Germany’s Ingrid Klimke jogs the exceedingly handsome stallion Franziskus FRH in the Omaha World Cup first horse inspection on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. They were accepted to compete. Photo by Allen MacMillan/MacMillan Photography
Day 2 at the Omaha FEI World Cup Finals brought the vaulting and dressage horses to the horse inspection area to face the scrutiny of the ground jury seeking the green light for their chance to compete. In the end all horses in each sport were accepted, but not without a bit of breath holding for dressage rider Dinja van Liere from the Netherlands.
Sixteen dressage horses representing 10 countries took their turn trotting down the inspection track. The four stallions competing were first to go for their once-over, then a mix of the four mares and the 8 geldings in the line-up strutted their stuff for the judges.
When van Liere’s mount, the 11-year-old Dutch stallion Hermes N.O.P., jogged, the ground jury took their time discussing him and he was sent to the hold box for a while. When Hermes trotted again, the ground jury took some more time to visit, but finally they accepted him to start competition. Defending World Cup Finals Dressage Champions from last year Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and the Trakehner mare TSF Dalera BB from Germany passed the first inspection with flying colors. Photo by Shelley Higgins/MacMillan PhotographymoreThe American-bred Hanoverian mare Serenade MF handled by her rider Alice Tarjan strutted her stuff in the first horse inspection in Omaha on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. Photo by Kim MacMillan/MacMillan PhotographymoreSteffen Peters and Suppenkasper, a.k.a. “Mopsie,” looking good in the FEI Omaha Dressage World Cup Finals first horse inspection this week. Photo by Shelley Higgins/MacMillan Photography
Ten vaulting horses (five from Germany and five from the USA), were all accepted to compete beginning Thursday, April 6 at 1:15 p.m. Central US Time. The horses will be shared between a few of the vaulters from the 10 different countries competing. Sara Krauss jogging the vaulting horse Max from Germany during the first horse inspection at the 2023 FEI World Cup Finals in Omaha, Nebraska, on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. Photo by Shelley Higgins/MacMillan PhotographyUS vaulting horse Romeo will be partnered with both the individual female from the USA (Kimberly Palmer) and the individual male from the USA (Daniel Janes). Romeo’s lunger will be Christoph Lensing. Photo by Shelley Higgins/MacMillan Photography
Other things going on at the Omaha World Cup Tuesday included school field trips with children learning about horse care, horse breeds and how horses tie into the Native American culture of the region in the education area. And, the jumpers had a scheduled training session where each horse and rider pair had a set time to take a turn over jumps in the main arena. The dressage and vaulting athletes had a chance to familiarize their horses with the main arena too.
The Omaha World Cup welcome reception and draw party capped the day’s events in the early evening. In addition to the draw for the starting order for all three sports, there was also a performance of Native American music and dance with tribal educator Steve Tamayo on the microphone explaining the significance of the songs, drum beats and steps. The presence of the Native American performers is a result of this year’s World Cup Finals working with Bluebird Cultural Initiative to teach of the importance of horses to Great Plains indigenous people. The riders selected to draw the names and corresponding starting places for dressage were Steffen Peters (left at the podium) of the USA and Dinja van Liere of the Netherlands. On the microphone was Master of Ceremonies for the draw party was Adam Cromarty. Photo by Allen MacMillan/MacMillan PhotographymoreThe dressage trophy for the winner of the FEI World Cup Finals with Jessica von Bredow-Werndl’s name listed as champion for 2022. Will she win again? Photo by Allen MacMillan/MacMillan PhotographyDraw party MC Adam Cromarty jokes with rider McLain Ward (left at podium) as Ward and Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs draw the names and competition order for the 2023 Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Finals. Photo by Allen MacMillan/MacMillan PhotographymoreThe FEI World Cup Jumping Finals trophy; will defending champion Martin Fuchs win again or maybe McLain Ward will reprise his win from the 2017 FEI Omaha World Cup Finals this year? It is anyone’s game at this point! Photo by Allen MacMillan/MacMillan