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Set against the breathtaking backdrop of sun, sand, and surf, this exceptional event offers a unique twist to the world of showjumping. The prestigious Global Champions Tour had already captivated audiences worldwide before it introduced a new and exciting chapter in 2015, when the elite equestrian event made its inaugural appearance on the sands of Miami Beach.&nbsp;
That first edition brought some of the greatest horse-and-rider combinations together as the 2015 LGCT Grand Prix of Miami Beach had an Elo field strength of 715, the highest Elo field strength in a LGCT Grand Prix in Miami Beach since. Scott Brash and HELLO SANCTOS unsurprisingly took the win coming in as the highest-rated combination of the field.
Although there have only been six editions of this event, Edwina Tops-Alexander has already managed to claim the Grand Prix victory in Miami Beach on two separate occasions. In 2016, Australia&rsquo;s leading lady counted on LINTEA TEQUILA, who entered the competition on an Elo of 697, to beat out a field with an average Elo strength of 707 to take home the win. Two years later, Edwina came back to Miami in flying form to repeat that performance, this time in the saddle of CALIFORNIA.
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After a three-year break due to Covid-19, the LGCT returned to Miami Beach last year. The 2022 LGCT Grand Prix of Miami Beach had an Elo field strength of 696. Despite the lower field strength, it still made for thrilling sport with a surprising finish. At just nine years old, CALA MANDIA made her 160 Grand Prix debut at five-star level under Katrin Eckermann. It was a debut to remember as the pair soared to victory under the Floridian sun.
Looking at this year&rsquo;s list of competitors, Malin Baryard-Johnsson&rsquo;s H&amp;M INDIANA (774) comes in as the highest-rated horse in the field. This combination was an integral part of the Swedish team that won gold at both the Olympic Games in Tokyo and the Jumping World Championships in Herning last summer. They have also already proven they know how to perform in the unique setting of Miami Beach, as the pair finished on the podium in the 2019 Grand Prix.
We also see two former LGCT Miami Beach Grand Prix winners on this year&rsquo;s list of competitors. Last year&rsquo;s winners Katrin Eckermann and the now ten-year-old Cala Mandia are set to make their return to Miami Beach. We will also see the 2019 winners come back this year. Pieter Devos and CLAIRE Z won the LGCT Grand Prix in Miami four years ago.

Photograph of Scott Brash riding a horse while adjusting his helmet and looking down. A crowd is blurred in the background.

#TBT Miami Memories: Reminiscing Past LGCT Grand Prix Champions

<h3>King Edward adds more gold to his collection.</h3>
For the fifth consecutive time in the history of the FEI World Cup Finals, the Day 1 leader has crowned themselves World Cup Champion on the final day. The reigning World Champions entered the competition on the highest win chance and fulfilled those expectations on Day 1 by taking the lead. A surprising 4 faults on Day 2 saw them drop down to third in the standings going into the final day, all while maintaining the highest win chance of the field, 25%. The favourites rolled another pole out of the cup, but as they waited, watched both leaders fault too. Thanks to a clear in Round II, the pair have now crowned themselves the 2023 World Cup Champions.&nbsp;
This is the first time in history of the FEI World Cup Finals that a Swedish rider has taken the gold, bronze being the highest finish a Swedish rider had ever achieved, a feat Henrik had already accomplished twice. Thanks to this win, KING EDWARD now sports an Elo of 803. The highest Elo ever achieved in history is 804. Ben Maher&rsquo;s Explosion W reached that back in 2021, while Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z followed in his footsteps earlier this year. As Explosion W hasn&rsquo;t been seen on the international scene since July 2022 and it seems Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z is experiencing slight drop in form, could we see King Edward reach that milestone or perhaps break that record this year?
<h3>Monaco N.O.P., the perennial runner-up</h3>
For the second consecutive year, Harrie Smolders and MONACO N.O.P. won the silver medal at FEI World Cup Finals. The runner-up position is one that is very familiar to this pair. This weekend&rsquo;s achievement is their 10th second place finish at 5* 160 level, still awaiting their big career win. Despite their lack of a victory at that level, Monaco N.O.P. is the sixth highest-rated horse on our Elo-ranking right now, sporting a career high of 771.&nbsp;
<h3>Hometown hero Hunter Holloway brings home the bronze</h3>
Hunter Holloway and PEPITA CON SPITA tackled their second FEI World Cup Finals this weekend in Omaha, after debuting in Leipzig last year. Both horse and rider came out fighting from Day 1 and despite only being predicted a 2% chance at the win at the start of the competition, produced a splendid performance on home soil and took a spot on the podium. Pepita Con Spita entered the FEI World Cup Finals on an Elo 663 and have grown their Elo by 43 points, now entering the 700&rsquo;s on 704.
<h3>Bittersweet outcome for Brooklyn Heights</h3>
The importance of being competitive on Day 1 has been highlighted through the performances of BROOKLYN HEIGHTS and Denis Lynch. Despite being the only horse to not have knocked more than one rail throughout the entire championship, the pair miss out on a medal due to their slower clear on Day 1, which put them in 18th position going into the rest of the competition. Although bittersweet, they will not leave Omaha empty-handed as being the only combination to stay double clear on the final day will get them a nice premium. The chestnut gelding also sees an 11 point raise in his Elo, now standing at 735.

