The richest Grand Prix of the winter season produced an absolutely electric jump-off, and Saudi Arabia left zero doubt about who owns the Middle Eastern circuit right now. Abdullah Alsharbatly 🇸🇦 and Diriyah scorched through Uliano Vezzani's shortened track in a jaw-dropping 36.29 seconds to claim the €450,000 winner's cheque and the prestigious Amir's Sword.

The two-round-plus-jump-off format over Vezzani's demanding 1.60m course whittled 44 world-class starters down to just nine jump-off qualifiers. All three eventual podium finishers went triple clear across both rounds and the jump-off, meaning the entire competition came down to pure speed. And Alsharbatly had plenty of it. Riding the 13-year-old Selle Français mare (Baloubet du Rouet x Diamant de Semilly), he found every inside line, maintained relentless pace, and simply devoured the ground between fences.

His compatriot Khaled Almobty 🇸🇦 pushed him hard aboard Diana du Plevau Z (Dieu Merci Van T&L x Kashmir Van'T Schuttershof), crossing the timers in 37.45 seconds. That round would have beaten everyone else comfortably, but Alsharbatly was operating on another level entirely. Belgium's Pieter Devos 🇧🇪 completed the podium with Casual DV Z (Cornet Obolensky x Cicero Z Van Paemel) in a smooth 39.20 seconds, nearly three seconds off the winner.

"It feels amazing. I have finished second at H.H. The Amir's Sword a couple of times, and this time it happened. This is a big victory for all Arab countries," Alsharbatly said.

The Saudi 1-2 is no fluke. With massive investment in acquiring world-class horsepower and intensive European-based training programs, the Saudi contingent is producing results at the absolute highest level. This was a statement performance heading into the World Cup Final in Fort Worth.

Vezzani's course extracted a heavy toll on the field. The demanding spatial questions, combined with delicate airy verticals that blended optically with the arena surface, systematically caught out several championship-caliber combinations. The sheer number of high-profile retirements underscores how demanding Vezzani's track truly was. Current World No. 1 Scott Brash 🇬🇧 retired Hello Folie, while Emanuele Gaudiano 🇮🇹 pulled up Esteban de Hus, Edwina Tops-Alexander 🇦🇺 retired Iron Dames Cydello, and Kristen Vanderveen 🇺🇸 withdrew Bull Run's Jireh. When that many elite combinations are bailing, you know the course designer got it right.

Brash entered this week on the back of a record-breaking January in Doha, having captured four Grand Prix victories across three weeks of the Father Amir's Prix using three different horses.

CSI5 H.H. The Amir's Sword Grand Prix Podium:

Full results

In the CSI5* 1.55m Prix Hermès Sellier, Harry Charles 🇬🇧 edged out Emanuele Gaudiano 🇮🇹 in an incredibly tight jump-off, stopping the clock at 37.74 seconds aboard 16-year-old veteran Casquo Blue. Gaudiano was agonizingly close at 37.77 seconds with Esteban de Hus.

The CSI3*-W World Cup qualifier saw Saudi dominance continue as Abdulrahman Al Rajhi 🇸🇦 won aboard Lorenzo ES in 44.44 seconds, further tightening his grip on the Middle East Sub-League standings heading into the World Cup Final.

The 2026 Longines League of Nations got underway under the Friday night floodlights at the newly redeveloped Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, and Team France made an emphatic statement of intent. Chef d'Equipe Edouard Coupérie watched his squad execute a clinical performance to win on just eight total faults, establishing an immediate psychological advantage in the season-long championship race.

Frank Rothenberger's 1.60m track was a masterpiece of technical interrogation. His mandatory 12 obstacles and 15 jumping efforts, run at 400m/min with a tight 73-second time allowed, posed searching questions throughout. A visually delicate vertical plank at fence 11, with no ground line, proved devastating, catching out eight combinations in the first round alone.

The first round saw France and Ireland both complete on zero team faults, setting up a fascinating second-round showdown. But the LLN's brutal format took center stage here: in round two, teams drop from four riders to three, and crucially, all three scores count. No safety net. No discard.

Olivier Perreau 🇫🇷 was the star of the show, producing the competition's only double-clear performance aboard the home-bred GL Events Dorai d'Aiguilly (Kannan x Toulon). That flawless consistency across both rounds gave France an enormous buffer. Nicolas Sers 🇫🇷 and Simon Delestre 🇫🇷 each picked up four faults in round two, but the damage was already contained thanks to Perreau's anchor ride.

