Julien Epaillard’s bold gamble paid off in Basel, as he and Donatello d’Auge were crowned Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final champions for the first time.
The Frenchman had made a calculated decision in Friday’s penultimate round (4 April) to skip the jump-off, choosing to preserve the 12-year-old gelding’s legs for the decisive final day. In doing so, he sacrificed the chance of a potential fence advantage – but bet everything on Donatello’s freshness and class to see them home.
It proved a masterstroke. According to data from analytics experts EquiRatings, horses of Donatello’s calibre who skip the second-round jump-off average 1.7 penalties fewer than those that jump – and that prediction proved bang on.
“To have this pressure every week would not be possible for my heart,” Julien joked afterwards, “but it’s a positive pressure – and that’s what we like.
“The risk paid off. Donatello was still a little tired out there because it’s a long week, and we were a little lucky in the second round. But I know him so well now, and he has a great mind and always tries to help me.
“He has the experience and the technique, and he can easily jump without too much effort – and that helped me a lot today.”
How the showjumping World Cup Final played out
The Americans were the standout performers in the first round, with Kaitlin Campbell (Casterfield Cornelious), Kristen Vanderveen (Bull Run’s Jireh), Katherine Dinan (Out of the Blue SCF), and joint-third Lillie Keenan (Point Break) delivering a clean sweep of clears. Fellow American Alessandra Volpi (Gipsy Love), a podium finisher in Friday’s jump-off, did not come forward for the final round.
Ireland’s Daniel Coyle and Incredible kept the crowd on the edge of their seats, following their gutsy performance on Friday with another clear round – despite a heart-stopping moment at the final fence, where Daniel lost a stirrup but clung on to huge cheers from the stands.
Julien Epaillard riding Donatello d’Auge wins the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final. Credit: FEI/Benjamin Clark
Robert Whitaker and Vermento came into the final competition on 16 penalties, and while the 12-year-old black stallion looked to be tiring slightly, Robert managed to keep the mistakes to a minimum.
A single pole down and a time fault were enough to secure their place among the top 20 who returned for the second round, where he produced a fantastic clear to finish on 21 penalties overall and 17th place – just outside the money, but able to take home the bragging rights of being one of only four clears in the second round.
Kevin Staut (Visconti du Telman), the first of the riders on three penalties, delivered a cool, textbook clear. Ben Maher and Point Break followed, surviving a rattle at the Liverpool at seven but otherwise looking rock-solid to finish clear and stay in the hunt.
Home hero Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei entered to a thunderous welcome. His round was full of determination and grit, with Martin urging Leone through every stride – even calling encouragement before the final element of the triple combination at fence eight, momentarily breaking the tense hush.
Everything was going to plan – until the last pole dropped, agonisingly late, dashing Swiss hopes. The crowd’s cheers turned to groans as four penalties were added to Martin’s score, leaving him on six heading into the final round.
Ben Maher riding Point Break during the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final. Credit: FEI/Benjamin Clark
That slip-up opened the door for Henrik von Eckermann and Iliana, as the reigning champion chased a World Cup treble. But they too caught a rail at the Liverpool, joining Martin on six penalties.
Last to go, Julien Epaillard came out riding forward as ever. It wasn’t the smoothest round – the first part of the fourth combination rocked precariously in its cups, and Donatello brushed a pair of oxers – but they kept all the poles in place and finished well inside the time, stretching their narrow lead from two penalties to three.
The final round
Gérard Lachat’s second-round course proved far more testing than the first, with a tricky line from a triple across the diagonal into the Liverpool at fence nine proving problematic.
First in, Kaitlin Campbell’s brilliant run came to an abrupt end when she was unseated at fence three. Her compatriot Katherine Dinan, however, delivered a standout performance. As the only rider to jump double clear, she rocketed from 15th to eighth in the final standings – pocketing an extra €30,000 in prize money for her efforts.
Home hero Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei, first of the chasing pack, saw their hopes fade as they rattled fence six, dropped the plank at seven, and caught the middle element of the triple, tumbling down the leaderboard to ninth on a total of 14 penalties.
Henrik von Eckermann’s slim hopes of a three-peat vanished too, despite an excellent round. He, like so many, fell foul of fence nine and finished fourth overall on 10 penalties.
Kevin Staut, clear in the opening round, also caught the Liverpool, ending on seven penalties overall – easing the pressure further on Julien Epaillard.
On whether he was disappointed to go so close, Kevin said: “No, I’m just really happy, for myself – my mare is 16 years old, and she’s still improving – but also for the team, and the sport in general. I think this sport is not just great, it’s wonderful when it’s done like it was this week.
“We have a wonderful winner, who just so happens to be French,” he added with a smile, “and we have to be proud of what we’ve produced.”
Julien Epaillard (centre), Ben Maher (left) and Kevin Staut (right) atop the podium at the FEI Jumping World Cup Final. Credit: FEI/Benjamin Clark
Lillie Keenan was next, looking sharp and assured in the early stages, sparking real excitement that the 28-year-old debutante could pull off a sensational win.
But the British-bred Kick On faltered through the toughest section of the track, taking rails at the final part of the triple, at the Liverpool, and at the first element of the double at 11, sliding her down to 11th overall. Still, this looks like a partnership with plenty more finals to come.
It all came down to Ben Maher and Point Break. The 11-year-old stallion looked every inch a future champion, and despite a momentary wobble at fence three, they were motoring towards a great score. But the opening part of the troublesome triple fell, leaving them on seven penalties – level with Kevin Staut but ahead on time.
That left Julien with breathing room: he could afford a fence down and two time penalties to avoid a jump-off.
Attacking the course in characteristic style, he flew into the first, smooth through two and three, and clean over the upright at four, though he brushed the oxer at five, drawing gasps from the crowd. He steadied and sailed through six and the plank at seven before tackling the pivotal section that had unseated so many rivals.
It, again, wasn’t entirely smooth, but he made it through, with four fences left and the title in sight. Then came a nerve-shredding moment: the first part of the penultimate double fell, cranking up the tension. But Julien and Donatello cleared the second element before the danger could settle in – and with one fence left, they soared to the finish, sealing the €172,500 prize and the 45th edition of the FEI World Cup Final.
“It’s hard to come so close,” Ben reflected afterwards, “but I have to congratulate Julien, to win on the first day and then keep the lead the whole way through – he’s not an easy person to overtake at the best of times.
“I had a rider error on Friday – I didn’t do a good enough job there – and Point Break was a little tired in the last round, but he gave me everything, and we had just had one little touch. But I’m proud of him and I think he’s going to be a special horse.”
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