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The Longines FEI World Cup qualifier at ExCeL London delivered exactly what Alan Wade promised: an hour and a half of pure entertainment. The Irish course designer, fresh off his appointment for the LA28 Olympic Games, weaponized the time allowed to devastating effect. Five world-class combinations jumped flawless rounds over the fences but fell victim to the clock, including home favorite Ben Maher on Enjeu de Grisien.

Wade's 14-fence track snaked around the arena with relentless related distances, demanding what he called "precision planning, forward thinking and razor-sharp focus." The defining line was the red Turkish Airlines treble combination followed by a delicate blue upright with a water tray on just four short strides—a question that required immense scope followed by immediate, drastic collection.

From 37 starters, only five navigated both the fences and the brutal time pressure to reach the jump-off. Max Kühner and the 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse EIC Cooley Jump the Q (Pacino x Obos Quality) delivered the performance of the weekend. Despite the horse's spirited temperament, Kühner found total harmony. "Today he was really with me, he was speaking to me if you like. I know what he wanted and he was also listening to me," Kühner explained after stopping the clock at 33.94 seconds.

The victory made Kühner the first Austrian ever to win the London leg of the FEI World Cup—a historic moment that also marked his first 5* Grand Prix win of 2025, coming at the final possible opportunity.

The British challenge came from Donald Whitaker and the grey mare Millfield Colette. Whitaker's strategy was uncomplicated: "Go fast!" The pair attacked with ferocity, Millfield Colette "fighting for every single second she's in there" according to her rider. They crossed clear in 35.52 seconds—1.58 seconds behind Kühner but enough for second place and the €36,000 prize.

World Cup London Podium:

The clear rate of 13.5% aligned perfectly with 5* World Cup standards, ensuring the jump-off showcased speed rather than becoming a war of attrition.

Monday night's Turkish Airlines Grand Prix belonged to youth. Tom Wachman, just 20 years old, had been kept out of Sunday's World Cup jump-off by time penalties despite jumping clear over the fences. On Monday, he rectified that error in spectacular fashion.

Riding the 12-year-old Selle Français gelding Do It Easy (Vigo Cece x Laeken), Wachman displayed maturity beyond his years in a five-horse jump-off. He executed a round of precision and pace, stopping the clock at 32.59 seconds to claim one of the youngest wins in London Grand Prix history. "You can do a grand prix or a speed class. Any day you want him, he's so reliable," Wachman said of the Coolmore Showjumping-owned gelding.

The victory was a statement win, with Wachman humbly attributing it to the "big team" around him—a reference to his family's deep equestrian connections through his grandfather, Coolmore's John Magnier.

Canadian rider Kara Chad capped a stellar week with second place aboard Igor GPH, finishing in 33.64 seconds and proving she can hold her own against the European elite on their home turf. Max Kühner returned to the podium in third place riding Greece 5, a relatively new partner, demonstrating exceptional horsemanship to pilot an unfamiliar horse to a double clear in a 1.60m 5* Grand Prix.

The emotional subplot was 69-year-old John Whitaker's fourth-place finish on Equine America Unick du Francport. The living legend thrilled the home crowd by qualifying for the jump-off, creating an age gap of nearly half a century between the winner and fourth place—a statistic unique to equestrian sport.

Turkish Airlines Grand Prix Podium:

While the competition was fierce, the emotional heartbeat of the 2025 London show was the official retirement of Ben Maher's Olympic partner, Explosion W. On Sunday evening, the competitive tension gave way to a collective tribute.

The 16-year-old chestnut gelding entered the arena through a guard of honor formed by "Santa's elves," wearing a Christmas garland decorated with plaques listing his major victories. Nearly 10,000 spectators waved 6,000 glow sticks, creating a shimmering sea of light in the darkened arena.

Maher fought back tears as he described the horse: "There are no words to explain him. He touched so many lives, in so many ways. He helped me achieve my goals and dreams." The rider revealed the psychological mechanism the horse provided him: "I remember saying to you when we were stressed, remember which horse we're tacking up today. He knows what he's here to do." Explosion W was Maher's reset button for pressure.

Owner Charlotte Rossetter called the horse "magnetising," noting that watching him gave spectators "goosebumps." Pamela Wright added that while he was a genius in the ring, back in the stable he was "just a goofball," often playing with his grooms and displaying a cheeky personality.

Explosion W retires as one of the most statistically successful showjumpers of the 21st century. His resume includes individual gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, individual silver and team bronze at the 2019 European Championships, the 2021 Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final, and dominance of the LGCT circuit in 2018-2019 with Grand Prix wins in Madrid, Rome, Doha, London, New York, and Prague. His breeder, Willy Wijnen, was awarded WBFSH Breeder of the Year in 2019 due to the horse's ranking points.