Rider Henrik von Eckermann on a horse during an awards ceremony

Omaha 2023:  A rollercoaster ride of equestrian excellence with a royal finish

The second round of the Longines FEI World Cup Finals had fans and experts alike sitting on the edge of their seats. A few key movers are discussed here. To see the lowdown on each competitor, see our <a href="https://online.flippingbook.com/view/829242624/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Day 3 Form Guide.</a>
<h3>Top combinations trip up in Round 2&nbsp;</h3>
SCUDERIA 1918 TOBAGO Z entered on an Elo of 793 but is one of only two horses in history to have ever achieved an Elo over 800, an accomplishment realised earlier this year. It was however not to be this weekend for Daniel Deusser and the chestnut stallion. Despite coming out of Day 1 in third place with a win chance of 21%, the pair did not manage to complete the course on the second day which took them out of the running for further placings.
Henrik von Eckermann and KING EDWARD need no introduction. The reigning World Champions travelled to Omaha with one goal and that was to add a gold medal World Cup Finals to their collection. It was all going according to plan for the pair as they came into the second round as leaders with a win chance of 30%. &nbsp;That was until one pole hit the sand. A pole that kept them out of the jump-off, dropped them down to third place on the leaderboard and knocked their win chance by 5%. &nbsp;
Another pair we had expected to see in the jump-off was Harrie Smolders and MONACO N.O.P. They too see their win chances decrease after knocking a rail in the second round. They currently stand in joint seventh place, five penalties behind the leaders and have seen their win chance drop from 8% to 5%.
<h3>The underdogs put their best foot forward to climb the ranks</h3>
While the leading combinations made their mistakes, it left the competition wide open for the underdogs to step up. And step up they did. Coming into the World Cup Finals on a win chance of less than 1%, Richard Vogel and the inexperienced UNITED TOUCH S stunned the crowd with a foot-perfect clear, followed by an electrifying demonstration in the jump-off to take the win. They now rank fourth in the overall standings going into the final day and have seen their win chance increase to 5%.
We also see two new leaders going into Saturday&rsquo;s final. Andreas Schou and his DARC DE LUX travelled to Omaha on a win chance of 4%, but thanks to a great round on Day 1 and a third place finish on Day 2 have seen the strongest increase in win chance. They now tie with Henrik von Eckermann and King Edward on a win chance of 25%.&nbsp;
Two days into this championship, Pius Schwizer and VANCOUVER DE LANLORE still maintain a 100% clear rate at 5* 160. Adding the two clean rounds this pair has produced here in Omaha to their record, they now have jumped 6 clears out of 6 five-star 160 classes in 2023. Their performance makes them joint leaders of the World Cup Finals going into the final day with a win chance of 17%, 16% higher than what they started the week on.
Lots of changes to the leaderboard and the <a href="https://jumping-prediction-centre.equiratings.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jumping Prediction Centre</a> after Day 2 and with two rounds of jumping left, the competition is still open. The Top 6 combinations on the overall standings are all within one rail of each other which leaves room for changes. However, from a historical point of view, no rider has managed to go on and win the World Cup Finals coming into the final day ranking lower than fourth in the overall standings. Could that change this year?
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Click <a href="https://jumping-prediction-centre.equiratings.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> to see all the EquiRatings predictions for the final day.

Close-up image of a hand touching a show jumping pole overlaid with a stylized, upward-trending line graph, all on top of a decorative paper-like background.

