Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final Day 1 Round-Up
Friday 04 April 2025
The opening leg of the 45th edition of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final kicked off yesterday evening in Basel (SUI) with Great Britain getting off to a flying start. The nature of the first day’s competition provides athletes with somewhat of a conundrum as they must weigh up the risks posed by the various elements of the day’s competition in its own right and as part of the overall championship that is the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final.
Going too fast on day one presents athletes with the risk of their horses getting too quick and jumping flat ahead of the final two days of competition, each run over two rounds of 1.60m tracks where clean jumping is paramount. The winners of the past six Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Finals however, have all lead after day one, highlighting the importance of putting in a strong, and quick, performance in the opening competition. Each athlete therefore must develop a strategy and tactics to fit their horse.
Fourteen combinations returned with clean rounds over Gérard Lachat (SUI) 1.60m track, the course designer making use of light materials such as a delicate plank, short poles and airy fences with shallow cups to ensure a true jumping test was set for the stellar line up of athletes.
Robert Whitaker and his Helsinki leg winner, 12-year-old Vermento, sacrificed speed to negotiate all the fences safely finishing an eventual 14th. Aboard the 11-year-old stallion Point Break, Ben Maher, nursing a recently broken foot, masterfully negotiated the track in typically silky-smooth fashion to put himself onto the podium in second place.
France’s Julien Epaillard topped Day 1’s podium 0.13 seconds ahead of Ben Maher with USA’s Lillie Keenan using her late draw to slot into third place.
Maher was modestly dismissive of the potential handicap presented by his broken foot, an injury sustained less than a week ago. Although struggling to walk, he is able to ride albeit with his stirrup “in a different position.” He was pleased with the performance and result today.
“Point Break felt confident and relaxed which is really important for him. There’s a long way to go but I’m really proud of him. It’s his first championship test and he feels ready.”
The second competition of the 2025 Longines FEI World Cup™ Final takes place on Friday 4 April at 20:15 local time where riders will jump in reverse order of yesterday’s results. Access the full scores and everything you need to know about the competition can be found here.
Image: FEI / Benjamin Clark
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