Fieracavalli opened with a warm welcome from the large crowd that had once again gathered for this 126th edition at the most prestigious showjumping venue on the Italian stage. As always, Jumping Verona, the flagship of the best in show jumping, acted as an exceptional catalyst for numbers and quality. The huge crowd arrived punctually at the stands in Hall 8, where the fans are waiting to support the top riders and appreciate their performances.
On Thursday 7th November, after the national competitions for the 126×126 GP and the Italian Champions Tour, Jumping Verona will take the scene for its 23rd edition at Fieracavalli. Tomorrow, Friday 8th November, the international Csi5* classes will draw the attention on Hall 8. The most awaited champions will take their chance in the only Italian leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™, on the courses of “Maestro” Uliano Vezzani.
In the starting list, three FEI Top 10 riders stand out: Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat (2nd), Great Britain’s Ben Maher (3rd) and Austria’s Max Kühner (6th). Guerdat is the reigning European champion. Maher won Olympic team gold at Paris 2024 on Dallas Vegas Batilly, who he will ride again in the Verona Grand Prix, which he won last year. Kühner is fresh from topping the Longines Global Champions Tour ranking.
In addition to Maher, the string of 60 competitors from 20 nations includes two riders who have already won the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ GP: Briton Scott Brash, who topped the class with Hello M’Lady in 2019, and Frenchman Simon Delestre, who scored a double win with Hermes Ryan in 2015 and 2021.
Italian Coach Marco Porro’s squad of 19 ‘players’ is led by Lorenzo De Luca and Emanuele Gaudiano, respectively 1 and 2 Italian riders in the Fei ranking where they lay in 31 and 39 position. After a 17-year absence from the Verona event, the come-back of 64-year-old Arnaldo Bologni, so far the protagonist of an excellent 2024, is very welcome.
Programme, Tv Coverage and Streaming
This is the programme for the CSI5*-W classes on Friday 8th.
- h 12 Prix n. 1 presented by SITIP – Competition Special Two Phases – 5.000 eur
- h 2.15 pm Prix n. 2 presented by BANCA PASSADORE – Tab A One round against the clock – 30.000 eur
- h 4.30 pm Prix n. 3 presented by EQUIPE, Tab A One round against the clock with one jump-off against the clock – 56.800 eur, qualifying for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ GP presented by Kask
Tv Coverage
- RAI – Prix no. 3 presented by EQUIPE, live on RaiSport and RaiPlay from 16.30 to 18.30 (commentator Gianluigi Zamponi, technical commentator Filippo Bologni)
- EQUTV (channel 151 digital terrestrial, 220 satellite Sky) – Prix no. 3 presented by EQUIPE, deferred on Saturday 9, from 9 pm (commentators Stefano Donati and Paolo Sareni)
- STREAMING – Prix no. 1 presented by SITIP, Prix no. 2 presented by BANCA PASSADORE, Prix no. 3 presented by EQUIPE, all live on the Jumping Verona site (https://www.fieracavalli.it/it/live-streaming/) and on the Clip My Horse site (https://www.clipmyhorse.tv/en_EU/ )
