(Shannon Brinkman Photo) Omaha, Neb. - McLain Ward and HH Azur have won the 2017 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final. HH Azur is a 2006 Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Double H Farm & Francois Mathy. Romain Duguet (SUI) & Twentytwo des Biches finished second and Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) & Mary Lou finished third. More news and photos to follow. Follow US Equestrian for the latest coverage of the Final and more on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and Snapchat .

To the surprise of many, two-time Olympic team bronze medalist Steffen Peters entered the arena on Thursday to begin the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final wearing a helmet. A traditionalist at heart, Peters made it his 2017 New Year’s resolution to drop the top hat and sport a helmet in Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) competitions. Steffen Peters sports his helmet at the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final. (Shannon Brinkman Photo) “I hung on because of a...

Omaha, Neb. – Laura Graves and Verdades scored a personal best Grand Prix Freestyle of 85.307% to place second in the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final on Saturday . Kasey Perry-Glass and Goerklintgaards Dublet and Steffen Peters and Rosamunde closed out the competition in the top 10. Isabell Werth (GER) and Weihegold OLD were the 2017 champions with a score of 90.704%, while Carl Hester (GBR) and Nip Tuck finished third with a score of 83.757%. Laura Graves on the podium (Shannon...

(Shannon Brinkman Photo) Omaha, Neb. - Laura Graves and Verdades have finished second in the 2017 FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final with a score 85.307% in the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle. Verdades is a 2002 KWPN gelding owned by Graves. Isabell Werth (GER) & Weihegold OLD finished first and Carl Hester (GBR) & Nip Tuck finished third. Full results Follow US Equestrian for the latest coverage of the Final and more on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and Snapchat .

It is not very often equestrian athletes have down time; many show or work with multiple horses at events or train numerous clients. During the FEI World Cup™ Finals, athletes show no more than two horses, leaving them with more down time than usual. Read on to find out how a few members of the U.S. contingent spends their free time. Jamie Barge, show jumping “I go to the gym. If my horse has to be fit, then so do I.” Kasey Perry-Glass and Goerklintgaards Dublet (Shannon...

Omaha, Nebraska - March 31, 2017 - The stage was set and the audience was counting on McLain Ward (USA) to win his second consecutive class at the LONGINES FEI World Cup™ Finals Omaha 2017. The pressure was on Ward who, as the winner of the Thursday's first round, rode last. The two-time Olympic gold medalist delivered to the delight of the 7,674 ecstatic fans at the CenturyLink Center. McLain Ward and HH Azur on their way to victory. (Photo by Lili Weik) Six out of the 33 starters...

Omaha, Neb. - In the second night of competition, McLain Ward and HH Azur have won the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final II (Grand Prix) to remain in the lead in the 2017 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final. HH Azur is a 2006 Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Double H Farm & Francois Mathy. Gregory Wathelet (BEL) & Forlap finished second and Romain Duguet (SUI) & Twentytwo des Biches finished third in the class, and are second and third, respectively, in overall...

McLain Ward and HH Azur (Shannon Brinkman Photo) Whether there is truth to superstitions, many athletes have them and equestrian athletes are no exception. The U.S. athletes at the FEI World Cup™? Finals have various ideas about getting luck on their side. Read on to find out whose superstitions involve boots, back numbers, and more: Kasey Perry-Glass, dressage “I don’t have superstitions. I try to work on my preparation throughout the day so I don’t get as stressed,...

Omaha, Nebraska - March 30, 2017 - Less than a blink of an eye separated the top three in the LONGINES FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final I Speed Round on Thursday evening. Two-time Olympic gold medalist McLain Ward (USA) claimed the victory on HH Azur, stopping the Longines timers in 59.27 seconds, just fractions of a second ahead of Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) and Mary Lou with 59.58. Two-time defending World Cup™ Champion Steve Guerdat (SUI) was third on Bianca in 60.06 seconds. McLain...

Omaha, Nebraska - March 30, 2017 - Isabell Werth (GER), the most decorated rider in Olympic history, captivated the crowd at the FEI World Cup™ Finals Omaha 2017, winning the FEI Grand Prix competition at the CenturyLink Center on Thursday. Riding her Olympic mount Weihegold OLD, Werth rode to an impressive score of 82.300%, the only entry to score above 80 per cent. Isabell Werth and Weihegold OLD Werth, with the12-year-old Oldenburg mare that she rode to team gold and individual silver...