Ireland, who had matched France stride for stride in round one with three clears from Trevor Breen 🇮🇪, Niamh McEvoy 🇮🇪, and Shane Breen 🇮🇪, saw the pressure cascade through their ranks in round two. Chef d'Equipe Jessica Kürten had made the tactical decision to bench Michael Pender 🇮🇪 in round one to conserve his horse's energy, but without a fourth rider as a buffer, all three returning athletes dropped rails and Ireland fell out of podium contention.

Germany mounted a clinical comeback for second place on 12 total faults. Daniel Deusser 🇩🇪 delivered a crucial clear in round two aboard Pepita van T Meulenhof BR, and Marco Kutscher 🇩🇪 went double clear on Catelly across both rounds. Brazil matched Germany's 12-fault total but were relegated to third on cumulative round-two time (210.83s vs 207.89s).

"We are lucky to have so many top riders in France. I will change the team, and I will see after that how we go," Coupérie said, hinting at roster rotation to protect his top horses for the World Championships later in the year.

A shocking blow for the United States: Skylar Wireman 🇺🇸 and Tornado were eliminated following two refusals in round one, effectively ending Team USA's chances and leaving them with only 50 series points. That deficit puts massive pressure on Chef d'Equipe Robert Ridland ahead of the home leg in Ocala next month.

CSIO5 Longines League of Nations Final Standings:*

Full results

If the League of Nations was about strategic team precision, Sunday's €308,600 Emirates Jumping Cup Grand Prix was about sheer survival. Rothenberger's 1.60m track for the two-round cumulative competition was absolutely punishing, and the numbers tell the story: 20 of the starters retired rather than risk over-facing their horses. Among the retirees were Henrik von Eckermann 🇸🇪, Daniel Deusser 🇩🇪, Leopold van Asten 🇳🇱, Frank Schuttert 🇳🇱, Kim Emmen 🇳🇱, Jos Verlooy 🇧🇪, and Ramzy Al Duhami 🇸🇦.

The aggressively tight time allowed in round one (78 seconds) was the primary weapon. Even the top finishers couldn't beat the clock while keeping all the poles up. The entire podium finished with zero jumping faults across both rounds but accumulated time faults in round one, making this a pure test of who could stay closest to the limit while jumping clean.

Luciana Diniz 🇧🇷 and her remarkable 17-year-old gelding Vertigo du Desert (Mylord Carthago HN x Robin Z) emerged victorious with just a single time fault. One time fault across two rounds of 1.60m jumping at this level, at that age. Remarkable.

"He's 17 years old and he's not only my horse; he's my best friend," Diniz said. "I had one time fault today in the first round and thought about many years ago, at the Olympic Games, I had one time fault. If I had let myself think about it, it might have affected my performance. So, I just changed my inner dialogue and imagined I would be on the podium."

A 17-year-old horse winning a CSIO5* 1.60m Grand Prix is a statistical anomaly in modern showjumping and speaks volumes about advancements in veterinary care, nutrition, and the kind of empathetic horsemanship Diniz is renowned for.

Tim Gredley 🇬🇧 secured second aboard Medoc de Toxandria with two time faults total and a faster round-two time of 59.18 seconds. Gredley's podium was emotionally charged: it served as a tribute to his former mount Imperial HBF, with whom he placed second in this very event last year. Imperial HBF, subsequently sold to McLain Ward 🇺🇸, tragically passed away the week prior to the event. "It was sad to learn he passed away last week. He was such a special horse, and one McLain was quoted as saying 'one of the best he'd ever ridden,'" Gredley said.

Joseph Stockdale 🇬🇧 completed the British 2-3 finish with Ebanking, carrying three time faults total.

CSIO5 Emirates Jumping Cup Grand Prix Podium:

Full results

The final leg of the 2025/2026 North American League came down to Saturday night under the lights at the World Equestrian Center, and 22-year-old Mimi Gochman 🇺🇸 delivered when it mattered most. Her win aboard Iron Maiden in the $300,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Ocala didn't just earn her $90,000. It catapulted her from the qualification bubble all the way to third overall in the East Coast standings and a confirmed ticket to the World Cup Final in Fort Worth.