The thrills & spills of Omaha Day 2 shake up our Prediction Centre

The first round of the Longines FEI World Cup Finals in Omaha has had us all by the edge of our seats. While our favourites going into the competition have only enforced their front-runner position, other surprising performances have shaken up the field.&nbsp;
<h3>Favourites enforcing their position</h3>
At the start of the competition, EquiRatings Jumping Prediction Centre had Henrik von Eckermann and King Edward down as the favourites to become the new World Cup Champions with a win chance of 12%. After a thrilling performance last night where the pair fulfilled expectations and took the lead in the championship, their win chances have increased by 18%. They are now the outright favourites to claim victory in the World Cup Finals this year with a 30% chance of taking home the gold. Another factor that plays in their favour is that, since 2010, 55% of FEI World Cup winners were leading after day one of the Final, including the last 4 winners.
The two highest-rated horses on our Elo rating currently sport the highest win chances in the Longines FEI World Cup Finals. After a fabulous clear round which put them in third position in the competition, Daniel Deusser and Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z&rsquo;s win chances shot up by 10% going from 11% to 21%. The rivalry between King Edward and Scuderia 1918 Tobago therefore continues...
Another combination whose win chance has seen a strong rise thanks to an outstanding performance yesterday is Scott Brash and Hello Jefferson. The pair entered the Longines FEI World Cup Finals with a 4% chance to win, but after producing a tremendous round yesterday, which puts them in second position, they have an 11% chance of becoming our new World Cup Champions.
<h3>Top contenders struggling to find form</h3>
We have also watched some big names see their win chances plummet. The reigning World Cup Champion Martin Fuchs, this time riding Leone Jei, entered the competition with an 8% chance to win, the fourth highest in the field. After a disappointing first round in which two poles hit the sand, their win chances have dropped by 7%.&nbsp;
Fuchs isn&rsquo;t the only rider who saw their chances dwindle when two fences came tumbling down. Daniel Coyle had chosen Legacy for his shot at the title this year and the pair entered the competition with a 5% win chance, the fifth highest in the field. Unfortunately with last night&rsquo;s performance, their chance to win this year&rsquo;s World Cup Finals has dropped below 1%.&nbsp;
<iframe id="datawrapper-chart-5unrx" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" title="After day 1 of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup&trade; Final in Omaha, these are the updated win chances (the top 11)." src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/5unrx/15/" height="869" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" aria-label="Table" data-external="1"></iframe>
To see predictions for the entire field, visit the <a href="https://jumping-prediction-centre.equiratings.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EquiRatings Jumping Prediction Centre</a>.

Rider Scott Brash riding horse Hello Jefferson over a jump. Set against various decorative shapes and a grid paper background

Shifting tides after Round 1 in Omaha: who’s up & who’s down in our Prediction Centre?

You know it&rsquo;s a going to be a great week of action when you look at the win chances and find that the horse with the perfect (4/4) 160 record this season, Vancouver de Lanlore, is hovering in 17th position with a 1% win chance (721 Elo). Worth noting that all four of those clears were at World Cup shows. 16 horses with a better chance on paper? What a field!
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Several pairs follow on 3%. View them, plus the entire field, at the <a href="https://jumping-prediction-centre.equiratings.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EquiRatings Jumping Prediction Centre.</a>
<h3>What is this?</h3>
EquiRatings uses an Elo rating system combined with a comprehensive performance model to rank the best show jumping horses in the world. The Elo rating system is based on a horse's past performance history and calculates its relative skill level compared to other horses. It is working well as a tool for Olympic managers managing a performance team, for riders looking to use Moneyball techniques to identify equine talent and for media and commentators on weekends like this when it can help shape the story as to how to order a field.
When it comes to the win and podium chances you see here, we use the performance model (which includes factors such as clears, faults, level, recency, championships, prize money, and other performance metrics) and we simulate the competition thousands of times.
It is these simulations which allow us to provide accurate win chances for each combination in show jumping competitions. The performance model is continually updated with new data, ensuring that the predictions are always based on the most up-to-date information. 
Sam, Diarm, and Nicole chat through the field's stats and metrics. <a href="https://podfollow.com/equiratings-jumping-podcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Listen to the Omaha Preview here.</a>
<iframe style="border: none;" title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/26441709/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/f3f7fc/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes" width="100%" height="192" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
King Edward (798 Elo) is last to jump tonight and will know exactly the job he has to do by then. The world champion has a win chance of 12% and is a narrow favourite over Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z (11%, 793 Elo). These are the two powerhouse horses of the sport at the moment and are 4-4 in the head-to-head battle between them. How ironic would it be if the first ever 160 win for Monaco N.O.P. (9% win chance, 765 Elo) arrived here this weekend. Harrie and Monaco jump so many 160 clears that this format could suit and the model puts them in the top 3. Leone Jei, here with the defending champion, has a win chance of 8% and an Elo rating of 760.
The fun starts when we see that Legacy (754) and Ladriano Z (755), and Hello Jefferson (730) and Messi van 't Ruytershof (741) are all bunching up and are so close on paper. These combinations have win chances between 4-5% and Elo ratings ranging from 730 to 755.
We will update the win chances each day. <a href="https://jumping-prediction-centre.equiratings.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Follow them here</a>.

