Daniel Coyle (IRL) and Incredible - winners of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ NAL 2023/24 - Ocala (USA) Photo ©FEI/Shannon Brinkman
The city of Williamsburg in Grand Traverse County, MI (USA) will kick off a series of firsts for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League (NAL), with the first World Cup qualifier of the 2024/25 season set for Sunday 15 September.
Traverse City Horse Show is one of three venues that will host its first NAL event during this season's calendar, which for the first time will see seven of its eight events held at the five-star level on the road to the Finals in Basel (SUI) next April.
Seven East U.S. athletes, three West U.S. athletes, and two athletes each from Canada and Mexico will qualify out of the NAL, with athletes' four best results counting for points across a season that will span from Traverse City to the magnificent World Equestrian Center (WEC) in Ocala—also home to a leg of the Longines League of Nations™ series.
But the leader of the league standings across the last three seasons of the NAL has been a rider classified as an "Extra Athlete" (domiciled in North America but representing a nation outside the League). Daniel Coyle, who recently represented Ireland at the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris (FRA) has led the NAL in points in each of the last two seasons, with Conor Swail (IRL) topping the list in 2021-22.
Swail is back for more, and he comes fully loaded to Traverse City with an accomplished trio of horses. Both Vital Chance de la Roque and Count Me In have topped NAL events in seasons past, with Count Me In partnering with Swail for a top 10 finish at the 2022 Finals in Leipzig (GER). The youngest of Swail’s group, 11-year-old Casturano boasts a resume with multiple five-star victories in his own right.
Fellow Irishman Shane Sweetnam also has a good chance to start the season off strongly, as he is slated to compete in Traverse City with his Olympic partner, James Kann Cruz. The pair topped Lexington's qualifier last year, with Sweetnam ultimately finishing the season third on the series leaderboard.
Between the Irish athletes on that list was Daniel Bluman (ISR), who took the top spot last season in Toronto (CAN) with his longtime partner, Gemma W. Bluman has won a World Cup event in each of the last two seasons and is expected to bring forward Gemma W again in Traverse City.
A full field is expected for the NAL opener, with the American contingent headed by Kent Farrington and McLain Ward. Farrington finished just off the podium at the 2024 Finals in Riyadh (KSA) with a duo of power mares, Toulayna and Greya. Both are among the entries for Traverse City, with Farrington expected to decide who among the two will jump for World Cup points.
Ward, the 2017 World Cup Champion, recently added a silver medal to his highly decorated Olympic resume when helping Team USA onto the podium in Paris with Ilex. He's expected to compete in Traverse City with the accomplished 16-year-old mare, Callas.
After making his Olympic debut in Paris, Luis Larrazabal (VEN) recorded his first five-star victory last month in Ottawa (CAN). His Olympic partner Condara is expected to jump her first major classes since the Games in Traverse City. A total of 10 nations are represented among the entries, including some who will pursue their World Cup points by way of the Western European League, which begins 16 October in Oslo (NOR). Abdel Saïd (BEL), who finished top 10 at the 2019 Finals, is expected to compete in Traverse City and will have his pick among two talented mares in Bonne Amie and Figueras de Laume. Antonia Pettersson (SWE) is also among the entries with the 13-year-old Zangersheide mare, Zara de Laubry Z.
Athletes will look to get ahead early in the race for points, with just eight chances to punch a ticket to Basel between September and February. Following Traverse City's debut, Upper Marlboro (USA) will play host to its qualifier on 26 October, followed by three consecutive World Cup weeks in November at Toronto (CAN), Las Vegas (USA) and a brand-new event in Los Angeles (USA) on 23 November—the final qualifier of 2024.
The season picks up again for three action-packed weeks in February as Thermal (USA) returns to the World Cup schedule for the first time since 2019. Mexico is slated to host its qualifier in picturesque Puebla on 8 February before the NAL season finale in Ocala on 15 February.
Having produced World Cup Champions on four occasions since 2012, the North American League is sure to provide another thrilling season of top sport.
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