Bernardo Costa Cabral's 1.60m track over 14 obstacles was relentless. A rigid 76-second time allowed forced riders to push their pace, and the result was brutal: only four clear rounds from 38 starters. Gochman and the 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Clarimo x Kashmir van't Schuttershof) were the sole clear from the first half of the starting order, setting the stage for a four-horse jump-off.

As the first to return, Gochman had no time to set. She rode a tactically brilliant round, keeping a smooth, consistent rhythm rather than going flat out, and navigated a heart-stopping moment at the fifth fence where an awkward distance forced Iron Maiden into a massive physical effort to leave the poles up. The pair crossed the timers in 41.79 seconds for the only double-clear of the night.

"I always felt like he had the capability and scope. He's super brave, and he can jump mountains," Gochman said. "I sat down in the beginning of last year in January and said that I really wanted to go to World Cup Finals this year."

Eduardo Pereira de Menezes 🇧🇷 and H5 Ozzy vd Bisschop (Diamant de Semilly x Utrillo Z) were solid in second with 4/42.65s. Defending Ocala champion Cian O'Connor 🇮🇪 rounded out the podium with Kentucky TN at 4/43.36s.

A word for Hilary Scott 🇦🇺 and her 19-year-old homebred mare Oaks Milky Way. The pair posted the fastest jump-off time of the night at 41.52 seconds, but two rails meant they finished fourth. A 19-year-old clearing a Costa Cabral 5* track clean in round one and then posting the fastest time in the jump-off is extraordinary.

$300,000 CSI5-W World Cup Grand Prix Podium:

Full results

Gochman's maximum 20-point haul vaulted her from a precarious seventh-place bubble position to third in the East Coast standings with 37 total points. The final US East Coast qualifiers heading to Fort Worth: Kent Farrington (42 pts), Mimi Gochman (37), Laura Kraut (36), McLain Ward (36), Aaron Vale (27), Katherine Dinan (24), and Jacob Pope (19). Pope edged out Lillie Keenan on a dramatic tiebreaker after both finished on 19 points. On the West Coast, Skylar Wireman (30), Karl Cook (29), and Kyle King (20) secured their spots. Conor Swail 🇮🇪 topped the overall standings with 51 points.

Earlier in the week, World No. 3 Ben Maher 🇬🇧 showcased his tactical brilliance by winning the $117,000 Grand Prix Qualifier as trailblazer in a 17-horse jump-off aboard Ginger-Blue in 37.63 seconds, then returned to claim the $62,500 Speed Challenge on Saturday afternoon with the same horse. Shane Sweetnam 🇮🇪 won the $62,500 Winning Round on Coriaan van Klapscheut Z (35.80s), marking their 18th top-five FEI finish in the preceding 12 months.

Argentina's José María Larocca Jr. 🇦🇷 continues his searing form at the Sunshine Tour, winning the Range Rover C. de Salamanca Grand Prix (1.55m) aboard Chris (Contendro I x Argentinus) with a blistering 34.77-second jump-off.

Range Rover C. de Salamanca Grand Prix Podium:

Full results

A deeply emotional victory for Willem Greve 🇳🇱, who conquered the Grand Prix of the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken (1.55m) at the Holstenhallen riding Candy Luck Z (Comme Il Faut 5 x Canturo) in 34.07 seconds. Greve had previously been carried out of this very arena by emergency medical services following a severe fall. He deliberately bypassed the lucrative Middle Eastern tours to expose the mare to high-pressure indoor conditions, and it paid off.

Greve's ride on Candy Luck Z came about through the untimely injury of the horse's owner and primary rider, American athlete Alessandra Volpi. Rather than resting the mare, the temporary transfer of the ride to Greve ensures she maintains peak fitness and continues accumulating Longines Ranking points while Volpi rehabilitates.

Grand Prix of the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken Podium:

Full results

Bertram Allen 🇮🇪 took the $140,000 IDA Development Grand Prix on the Derby Field aboard Pacino Amiro in 47.67 seconds.

$140,000 IDA Development Grand Prix Podium:

Full results

Karl Cook 🇺🇸 dominated the $117,000 Premier Equestrian Grand Prix, winning with Foxy de la Roque and placing third with Home-Run. That's two horses in the top three. Canada's Tiffany Foster 🇨🇦 split them in second aboard Battlecry.

