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Pacific Saddlery is heading to Temecula Valley National Fall I (NATIONAL J4) this week, and we’d love for you to stop by. It is always special to connect in person, and Temecula has such a welcoming atmosphere that makes it one of our favorite stops. If you are showing or spectating, come say hello. We’ll be there for all three weeks.
Every week in this sport brings its own flavor of magic, but this one felt especially charged. From Vienna’s breathtaking stage to Greenwich’s grass arena buzzing with disbelief, the drama and emotion of showjumping were impossible to miss. These are the five moments that stayed with me most.
My favorite classes this week:
Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace provided the most dramatic stage imaginable, and Philipp Weishaupt (GER) & Kilmister rose to the occasion in the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Vienna (CSI5* 1.60m). The class brought together a world-class field, but it was Weishaupt’s razor-sharp round that had the packed stands roaring. Hot on his heels came Harrie Smolders (NED) with the ever-reliable Monaco, and the duel felt like it might tip either way until the final stride. The beauty of LGCT Vienna lies not only in its prestige but also in its atmosphere: floodlights bouncing off the baroque facades, and every stride amplified by the crowd’s gasps and cheers. Weishaupt, cool under immense pressure, looked as though he thrived on the energy pulsing through the arena. The razor-thin margin over Smolders elevated this from a mere win into one of those moments where showjumping feels larger than life. What I carried away most was that collective intake of breath just before Kilmister landed clear and unforgettable.
Official Results
Back in the U.S., drama unfolded in Greenwich, Connecticut, where Kent Farrington (USA) & Toulayna seized the $340,000 CSI5* Grand Prix of Greenwich by just 0.03 seconds over Daniel Bluman (ISR) & Corbie V.V. It was Farrington’s eighth 5* Grand Prix victory of the year, and perhaps his most nail-biting. The sold-out crowd added a charged, electric backdrop, every landing stride punctuated by cheers that seemed to roll like waves through the grass arena. Farrington, already the world’s No. 1, has a way of making the impossible look effortless, yet even he cracked a rare grin at the finish, knowing how fine the margins were. To see a class of this caliber decided by less than the blink of an eye is why we watch this sport: raw speed, precision, and nerves of steel. The roar that followed his gallop through the timers was pure disbelief turned to joy. This was Grand Prix showjumping at its edge-of-seat finest.
Official Results
One of the most emotional scenes of the week came not from an individual round, but from the unity of a team. In Rabat, Morocco, the CSIO4*-W Nations Cup saw Saudi Arabia (KSA) claim top honors in a match that went down to the penultimate rider. The Nations Cup format always carries its own electricity, national colors waving and teammates huddled on the sidelines, but here the tension was palpable. Each rail shifted the balance, and by the final rider the Moroccan crowd was on its feet, living and breathing every stride. Saudi Arabia’s riders delivered under immense pressure, sealing a victory that radiated pride not only for the team but for the region. The sight of teammates embracing, faces shining with relief and joy, captured why Nations Cups hold a unique place in the sport. It was not just about clear rounds but about resilience, camaraderie, and the emotional swell of riding for one’s country.
Official Results
Not far behind in excitement was the Grand Prix of Coapexpan (CSI5* 1.60m), where Rodrigo Lambre (BRA) & Take-Off Diara PS produced the only double-clear of the day. The track proved merciless, reducing a strong international field to just two in the jump-off: Lambre and Argentina’s Ignacio Maurin with Conchado. That showdown carried a weight all its own, just two riders, two horses, and the knowledge that perfection would win the day. Lambre delivered with poise, precision, and a touch of grit that underlined the difficulty of the test. The significance of winning in Coapexpan, a venue beloved for its vibrant Mexican atmosphere and demanding courses, cannot be overstated. The crowd celebrated as if they too had cleared every fence, lifting Lambre on a wave of shared triumph. Sometimes the purest victories are not about speed or margins but about standing alone, the last rider unshaken in a storm of rails. This was exactly that.
Of course, another highlight for me was Sunday’s CSI4* 1.60m Clip My Horse Grand Prix in St. Tropez Gassin, where Nicolas Sers (FRA) & Espoir de La Chesnee brought home a win that had the French crowd in raptures. The jump-off was a thriller, with seven clears fighting for the top. Fellow Frenchman Nicolas Layec pushed hard with Fée de Caryan, but Sers held on by just 0.39 seconds, sealing a 1–2 French finish. The Riviera setting gave the whole afternoon a festival air, sunshine glinting off the Mediterranean and spectators leaning over rails in delight. For Sers, the win was a career milestone, and the joy on his face told its own story. To see a rider lift his arm skyward, embraced by his countrymen on home soil, is what makes this sport so emotionally rich. It was more than a victory, it was a celebration shared between horse, rider, and the home crowd.
Official Results
