Everything you need to know about the FEI World Cup™

What is the FEI World Cup™?

The FEI World Cup™ comprises a series of qualifying events where competitors can earn points to help them qualify for the FEI World Cup™ Finals. The series aims to bring together the best athletes in their respective disciplines in one place to determine the best dressage, show jumping, vaulting, driving and, from 2003 to 2009, eventing athlete of the current FEI World Cup™ season.

The history of the FEI World Cup™ 

The FEI World Cup™ Series had its Debut in 1978 with Showjumping, in 1986 the FEI Dressage World Cup™ organized its first Final in s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands following the huge success of the model of the FEI World Cup™ encountered in jumping and dressage, it was soon extended to Driving and Vaulting. The FEI Eventing World Cup™ followed in 2003 and was discontinued in 2012 after there were no Finals from 2010-2012.  

With over 140 qualifiers and its annual Finals, the FEI World Cup™  gathers not only the best athletes from around the world in one place, but also draws spectators which are either familiar with the equestrian or curious to experience the skills of horses and athletes presented at the event.

“The FEI World Cup™ series provide just that: a setting for the avid fans, the newcomers and the more general sport/entertainment enthusiasts to come together and experience top sport, and world class athletes at very close proximity.” - Ingmar de Vos | FEI President

(Source: FEI Bid Guide FEI World Cup™ Finals 2022-2023-2024 OPEN FOR 2024 ONLY 1.0.)

Consequently, the whole equine industry benefits from the FEI World Cup™ and its media coverage, as the Qualifiers, Legs and Finals draw thousands of visitors to the different countries and regions. Additionally, the equestrian events may contribute to the tourism industry of each country in terms of housing participants, visitors and exhibitors of these events.

The Locations of past FEI World Cup™ Finals

Here is an overview of the venues where the exciting FEI World Cup™ Finals have already been held.

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Future Locations of the FEI World Cup™ Finals

In 2024, the FEI World Cup™ Finals will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In this table you will find the venues for the coming season.

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The FEI Jumping World Cup™

The FEI Jumping World Cup™ is based on a long tradition that started in 1978 and had its first Final in Göteborg, Sweden. Did you know that the first winner of the FEI Jumping World Cup™ was Holger Simon (AUT) with his horse Gladstone? Furthermore, some of the most famous riders, which are still competing nowadays or are coaching other riders and their protégée have been one of the first athletes to ever compete in the FEI Jumping World Cup™. Namely, some of these Athletes are: Nick Skelton from Great Britain, John Whitaker from Great Britain, Eddie Macken from Ireland and Katie Monahan-Prudent from the United States of America. Since then, the rules for the FEI Jumping World Cup™ have been adjusted continuously to ensure the equine welfare and determine the best Jumping athletes of the world by their updated qualification procedure, which does not mean that winning the title back then was easy.

How do show jumping riders qualify for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final?

Athletes travel around the world to different qualifying events, earning points based on their placings at those competitions. Athletes belong to different Leagues around the world, here the most important Leagues and their qualifying system will be explained. Did you know that horses that participate in the FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final must be nine years or older?

The North American League (NAL)

The North American League chooses the top seven athletes from the east coast (USEF Zones 1-7), the top three athletes from the west coast (USEF zones 8-12), the top two from Mexico, and the top two from Canada. The competitors are allowed to collect points from other leagues like the Western European League, but must have at least earned one point within their own league.

The Western European League (WEL)

Unlike in the NAL, the athletes of the Western European League are not selected by zones. The top 18 athletes in the WEL with the highest points obtained during the qualifying Legs are eligible to compete in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final.

The procedure of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final

The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final is governed by strict rules. rulesdecided by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).

The first day of the FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final

One opportunity to ride in the competition arena before the first final competitions held must be provided to the Athletes and their horse(s).