Images of Henrik von Eckermann on King Edward, Daniel Deusser on Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z, and Harrie Smolders on Monaco N.O.P set against a grid paper background

Who wins the 2023 FEI Jumping World Cup Final?

The World Cup Finals have been the highlight of many top-level riders&rsquo; calendars for years. They spend the winter season chasing points at the various World Cup Qualifiers for a spot in the Finals and shoot their shot at a place on the podium. Watch these five set their sights.
Sam, Diarm, and Nicole chat through the field's stats and metrics. <a href="https://podfollow.com/equiratings-jumping-podcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Listen to the Omaha Preview here.</a>
<iframe style="border: none;" title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/26441709/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/f3f7fc/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes" width="100%" height="192" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h3>King Edward versus Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z</h3>
Three of the top 10 highest-rated horses on our Elo rankings will be competing in Omaha for the Longines FEI World Cup Finals this weekend. For the 9th time in their careers, we will see the two current highest-rated horses active in sport right now take each other on at the highest level. At their last head-to-head, Henrik von Eckermann&rsquo;s KING EDWARD (798) evened the score after finishing third in the Grand Prix of Paris Saut Herm&egrave;s while Daniel Deusser&rsquo;s SCUDERIA 1918 TOBAGO Z (793) incurred four faults and finished in 27th place. These two powerhouse horses have proven they are each other&rsquo;s worthy competitors, each having beaten the other on four separate occasions. One could say King Edward has the upper hand this weekend coming fresh off a third place finish at the Rolex Major Grand Prix of &lsquo;s Hertogenbosch at his last outing, while Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z is showing a slight drop in form lately.
<h3>Is it time for Monaco N.O.P.&rsquo;s moment of merit?</h3>
As Martin Fuchs has recently announced the retirement of CHAPLIN, we won&rsquo;t be seeing the winner of the 2022 Leipzig World Cup Finals in Omaha this year. We will however be seeing last year&rsquo;s runner-up. Harrie Smolders&rsquo; MONACO N.O.P. (765) is coming in as the third highest-rated horse in the field but perhaps the hungriest for the win. This combination&rsquo;s luck has not been on their side recently with 6 second place finishes at 5* 160 level added to their record in the past 13 months, yet the pair is still waiting on their big career win. Could Harrie Smolders and Monaco N.O.P. improve on last year&rsquo;s performance and finally get that win they have been chasing for years?
<h3>Form favourites</h3>
Another combination to look out for is the newly paired Harry Charles and BALOU DU REVENTON (750). At 17 years old, the stallion is one of the oldest horses in the field. This pair have only jumped two 5* 160 together but maintain a 100% clear rate at that level. Both horse and rider have considerable experience competing on the world stage, which could make them a force to be reckoned with.
When looking at clear rates of the past year, we cannot not highlight the performances of Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmerman&rsquo;s MESSI VAN &lsquo;T RUYTERSHOF (741). Over the past 12 months this pair have jumped 18 5* 160 classes, keeping a clean sheet in 13 and therefore maintaining a clear rate of 72.2%. Very few horses are able to maintain that level of consistency.
In terms of World Cup form this season, Pius Schwizer&rsquo;s VANCOUVER DE LANLORE (721) is the one to keep an eye out for. He is the only horse have jumped four 5* 160 classes in 2023 while maintaining a 100% clear rate. All those clears were produced at World Cup shows, his third-place finish in G&ouml;teborg finally earning them their sport in the final.

Images of Harry Charles and Pius Schwizer, each riding a horse. Placed against zig zag design elements and a grid paper background.

