Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025

Video: Von Eckermann Overcomes Warm-Up Fall To Take Second Title

PUBLISHED

ADVERTISEMENT

For the second year in a row, Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann and the extraordinary King Edward reigned supreme at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In Wednesday’s opening competition they threw down the gauntlet when taking the early lead, and then they left the rest in their wake once again with a brilliant jump-off performance in Thursday’s second competition.

Saturday’s finale, however, got off to a shaky start when von Eckermann fell in the warm-up area before going into the first round. But the 42-year-old athlete held his nerve, reassured his gelding and climbed back into the saddle to clinch his second World Cup Final title with two more unforgettable performances. 

Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann and King Edward claimed their second consecutive Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Finals title with a faultless performance over three days in Riyadh, culminating with their third win of the week in Saturday’s finale. Martin Dokoupil/FEI Photo

Compatriot Peder Fredricson was lying second as Saturday’s action began, but a single mistake with Catch Me Not S allowed Frenchman Julien Epaillard and Dubai Du Cedre to overtake him. Kent Farrington, representing the United States, just missed the podium, finishing fourth after notching 4 faults in the final round aboard Greya. (See complete results here.)

“It’s something I could never have dreamed of when I was younger, that I would be here two times winning,” von Eckermann said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Of his problem in the warm-up, he reckoned his strong ride to the final fence to win Thursday’s class may have explained King Edward’s stop that dislodged him from the saddle Saturday.

“In the end to the last fence (on Thursday) maybe I exaggerated a little bit, but I was so fed up being second at other shows, I did three five-stars and he was second in every one of them,” he said. “I always had the feeling I was a little bit on the safe side at the last (fence at those shows) and I was second. I didn’t want to be second again, but in the end it was a little bit too much and then I paid the price of that today.”

But he was able to get back on, set the miscommunication aside, and produce in the ring.

“It doesn’t help to get nervous or stressed, because the horse feels everything and King Edward is anyway a very, very sensitive horse,” he said. “So for him when that happened I just said, ‘Don’t worry, let’s stay calm,’ and don’t let him feel that everything is a little not like it should be. 

“It went well, and we’ve been together so long and know each other so well that I had the biggest confidence in him, and that helped to have that feeling that, even with this mistake, what happened happened and that it was still zero on the scoreboard and that’s what counts,” he said. “So I just focused on that.”

Watch their winning final round, courtesy of FEI.tv:

ADVERTISEMENT

For the U.S. contingent, behind Farrington in fourth place, Devin Ryan and Eddie Blue were next best, notching 5 faults in the first round and 4 in the second to finish tied for ninth place. Sophia Siegel retired A-Girl in the first round, and Skylar Wireman, who posted an exceptional performance in the opening speed class but struggled in the following day’s second round, notching 16 faults, opted not to start Saturday.

In a statement shared on on USA Jumping’s Facebook page, she said her horse Tornado is “100% well, sound and fit,” but she decided Saturday’s difficult final would be asking too much of the young horse.

“I came here with a horse that is 10 and is very much still learning and his welfare will always be at the very heart of every decision I make,” she wrote in part. “Without our horse we are nothing, and they put their complete trust in us. Tornado was a rock star in the 1st Round of the World Cup Finals, finishing 10th amongst the legends of our sport. He jumped his heart out in the 2nd Round on Thursday.

“Tornado is inexperienced at this level and having studied our round on Thursday and talked extensively to my coach and many others whose opinions and experience I have high regard for, I will not risk his welfare or his future in the sport by asking Tornado to jump a course he might not be quite ready for,” she continued. “The course today will be big and technical but fair for this level of competition: I knew it would be but I knew Tornado and I had the potential to jump it; that potential is still there but we need just a little more experience to realize it.”

ADVERTISEMENT

EXPLORE MORE

Follow us on

Sections

Copyright © 2025 The Chronicle of the Horse