• Training Session: approximate height of jumps is 1.40m, held in the morning, no paying audience, no prize money, no classification
• Warm-up test: paying audience, in the afternoon or evening, two phases (integrated jump-off), height of the obstacles 1.40m: table A with jump-off, 1.50m: table A against the clock, 1.40m; 

The Organizing Committee (OC) may hold either a training session or a warm-up competition, or both, subject to FEI regulations. You can find more here.

If only one training session is held, the athletes must name their horses (maximum two) with which they want to compete in the three final competitions within 30 minutes after the end of the training session. The same rule applies to the warm-up competition. If there is a training session and a warm-up competition, the athletes must name their horses within 30 minutes after the end of the warm-up competition. Athletes are not obliged to participate in the warm-up competition, but if it takes place, it is part of the FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final.

The second day of the FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final

On the second day, the first of three final competitions of the FEI Jumping World Cup will take place:

• Table C (faults are added as seconds to the time) over a Table A course, height 1.60m - no jump-off, 
• Table C scoring is used to give a skilled athlete a chance to place appropriately even if an obstacle is knocked down.

For more information about the first final competition on the second day of the FEI Show Jumping World Cup™, click here.

The second final competition on the third day of the FEI Jumping World Cup™. 

On the third day of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™, athletes will compete in a Table A against the clock, with the height of the obstacles ranging from 1.50m to 1.60m. 

• Athletes who retire or are eliminated in the first final competition may not participate in this competition. 

In this competition, penalties for faults or refusal generate 4 penalty points. Additionally, the riders and their horses need to complete the course in a given time, one penalty points are given for each second exceeding the time allowed. If an athlete exceeds the time, he or she is eliminated. More about the Tables and penalties can be found in the FEI Jumping Rules.

The fourth day of the FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final

The day before the FEI Jumping World Cup™ Athletes compete in the last competition of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final is an obligatory rest day. On this day the horses are usually lunged, hand walked or mildly ridden to prevent stiffness or soreness from the previous days of competing. 

The fifth day: the third final test

• Table A (not against the clock)
• Obstacle height: 1.50 m - 1.60 m 
• Two rounds: Grand Prix course, approx. same length and number of obstacles, second round with increased level of difficulty
• No jump-off for victory

If Athletes are tied for first place after the 3 final Competitions of the FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final, a jump-off against the clock with a reduced amount of at least 6 jumps to determine the winner. If after this jump-off the tied parties are still tied due to equal penalties, another jump-off will be held.  Learn more.

The FEI Dressage World Cup™ 

The FEI Dressage World Cup™ is considered one of the most prestigious competitions in dressage, attracting elite riders from around the world. This competition is known for its outstanding level of athleticism and artistic expression, as well as the impressive riding skills of the participating riders.

How do Dressage riders qualify for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final?

In Dressage, the draw for the contestants which are allowed to participate within the FEI World Cup™ Final differs slightly from the show jumping draw. Here, only the best 18 best riders and their horses of all leagues can compete in the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final. The leagues of the FEI World Cup™ are the North American League (NAL) which includes 10 qualifying events in total, these events are divided by the FEI between the USA (6-8), Canada (1-3) and Mexico (1). In the Western European League (WEL) the qualifying events are annually decided by the FEI and in the Pacific League (Australia and New Zealand) qualifiers of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ will be proposed yearly by the respective National Federations for approval of the FEI HQ. In any League, horse/rider combinations can only start in six qualifying events during the current season. From all nations qualified, only three riders of each nation are eligible to participate in the FEI Dressage World Cup™, consequently this means that even if more riders of the same nation rank highest of their league's final standings only the top three are chosen.

The North American League (NAL) | How do dressage riders qualify?

In order to qualify for the FEI Dressage World Cup™, dressage riders in the North American League (NAL) need to participate in the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle to Music to earn their points for the current FEI Dressage World Cup™ season. In order to participate in this competition, each rider must participate in the FEI Short Grand Prix or FEI Grand Prix test prior to the Grand Prix Freestyle to Music at each leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™. 