PhotographymoreDraw party MC Adam Cromarty holds the microphone for German vaulter Jannik Weiland to announce the name on the paper he has selected while Kimberly Palmer of the US (podium left) waits to select a corresponding competition slot. Photo by Allen MacMillan/MacMillan PhotographymoreHonorary Omaha World Cup Chairman and the lady behind Omaha making a bid to hold the World Cup in 2017, Lisa Roskins made a quick appearance at the Draw Party to wish all of the riders good luck. Roskins’ family business Burlington Capital also sponsored the vaulting competition. Photo by Allen MacMillan/MacMillan PhotographymoreSpecial guests at the 2023 Omaha World Cup Draw Party were Native American performers from the Bluebird Cultural Initiative in Omaha; left is tribal elder Jerome Kills Small, and right, educator Steve Tamayo. Photo by Allen MacMillan/MacMillan Photographymore
As part of the performance, tribal elder and educator Jerome Kills Small sang a “blessing of the stable” while Tamayo walked around three competition horses (one representing each sport: dressage horse Serenade MF; jumper Eastern Jam, and vaulting horse Killian) from the USA standing in the arena waving a native plant frond to spread good luck. The crowd was captivated as the blessing was performed. Be sure to watch some videos about the Native American culture of the region. Native American dancers performed during the Omaha World Cup Draw Party; left is Gabriel Barea with Israel Tamayo in the background right. Photo by Shelley Higgins/MacMillan PhotographyNative American dancer Gabriel Barea tells a story with his dance moves as fellow dancer Herman Parker looks on. Photo by Allen MacMillan/MacMillan PhotographyNative American educator Steve Tamayo holds a plant used by his tribe for ceremonial blessings as his mentor and tribal elder Jerome Kills Small chants (off camera) a “blessing of the stable” with US vaulting horse Killian watching. Photo by Allen MacMillan/MacMillan Photography moreThe 2023 Omaha World Cup Finals offers a wide variety of children’s educational activities like this one where kids could try their hand at braiding a horse tail. Photo by Allen MacMillan/MacMillan Photographymore
The Master of Ceremonies for the evening was announcer Adam Cromarty; he provided color commentary as the draw progressed. For dressage the two athletes drawing names and the corresponding starting order were Steffen Peters from the USA and Dinja van Liere from the Netherlands. For show jumping McLain Ward (USA) and Martin Fuchs (SUI) fished out the information. And for vaulting, the USA’s Kimberly Palmer and Germany’s Jannik Weiland performed the draw.
For this Omaha World Cup Finals, our MacMillan Photography group is picking some “World Cup Wows” to share. Our new crew member Michelle Downey shares that the Native American blessing of the stable ceremony was very moving to her. For our associate photographer Shelley Higgins and me watching the absolutely gorgeous Hanoverian stallion Franziskus FRH, handled by rider Ingrid Klimke of Germany in the horse inspection, has been a highlight from today so far. Although every horse here is special, whether they be competition horses or the horses here representing their breed in the demonstration area; we are privileged to see them all for sure!
Looking back to yesterday, the feeling of walking into the amazing facility here at the CHI Health Arena and Convention Center, with all of the beautiful sculptures out front and the expansive interior, was certainly another “wow” for us. Witnessing the exuberance of the powerful show jumpers as the pranced their way through their horse inspection and arena familiarization was another notable moment.
Competition starts tomorrow with the dressage Grand Prix Freestyle at 1:15 p.m. Central and the speed class for the jumpers at 7:15 p.m. To follow news from the competition, go to the FEI World Cup website and to watch, subscribe to FEI TV.
For the complete coverage of the 2023 FEI World Cup in Omaha, click here.
This article about the FEI World Cup dressage and vaulting inspection is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!
Kim MacMillan graduated from Purdue University where she majored in agriculture communications and animal science. She has been reporting on equestrian sports, agriculture, science, travel and history for over 35 years. She and her husband Allen, who is a professional photographer, have covered several World Equestrian, Olympic and Pan American Games. The MacMillans share their Northeastern Indiana farm with several much-loved horses, dogs and cats.
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