$117,000 Premier Equestrian Grand Prix Podium:

Full results

France swept the Grand Prix (1.50m) podium positions. Robin Lesqueren 🇫🇷 won with Fbi d'Ellipse, while Spain's Eduardo Alvarez Aznar 🇪🇸 took second despite posting a faster jump-off time after a costly four faults with Qevita Vd Bisschop.

CSI3 Grand Prix Podium:

Full results

Italy went 1-2 in the €56,800 Grand Prix (1.50m). Giacomo Bassi 🇮🇹 edged out the highly decorated Alberto Zorzi 🇮🇹 by a third of a second. Switzerland's Evelyne Bussmann 🇨🇭 was just one-hundredth behind Zorzi.

€56,800 Grand Prix Podium:

Full results

CVC Acquires Equine Network for $300 Million - In arguably the most significant corporate transaction in equestrian sports history, CVC Global Sport Group executed an agreement to acquire a controlling stake in the Equine Network at a valuation of approximately $300 million. The Equine Network operates 40 proprietary competitions and sanctions over 800 third-party events within the $2.5 billion US equestrian industry. For CVC, whose portfolio already includes La Liga, Ligue 1, Six Nations Rugby, and the WTA, this represents a massive bet on the affluent, high-net-worth US equestrian demographic. The transaction is expected to close in Q2 2026.

FEI Signs Landmark China Broadcast Deal - The FEI secured a three-season media rights partnership with China Media Group, covering the FEI World Championships 2026, European Championships 2027, Longines FEI Jumping World Cup, and Longines League of Nations through 2028. This is a critical step in the FEI's globalization strategy, targeting China's expanding upper-middle class as a new fan base and future market for European warmblood imports.

Imperial HBF Passes Away - The showjumping community mourned the loss of Imperial HBF, the talented gelding who finished second in the Emirates Jumping Cup in Abu Dhabi last year under Tim Gredley before being sold to McLain Ward. Ward described him as "one of the best he'd ever ridden." Gredley's podium finish in this year's Emirates Jumping Cup served as a fitting tribute.

Warm-Up Arena Technology Ban - New FEI rules now strictly prohibit mobile phones and earphones while mounted in the warm-up arena. Any violation earns a formal Warning, while use of communication devices inside the competition arena results in immediate elimination. The crackdown targets real-time coaching via earpieces during competitive rounds.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ CSI5-W Göteborg 🇸🇪 (Feb 18-22) The final leg of the Western European League. This is the last chance for European riders on the qualification bubble to punch their tickets to the World Cup Final in Fort Worth. The Scandinavium Arena will be an absolute pressure cooker.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ CSI5/CSI3 CHI Al Shaqab, Doha 🇶🇦 (Feb 18-21) One of the richest fixtures on the global calendar returns. After their dominant 1-2 in the Amir's Sword, the Saudi riders will be brimming with confidence, but expect a loaded field of European stars peaking their top horses for this event.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ CSI5/CSI2 Wellington 🇺🇸 (Feb 17-22) WEF 7 brings the first five-star action of this year's Winter Equestrian Festival. Saturday Night Lights with the world's best in town.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ CSI5-W Sharjah 🇦🇪 (Feb 19-22) A critical World Cup qualifier for the Middle East Sub-League, running concurrently with Doha and splitting the regional talent pool.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ CSI4 Vejer de la Frontera 🇪🇸 (Feb 17-22)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ CSI4/CSI2 Ocala 🇺🇸 (Feb 17-22)

⭐️⭐️⭐️ CSI3 Thermal 🇺🇸 (Feb 17-22)

⭐️⭐️⭐️ CSI3 Valencia 🇪🇸 (Feb 17-22)

⭐️⭐️⭐️ CSI3 Oliva 🇪🇸 (Feb 17-22)

⭐️⭐️⭐️ CSI3 Zapopan 🇲🇽 (Feb 18-22)

This week gets a 9.3/10 for an exceptional spread of top-level competition across three continents. A €1.5 million Grand Prix producing a Saudi 1-2 at blistering speed, the LLN season opener delivering tactical drama and a US elimination shocker, Luciana Diniz's fairytale win on a 17-year-old, and Mimi Gochman's career-defining World Cup breakthrough all in the same week? That's an embarrassment of riches. The sheer volume and quality of storylines, combined with brutally demanding courses from both Vezzani and Rothenberger that genuinely tested the world's best, made this comfortably the standout week of the season so far. Three simultaneous five-star events, each delivering genuine drama with completely different flavors of competition, is about as good as it gets outside of championship season.

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