $130,270 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Toronto for the Hickstead Trophy in November.
LONGINES FEI World Cup™, North American West Coast Sub-League
Jamie Barge with Luebbo: Barge (Malibu, Calif.) will make her World Cup Final debut with Kylie Co.’s Luebbo. She and the 2005 Oldenburg Springpferd gelding qualified through three qualifying competitions. She placed fourth in the $100,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping at the Las Vegas National Horse Show with Luebbo.
Karl Cook with Tembla: Cook (Woodside, Calif.) gets his third opportunity at a World Cup Final title with the assistance of Signe Ostby’s a 2004 Zangersheide mare, Tembla. These two have been a consistent combination picking up top placings throughout their partnership. They qualified for this year’s World Cup Final, in part, with a win in the $135,600 CSI3*-W Longines World Cup Qualifier at Thunderbird in August.
Jenni McAllister with LEGIS Touch the Sun: Two-time World Cup Final competitor McAllister (Sun Valley, Calif.) boosted her chances of qualifying in the World Cup Final with a win with LEGIS Touch the Sun, LEGISequine.com’s 2006 Holsteiner gelding, in the $132,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Calgary in October.
The Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final gets underway with the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final I (Jumping Speed Class). Watch it live on FEI TV beginning at 7:00 p.m. EST.
By Dana Rossmeier, US Equestrian Communications Department