The show jumping World Cup stage of Basel 2026 went to Germany

Not many riders can claim to have already competed in three tournaments on two continents on the second weekend of the year – if there is one at all apart from Richard Vogel. And with great success, too. Today in Basel, the European champion and world number six secured the fourth World Cup stage win of his career, thereby also jumping to the top of the rankings. He was in the saddle on his top horse United Touch S. Unlike usual, this time he had chosen a hackamore as his bridle. For good reasons and on good advice, as he later explained. But first there was work to do.

Seven pairs made it into the jump-off of the World Cup show jumping competition. The penultimate obstacle, a plank right next to the rail – i.e. close to the spectators – and after the energy-sapping triple combination, in which a mighty oxer after two steep jumps demanded all the jumping ability of the horses, proved to be a cliff in the first round. None of this was a problem for United Touch S. He has no lack of ability and the lines of the course suited his big canter jump. The pair confidently joined the winner of the Grand Prix, Kim Emmen on Imagine, World Cup title defender Julien Epaillard with Donatello d’Auge and Martin Fuchs with L&L Lorde in the jump-off.

Decision in the jump-off

The jump-off was started by the British European Championship silver medallists Donald Whitaker and his wonderful grey mare Millfield Colette, who had an atypical eight penalty points this time. Next to try his luck was Johan-Sebastian Gulliksen for Norway. He had already said before the jump-off that Harwich VDL by Arezzo VDL was not the fastest. What he hadn’t said was that this chestnut would always try everything for his rider. And so it didn’t matter that Gulliksen lost his reins in the turn towards the aforementioned plank at the rail (which had been replaced by a pole for the jump-off). Harwich VDL had everything under control. They crossed the finish line clear, but were not the fastest with a time of 46.85 seconds.

The next pair were the winners of the Grand Prix, Kim Emmen and her wonderful gray horse Imagine, who always looks as if he doesn’t care about anything, but who is always fully present at the decisive moment. This was also the case today. The Cassini Gold son flew casually to the finish line in a brisk 41.55 seconds. That was more of a time to scare the following pairs.

The dream of home victory ended for Martin Fuchs in the saddle of L&L Lorde, who he trained himself, with a knockdown at the rail on the aforementioned steep jump. Then came the pair that had probably been regarded by most as one of the hottest contenders for victory: France’s Julien Epaillard and Donatello d’Auge, the pair who won the World Cup Final in Basel last year. But not only were they slower than Fuchs and Lorde, they also had a knockdown.

Then Richard Vogel and United Touch S are the penultimate pair in the jump-off. Vogel does not have to chase his stallion apart to make up time over the frequency. His now 14-year-old Untouched son took care of that with his ground-eating canter jump. Vogel was able to concentrate on taking the best lines. In one turn, it carried him a little far to the outside. However, this gave him room to take the following 180 degree turn onto the wall in the shape of a Swiss cheese in the smallest possible space. The remaining obstacles from long distances were then no longer a problem, United just had to fly over them. Result: clear, 40.12 seconds, that smelled a lot like victory.

Only the Swiss shooting star Gaëtan Joliat with Just Special VK could have denied them success. Last year, as in previous years, the 20-year-old was part of the Swiss junior team at the European Young Riders Championships. During the winter, he had already been able to recommend himself for bigger tasks with placings in the World Cup jumping competitions in Oslo and London. His confident clear round in the first round showed that this was no coincidence. But then two poles fell in the jump-off. Seventh place for the pair. And victory for Richard Vogel ahead of Kim Emmen and Imagine.

The other places

With second place today in the World Cup show jumping after her first victory in a five-star Grand Prix on Friday, the likeable Dutch rider Kim Emmen was able to enjoy a mega finish to this weekend. It is likely to be one of the most successful of her career to date.

The third-placed Norwegian Johan-Sebastian Gulliksen, who had not expected to finish so far ahead, was at least as happy.

They were followed in this order by Martin Fuchs and L&L Lorde, Julien Epaillard with Donatello d’Auge, Donald Whitaker on Millfield Colette ahead of Gaëtan Joliat and Just Special.

Apart from Richard Vogel, there were two other German pairs at the start, but they had nothing to do with the decision. Hans-Dieter Dreher and Elysium had one down in the first round. Pia Reich and PB Löwenherz had two.

Good advice

“The smart one learns from everyone, the normal one from his experiences and the stupid one knows everything better,” it is said. Richard Vogel is obviously one of the smart ones. Even if he didn’t learn from just anyone in Basel, but on the contrary from top horseman Julien Epaillard.

After his triumph today, the European champion reported in an interview that United had jumped well at previous tournaments, but had always had the odd mistake. That was the case in Stuttgart and also in Geneva. He spoke to Julien Epaillard about this and the Frenchman said he should try a hackamore, i.e. a bitless bridle. Almost all of Epaillard’s horses go on a hackamore – Donatello d’Auge as well as Dubai du Cedre and Caracole de la Roque before him. Vogel, however, did not have a hackamore. Epaillard was able to help out.

Vogel used it for the first time in the Grand Prix. The pair still had one down here. After that, he worked on the fine-tuning, said Vogel. And today his willingness to experiment paid off. “I owe Julien a big thank you,” emphasized the European champion.

World Cup ranking

With his victory today, Richard Vogel has catapulted himself to the top of the World Cup rankings. He leads with 56 points ahead of Willem Greve (52) and Julien Epaillard (46). Vogel should therefore have his ticket for the final in Fort Worth pretty much in the bag. The same applies to Daniel Deußer in sixth place. The two are currently the only Germans with the prospect of a place in the top 18 of the Western European League to qualify for the final.

You can find the World Cup ranking here.