Top riders rule themselves out of FEI’s flagship series
London 2012 Olympic individual gold medallist Steve Guerdat and former European champion Martin Fuchs have chosen to boycott the Longines League of Nations this year, although they are happy to ride for their country in other Nations Cups outside the FEI’s flagship series. The two riders cited the calendar and locations of the Longines League of Nations stages as reasons for their decision. “The Nations Cups are very important to me. I am critical of the fact that the best traditional tournaments that have shaped the history of our sport are not included in the Longines League of Nations calendar in order to support tournaments that, in my opinion, have few spectators and few reputations,” said Martin, who is currently ranked fifth in the world. Longines League of Nations qualifiers will run at Abu Dhabi (15 February), Ocala (22 March), Rotterdam (20 June) and Gassin – St Tropez (21 September), with the final at Barcelona (2 to 5 October). The St Gallen leg, which was on the original calendar and was cancelled in 2024 owing to weather, has been replaced by the St Tropez fixture. Dublin and Hickstead are among the historic former Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup venues that now hold their own legs, independent of an FEI series.
Haras du Pin has been a historic eventing venue in France, having hosted the 2014 World Equestrian Games and the 2023 European Eventing Championships, but the sport’s long-standing relationship with the location “is over”, according to a statement on the event’s social media. Last year, H&H reported that the 2024 event had been cancelled owing to a dispute over money. The statement, which thanked private partners and volunteers, said it was “the end of this beautiful journey”. International showjumping and driving events, which have different organisers, are scheduled to go ahead at Haras du Pin in 2025.
Equestrian clothing brand LeMieux has announced its new colours for its SS25 collection. The fresh colour palette is fun with sweet pastel shades offering contrasting bold combinations as well as easy to wear mixy-matchy. Similar to the two most recent releases, the brand has moved away from purely matchy-matchy by introducing six new seasonal colours, alongside four supporting colours, to enable you to create a wide range of coordinating outfits.
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Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.