The ceremony marked the end of an era for British showjumping, but the horse's legacy is secure as the partner who brought Olympic individual gold back to Great Britain.

The LeMieux Puissance belonged to another 20-year-old sensation. Rachel Proudley and the 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding Easy Boy de Laubry Z entered as defending champions and left with their sixth consecutive Puissance victory.

In the fifth and final round, the iconic red brick wall stood at 2.21 meters (7 feet 3 inches). Proudley described the moment: "When you go in, you can't even see over the wall, but when you're sat on a horse like him, you feel like you could jump anything." Her trust was absolute: "I didn't have to put too much pressure on him. In the last round, he really listened to me."

The class began with 13 starters but by the fourth round (2.18m), only four remained. Derek McCoppin's Explosief's Legacy clipped the top bricks, while Nathan Bull's Casaltonia cleared the wall but stumbled violently on landing, sending Bull over her head. Though they technically passed through the finish markers before the fall, Bull wisely withdrew for welfare reasons.

Proudley cleared the 2.21m wall with daylight to spare, commenting afterward that "it felt easy." At 20, she displays the poise of a veteran and has established herself as a true power specialist.

The supporting 5* classes showcased depth across the British squad and visiting Europeans. Victor Bettendorf (Luxembourg) emerged as the undisputed speed king of the week, securing three victories including the Christmas Cracker (1.55m) where he beat Donald Whitaker by just 0.13 seconds riding Doha de Riverland.

The Whitaker family was omnipresent on podiums throughout the week. John (4th in GP), Robert (4th in World Cup), Donald (2nd in World Cup), and Jack (2nd in Reindeer Stakes) all featured prominently. Donald Whitaker's World Cup performance was particularly significant, suggesting he's ready for senior championship consideration.

British riders also claimed key speed class victories, with Matthew Sampson winning The Mistletoe Stakes on Balento C.S. and Jessica Mendoza taking the Brilliance Auction Snowball Stakes on I-Cap CL Z ahead of Germany's Daniel Deusser.

France's Kevin Staut won Monday's Santa Speed Stakes aboard Kannonqulan, clocking 57.57 seconds to hold off Bettendorf and ensure the French anthem rang out at ExCeL.

Riyadh's upgrade from CSI4* to CSI5* status brought increased prize money (€308,600 for the World Cup alone) and heightened stakes for the Arab League. The strategy worked: riders who had used the previous week's 4* event to acclimate now unleashed their top horses for the major purse.

Uliano Vezzani's World Cup course was characteristically fluid yet technically unforgiving, utilizing distance questions that tested adjustability. From 14 elite starters, only four managed clear rounds—a 28% clear rate that reflected the track's difficulty.

The winner was Belgium's Jan Vermeiren and the nine-year-old mare Qmusic-K Van 'T Kattenheye (Le Blue Diamond x Cornet Obolensky). With such a young horse, Vermeiren faced a delicate tactical decision in the jump-off: push for speed and risk damaging her confidence, or ride conservatively and sacrifice the win.

He chose the middle path—what he called a "fast smooth" round, cutting corners but maintaining rhythm rather than a flat-out gallop. The strategy worked perfectly. They finished clear in 43.51 seconds, and Vermeiren noted afterward that "Qmusic has felt ready for this for a while," justifying his decision to make the long journey to the Middle East.

The Saudi challenge came within a whisker. Khaled Almobty and Diana du Plevau Z rode aggressively but finished clear in 43.96 seconds—a heartbreaking gap of just 0.45 seconds. Abdulrahman Alrajhi took third on Ventago (45.37s), riding slightly more conservatively to ensure the clear.

The victory made Vermeiren's strategic gamble to compete in the Arab League rather than the densely packed Western European League look genius. For a relatively unknown Belgian professional, the ranking points and €84,865 prize money justified every logistical complexity of flying horses to the Arabian Peninsula.

World Cup Riyadh Podium:

After missing Friday's World Cup win by less than half a second, Khaled Almobty was on a mission in Saturday's CSI5* Grand Prix. Riding the 14-year-old stallion Davenport VDL (Diamant de Semilly x Indoctro), Almobty utilized the power jumper's massive stride to delete strides in the lines.

With seven combinations reaching the jump-off from 15 starters, a slow clear would be insufficient. Almobty delivered, crossing the finish in 41.67 seconds—nearly two seconds faster than Vermeiren's winning time the previous night, though on a different course.

