Kudos to Omaha: A Look Back at Well-Received World Cup Finals

But it is safe to say that this year’s much-lauded competition, which ran from March 29-April 2, has raised Omaha’s profile among horse sports enthusiasts in a major way — to the point where some have raised the prospect of the Finals returning to the Midwest U.S. city in the near future.

“This event was a shining example of how every Championship should be presented,” said John Roche of the FEI. “Omaha has set a new standard for what a World Cup Final should be,” added FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez. “Lisa Roskens and everyone connected with the Omaha Organizing Committee are to be commended for putting on one of the best championships our sport has ever seen!”

Organizers say a total of 52,119 spectators — including television star Kaley Cuoco, tennis legend Steffi Graf, and business magnates and philanthropists Warren Buffett and Bill Gates — came to Nebraska to watch riders from 26 countries compete for the Show Jumping and Dressage titles. In the end, the United States’ McLain Ward and HH Azur triumphed in the former while Germany’s Isabell Werth and Weihegold OLD claimed the latter at the CenturyLink Center.

The ticket sales tally was short of the initial objective of 60,000, but was deemed to be satisfactory. The excitement of the spectators in Omaha was also singled out by visitors and athletes: ”The crowds here were incredible and their enthusiasm was just amazing,” said Dressage champion Werth.

In the local Omaha World-Herald newspaper, columnist Erin Grace wrote a story looking back at the big event: “I was born with a native Omahan’s insecurity complex, so at first I dreaded the assignment: Find out what worldly horse-loving types here for the World Cup Finals think of our humble city.”

But as she asked around, Grace writes, the reviews coming in were overwhelmingly positive (putting aside the rainy weather, which can not be controlled). She quotes Dutch journalist Dirk Willem Rosie, who had never heard of Omaha but was “very curious” about it. She says that, “when his plane… approached Eppley Airfield and he could see Omaha from the sky, he said to himself: ‘Hey! This is a big city!’” Grace adds that she was most proud to hear Tim Dutta, president and CEO of a major horse transport company, say: “The people of Omaha are very warm, very kind, and that makes all the difference.” 

The 2018 Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final and FEI World Cup Dressage Final will be held in Paris, France, the first time the French capital will host equestrian sport’s most prestigious double indoor Finals.