However, in order to qualify for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final, the athletes need to participate in at least two Grand Prix Freestyle to Music Tests and may not start in more than six CDI-W Freestyle to Music competitions. In addition to that, the dressage riders can also ride two horses if qualified in the CDI-W Freestyle to Music, if both horses are qualified for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final, only the horse with the highest total points will start in the Final and the second horse will act as a reserve in case of withdrawal for veterinary reasons (if the qualifying point is the next highest).  

Additionally, a rider may compete in the WEL but their National Federation needs to inform the FEI HQ in writing before the start of the season and special regulations for scoring may apply, you can find more about it here. 

The scores which can be earned in the North American League (NAL) for the Grand Prix Freestyle to Music for the current FEI Dressage World Cup™ Season are awarded as follows:

1. 20 pt.
2. 17 pt.
3. 15 pt.
4. 13 pt.
5. 12 pts.
6. 11 pt.
7. 10 pt.
8. 9 pt.
9. 8 pt.
10. 7 pt.
11. 6 pt.
12. 5 pt.
13. 4 pt.
14. 3 pt.
15. 2 pt.

Once the final ranking is available, the top three riders will be selected to compete in the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final of the current season. Should there be a tie at the end of the season, the highest score achieved in a CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle on Music will determine which athlete will be placed higher in the final ranking.

More about the rules regarding the North American League and FEI Dressage World Cup™ can be found here.

The Western European League (WEL)

The Western European League is one of the qualifying leagues for the FEI Dressage World Cup Final, and it consists of a series of competitions held in different countries throughout Europe. The top riders from each competition earn points based on their performance, and the riders with the most points at the end of the league qualify for the World Cup Final.

At FEI Dressage World Cup™ Qualifiers (CDI-W) the points awarded to Athletes competing in the Grand prix Freestyle to Musik are as follows:

• 1. 20 pts.
• 2. 17 points
• 3. 15 points 
• 4. 13 points 
• 5. 12 points 
• 6. 11 pts. 
• 7. 10 pts. 
• 8. 9 pts. 
• 9. 8 points 
• 10. 7 pts. 
• 11. 6 pts. 
• 12. 5 pts. 
• 13. 4 pts. 
• 14. 3 points 
• 15. 2 pts.  

In the event of a tie for 15th place, each athlete will receive 2 points

There are typically nine Western European League qualifying competitions held each season, but the number of qualifying events is annually decided by the FEI. The points that can be obtained by successfully competing in the qualifying events are equal to the ones of the NAL. The rider's best four results count towards their final league standing.

The top 9 riders from the western European league standings qualify for the World Cup Final, if they had scored at least 68% in the Grand Prix Freestyle to Music in a CDI-W qualifying event on two different occasions. If an athlete who qualified for the Final decides to not participate in the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final, the athlete, with the highest points beneath the one who is not going, gets the spot. Furthermore, only three Athletes per National Federations (NF), including the Title defender from the previous FEI Dressage World Cup™, can participate in the current Final. More information on the FEI Dressage rules, including the rules for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ can be found here.

Central European League (CEL) & Pacific League (PAL)

In the CEL, the National Federations of each country belonging to the League may organize a maximum of three qualifying events. Athletes can earn points in a max of two events in one same country. The same point system as in the WEL applies, and the two best results of the participating athletes count to the Central European League standings. These Athletes can participate in two WEL Qualifiers and will earn the full points for their League. However, if they take part in any other league except the WEL, they may earn full points only once and 50% from a second qualifier outside their league (the rule of two starts outside their league remains).

Only one horse/rider combination per NF can qualify for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final, based on the final results of the FEI CEL Points List.

In order for Pacific League Athletes to qualify for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final, different selection criteria is applied. First there is a League Final, for which Horse/Athlete combinations can qualify by competing at a CDI-W qualifier, a CDI3* qualifier or a higher qualifying event, at least once and obtain at least 68% or higher in the Grand Prix Freestyle to Music. Then, the League Final is held in either Australia or New Zealand, it contains max. 15 combinations of which 5 places are are reserved for visiting combinations, if more places are requested the chairmen of Dressage from each NF or their representative determine the number of contestants from each country based on the performance of the preceding 12 months. 

