Jumping Verona is all set to present round 4 of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup 2024/2025 Western European League tomorrow, Sunday 10 November, and once again it looks set to be a cracker.
The Italian leg of the series, which this year visits 14 venues on the road to the Final in Basel, Switzerland next April, has been staged in three different cities since it first took place in 1984. Verona has been its home for the last 23 years, and the Roll of Honour sparkles with stars of the past as well as the present.
Last year’s winner was Great Britain’s Ben Maher riding the mare Dallas Vegas Batilly who would go on to win team gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. A year earlier it was Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann and the mighty King Edward whose incredible record of successes includes back-to-back World Cup titles in 2023 and 2024. It seems extraordinary that since the very first Italian qualifier was held in Milan 40 years ago there has never been a home-side winner. Perhaps this year is the time to put that to rights.
Yesterday’s competitions were all about the Italians, with Emanuele Gaudiano posting a brilliant double and then Giulia Martinengo Marquet galloping to victory in the feature class at the end of the day. Once again it is the Italian maestro Uliano Vezzani who will set the course that will test the best of the best tomorrow afternoon.
Twice
In the history of FEI World Cup Jumping in Italy there have been three riders who have won twice. The first was British legend John Whitaker who came out on top with Grannus in Bologna in 1995 and with Welham in 2000. The great Dutch partnership of Albert Zoer and Okidoki did the double in Verona in 2005 and 2007 and the French duo of Simon Delestre and the wonderful little Hermes Ryan took the honours in 2015 and 2021.
If Maher can repeat the win he posted 12 months ago he would join this group of double-winners.
Ireland’s Eddie Macken and El Paso won the very first Italian FEI World Cup qualifier in Milan in 1984, and when it moved to Bologna in 1995 it was The Netherlands’ Jan Tops and the great Top Gun who reigned supreme. When the stage moved to Verona in 2001 the Belgian whitewash of the first three places was led by Stanny van Paesschen and O de Pomme. This year’s masterlist shows entries from 20 nations, including some of the very best combinations in the modern sport.
Context
Jumping Verona takes place within the context of the Fieracavalli, the colossal international horse fair that celebrates it’s 126th anniversary this year. With its 12 show halls and six outdoor arenas the annual event attracts 140,000 spectators who come to see over 2,000 horses representing 60 different breeds, and the CSI5* always guarantees a full stadium of spectators on Sunday afternoon for the World Cup qualifier which offers €200,000 in prizemoney.
After the first three legs of the 2024/2025 Western European League it is Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet who stands top of the leaderboard followed by Brazil’s Yuri Mansur. Amongst those chasing points tomorrow will be Kevin Staut from France who is currently in third place and three-time World Cup winner Steve Guerdat from Switzerland who lies fourth. Sweden’s Peder Fredricson and Brazil’s Marlon Zanotelli are also in the top ten at this early stage of the season, and all will be hoping to add those valuable maximum 20 points as winner of the Jumping Verona qualifier which will kick off at 14.30 local time.
