2018 World Cup Final list shaping up

Indeed, Germany’s Christian Ahlmann recently announced that he would not be heading to the French capital after finishing 6th in the Western European league, leaving a spot open to Julien Épaillard of the host nation. And changes can actually take place quite late in the lead-up to the event, as riders make judgments about their horses’ status and condition.

Traditionally, 18 Jumping athletes make the cut for the Final from Western Europe, with extras (and European residents) Edwina Tops-Alexander of Australia and Carlos Enrique Lopez Lizarazo of Colombia also qualifying through the regional league this year. Alongside them and Epaillard, the list of (human) competitors from the continent will likely look something like this: Henrik Von Eckermann; Kevin Staut; Marcus Ehning; Denis Lynch; Michael Whitaker; Roger Yves Bost; Pieter Devos; Daniel Deusser; Harrie Smolders; Alberto Zorzi; Steve Guerdat; Eduardo Alvarez Aznar; Robert Whitaker; Douglas Lindelöw; Mark McAuley; Olivier Philippaerts and Simon Delestre. 

From the Eastern North American sub-league, McLain Ward finished second to Switzerland’s Beat Mändli but was already qualified for Paris as defending champion after winning in Omaha, Nebraska last spring. Seven U.S. riders are eligible for France from the North American East Coast league, three from the West Coast, plus two Canadian and two Mexican riders (and extras). In the East, the top group in the final standings (in descending order) were: Beat Mändli; McLain Ward; Alison Robitaille; Devin Ryan; Beezie Madden; Kristen Vanderveen; Isabelle Lapierre; Conor Swail; Sarah Scheiring and Andy Kocher. In the West, the top finishers were (from No.1 down): Richard Spooner; Mandy Porter; Jamie Barge; Eric Navet; Jenni McAllister; Ali Ramsay; Sayre Happy; Laura Jane Tidball; Jennifer Gates, and Karl Cook.

Other league results from around the world can be seen here. 

For Dressage, there are 18 starting places in the Final, with Western Europe allocated nine spots, Central Europe and North America two each, one for the Pacific, one for the host nation, one for a non-league rider, one for a rider domiciled in a league but not of a regional nationality and one for the defending champion (Isabell Werth of Germany). Alongside Werth from Western Europe are: Patrik Kittel; Dorothee Schneider; Jessica von Bredow-Werndl; Madeleine Witte-Vreess; Edward Gal; Daniel Bachmann Andersen; Tinne Vilhelmson Silfven; Belinda Weinbauer, and  Emile Faurie.