Read more about the rules for the league final here.

The League Final must be held in December, January or February, before the FE Dressage World Cup™ Final. The highest placed combination from the Pacific League Final is eligible to participate in the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final, if the Athlete is not able to travel to the Final, the next placed Horse/Rider combination can present the League at the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final as long as they fulfil the criteria mentioned before.

The FEI Vaulting World Cup™

Looking at the vaulters in the FEI World Cup™ Final, one might ask: How do athletes qualify for the FEI Vaulting World Cup™ Final? First of all, it is different from what you could read so far about the qualification of the dressage and show jumping riders. 

In order to qualify for the FEI Vaulting World Cup™ Final, ranking points can be earned between the 1st of January and the 31 December of the preceding year by competing at CVI3*, CVIO4*, FEI Championships and Master Class events (specific criteria for Masterclasses can be found here). 

Including the winners of the previous Final, a total of 8 Individual Female Vaulters, 8 Individual Male Vaulters and 5 Pas-de-Deux Vaulters will be in the FEI Vaulting World Cup™ but the number of Athletes per nation are limited to 4 Individual Athletes (2 Male & 2 Female) and to 2 Pas-de-Deux, excluding the winners of the past season.

Qualification criteria for individual vaulting

Individual vaulters must achieve at least a qualifying score of 7.0 at a World Cup Qualifier during the Qualification Period, which includes the Free Test and the Technical Test. The result of both tests will be divided by two to give the qualifying score for the World Cup™ Qualifier. If they meet the qualifying criteria, the top ranked athletes on the FEI Vaulting Individual World Cup™ Ranking List from each of these regions will qualify:

• Africa, Asia, Oceania: 1 female and 1 male place
• North America, South America: 2 female and 2 male participants
• Europe: 4 places for women and 4 places for men

In addition to the slots allocated by region, 1 Female & 1 Male Vaulter who have won the previous FEI Vaulting World Cup™ Final are automatically qualified.

Pas de Deux Qualification Criteria for the FEI Vaulting World Cup™ Final  

The four highest ranked Pas-de-Deux of the FEI Pas-de-Deux World Cup™ Standings list at the date of the nominated entries will qualify for the Final. The winner of the previous Final will be automatically qualified.

For more information on the rules and regulations of the FEI Vaulting World Cup™, please click here.

The FEI Driving World Cup™

The FEI Driving World Cup™ is divided into two phases:

1. The FEI Driving World Cup™ Legs
2. The FEI Driving World Cup™ Final

Depending on the number of legs (6 and 8 or 7 and 9), the top ten athletes who qualified to compete in the FEI Driving World Cup™ Qualifying Legs should compete in three legs (for a total of six or seven legs) or four legs (for a total of 8 or 9 legs). However, if an athlete competes in four Legs, only the best three results will count towards the final standings.

How do drivers qualify for the FEI Driving World Cup™?

• Participation in recognized CAI3*, CAIOs CH-EU-A4 and CH-M-A4 Outdoor Qualifiers
• Between October 1 and September 30, preceding the respective FEI Driving World Cup™ season.
• athletes can earn five bonus points for CAIOs, FEI Driving World Championships and FEI Driving European Championships
• One additional point for each top 10 athlete (based on the FEI Driving World Ranking List 6 weeks prior to the event) will be awarded for all FEI Driving World Cup™ qualifications. 

Read more about the qualifying criteria and rules for the FEI Driving World Cup™. here.

How are the FEI Driving World Cup™ Final Drivers chosen?

At the end of the last Leg, the six best athletes/riders will be admitted to the final.

If there is a tie between Athletes placed in 6th position, the position will be given to the Driver with the highest number of 1st places, if the tie precedes the spot in the Final will be given to the Athlete with the most 2nd place and so on.

Where to watch the FEI World Cup™ Qualifiers & Final 

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