Off to Omaha: the five to follow

Last year&rsquo;s edition of this Rolex Grand Prix in Wellington saw a number of highly rated combinations go head-to-head to create a thrilling competition. While the average field strength of the competing horses equalled 713, the horse that eventually went on to win entered this class on an Elo of barely 603, the fourth lowest-rated horse of the field. Ashlee Bond&rsquo;s KAROLINE OF BALLMORE surprised the crowd by producing a foot-perfect double clear round, going faster in the jump-off than her teammate LADRIANO Z. Daniel Bluman and LADRIANO Z were one of the favourite combinations to win, entering on the fourth highest Elo of 742.
KAROLINE OF BALLMORE has since changed hands, but Ashlee Bond is sure to try and defend her title this year in the saddle of DONATELLO 141 (739). Last year&rsquo;s runner-up combination however will be back to take a shot at the win. Daniel has seen this victory pass him by for two consecutive years, finishing second on GEMMA W in 2021 behind Daniel Deusser and SCUDERIA 1918 TOBAGO Z. This time around, Bluman and LADRIANO Z are coming fresh off a CSI5* Grand Prix victory in Wellington two weeks ago with the aim to repeat that performance here on Saturday.
Another former winning combination of this class will take part in this edition. McLain Ward and HH AZUR (779) won the CSI5* Rolex Grand Prix of Wellington back in 2019. Four years later, this pair is still in their winning ways coming straight off back-to-back wins in the Rolex Major Grand Prix of Geneva and &lsquo;s Hertogenbosch.
Will we get another underdog win? Can Daniel Bluman finally add the Rolex Grand Prix of Wellington to his record of wins? Or will HH Azur score a hattrick?&nbsp;

Daniel Bluman riding a horse against a silhouettes of palm trees

Wired for Wellington: gearing up for the Rolex Grand Prix

We travel to Mexico this weekend for five-star action at CSI5* Coapexpan. To refresh your memory on this event, we go back in time to last year&rsquo;s edition.&nbsp;
The CSI5* Grand Prix of Coapexpan in 2022 had an Elo field strength of 571, which is relatively low for a five-star event. Some bigger names did enter this competition as we saw Oak Grove&rsquo;s Enkidu (668) and Quinly (666) on the startlist. It was however an underdog victory as Luciana Roberta Gonzalez Guerra and Ehrens (542) produced the only clear of the field and took the win without the need for a jump-off. This win gave Ehrens a significant boost in Elo and with several solid results produced throughout the past 12 months, the gelding currently sports an Elo of 632.
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Luciana Roberta Gonzalez Guerra and Ehrens are due to compete in Coapexpan again this weekend. Can they repeat last year&rsquo;s superb performance?

The rump of a horse cantering in a show jumping competition with the word "Mexico" written on top.

#ThrowbackThursday – Cruising to Coapexpan

It's been barely a year since this bay stallion has formed a combination with Pius Schwizer and while their start together may have been rocky, they are on a roll to make waves this year.
With four starts at 160 in 4* and 5* events this season, and a 100% clear rate retained, Vancouver de Lanlore and Pius Schwizer have shown they are a force to be reckoned with in 2023. The pair have produced more clears than what is considered average for those courses and therefore currently sport a CAS value of 3.1 at 160, unmatched by any other horse so far into the year.
This pair finished third in the Leipzig World Cup ahead of the in-form Solid Gold Z (764) and the hugely consistent Messi van &lsquo;t Ruytershof (729). In his most recent outing for the G&ouml;teborg World Cup, they beat major rivals such as King Edward (798) and Monaco N.O.P. (765) by claiming second place.
Their consistency on the World Cup circuit has earned them a spot in the Longines FEI World Cup Finals in Omaha in April. However, it hasn&rsquo;t always come easy for this combination. They have only formed a pair since March 2022 as the stallion had previously been campaigned by Penelope Leprevost. It was under the French rider that Vancouver de Lanlore reached his highest Elo-rating to date. In November of 2019, the stallion came out of the CSI5*-W Grand Prix of Lyon on an Elo of 754 after finishing 12th in that competition.&nbsp;
Soon after Schwizer took over the ride, Vancouver de Lanlore&rsquo;s Elo dropped as low as 583 in May 2022. It took a while for horse and rider to get to know each other but ever since then they have been on an upward trajectory. Currently Vancouver de Lanlore sports an Elo of 721. With the way this pair have started 2023, and with their participation in the World Cup Finals secured, we expect to see this Elo evolve further as the year continues.

Pius Schwizer riding a horse with a spotlight over his torso.

Show jumping