Abdulrahman Alrajhi provided consistency once again, riding Thursday's speed class winner Heartbeat W to second place in 42.38 seconds. Alrajhi's results across the week (1st in Thursday's qualifier, 3rd in World Cup, 2nd in Grand Prix) showcased a rider at peak form, managing his string effectively across three different 5* classes.

Grand Prix Riyadh Podium:

The home victories in front of enthusiastic Riyadh crowds demonstrated that the Saudi showjumping program has evolved from promising newcomer to legitimate global contender. Both Almobty and Alrajhi are now firmly positioned at the top of the Arab League standings as the circuit moves to the UAE for the next legs.

The traditional Internationales Festhallen Reitturnier served as a proving ground for Germany's 2026 World Championship preparations. Richard Vogel cemented his status as the country's premier jockey with a dominant win in the Grand Prix of Hessen aboard Cloudio. Vogel's aggressive track management in the tight indoor confines allowed him to shave fractions of a second that others lost in setup time.

Saturday's Championat went to Dutchman Jur Vrieling and Helwell du Chabus, impressive given they've only partnered since late August 2025. The mare has now finished in the top five of nearly every Grand Prix she's contested, marking her as a high-reliability asset.

Frankfurt CSI4 Grand Prix of Hessen Podium:

Significantly, Otto Becker outlined German strategy for the home World Championships in Aachen 2026, announcing Ralf Runge as the new assistant national coach focused on the U25 sector. The performances in Frankfurt solidified the Olympic Squad status of Vogel, Christian Kukuk, and Jana Wargers.

Sentower Park hosted its first-ever 1.60m Grand Prix at the Aloga Christmas Classic, with Michael Greeve (Netherlands) winning on Commissar Pezi. The victory was significant for what it revealed about modern showjumping's transfer market.

Commissar Pezi, previously ridden by Swiss ace Martin Fuchs to wins at CSIO5* Windsor and placings at Aachen and Geneva, was moved to Greeve's stable by owner Luigi Baleri in late 2025 as a strategic string management decision. In their first major 1.60m test together, Greeve and the 12-year-old gelding won decisively in 32.65 seconds, validating the "ready-made" horse market where high-investment assets are moved between elite riders to maximize ranking points and prize money returns.

Sentower Park CSI3 Grand Prix Podium:

Belgian depth was on display with Vereecke actually posting the fastest time (32.60s) but knocking a rail for second place.

Sweden's Antonia Pettersson Häggström claimed victory at the Sharjah CSI3*, with Brazil's Mariana Frauches Chaves taking third place.

The FEI awarded its Order of Merit to HRH Princess Haya at the General Assembly, with current President Ingmar De Vos presenting the distinction. Princess Haya is credited with modernizing the FEI during her presidency, overseeing the reform of statutes and the expansion of the sport in emerging markets including the UAE circuit that has become a cornerstone of the winter season. The award acknowledges the lasting infrastructure she built that continues to shape international equestrian sport.

🇧🇪 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ CSI5-W Mechelen (Belgium, December 26-30)

The traditional Belgian Christmas show returns with World Cup points on the line. After London's emotional week, Mechelen offers the final major competitive action of 2025 before the circuit heads to Basel and Leipzig in January. Expect strong Belgian representation on home soil as riders push for critical World Cup qualification points with the halfway mark of the season now passed.

🇦🇪 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ CSI3-W Al Ain (United Arab Emirates, December 24-27)

The UAE winter circuit continues with World Cup points available in the Arab League. Following Riyadh's successful 5* week, Al Ain offers another opportunity for Middle Eastern riders and European visitors to gain crucial qualifying points.

This week was carried almost entirely by the strength of London. Alan Wade's technical masterclass in course design, Explosion W's unforgettable retirement ceremony, and the emergence of two 20-year-old champions created a week with genuine emotional resonance and sporting excellence. Max Kühner making Austrian history while Tom Wachman and Rachel Proudley announced their arrivals on the biggest stage—these are storylines that will echo well into 2026.

However, Riyadh's upgrade to 5* status didn't deliver the field strength to match. With only 14 starters in the World Cup and limited European depth beyond a handful of professionals, the Saudi event felt more like a well-funded regional qualifier than a true global showdown. Jan Vermeiren's win was impressive horsemanship with a young mare, but the lack of top-tier competition held the week back from reaching the 8.5+ range.

The quality of sport was there—Wade's weaponized time allowed and Vezzani's fluid tracks both provided proper tests. The entertainment value was exceptional thanks to London's drama. But when one of your two 5* events struggles to attract a competitive field, you can't call it a great week for the sport globally. London gave us everything we could ask for. Riyadh gave us solid prize money and home victories but not the depth that defines elite showjumping. As we head into the Christmas break, 8.2 feels right—very good, but not exceptional.

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