Seventy-four athletes representing 14 countries presented their mounts for inspection today at Thunderbird Show Park in Langley, BC for the CSI4*-W Summer Fort Festival. The third and final week of the tbird Summer Series will culminate with the $145,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Vancouver, presented by Celebrity Cruises, on Sunday, Aug. 25.

The first of 14 legs on the 2019/2020 North American League calendar, tbird starts the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ season with a star studded field of riders, including former World Cup Champions Beezie Madden (USA) and Rich Fellers (USA). New Zealand’s Uma O’Neill, defending champion of tbird’s 2018 World Cup, returns with Clockwise of Greenhill Z to try and reclaim their title. Also in the line up are Mexico’s Patricio Pasquel, winner of the $235,000 Longines Grand Prix at tbird in June; Australia’s Rowan Willis, veteran of the 2018 World Equestrian Games; and Canada’s Lisa Carlsen, who is fresh off a team fourth place finish at the 2019 Pan American Games™ in Lima, Peru.

The Summer Fort Festival features six international classes. The CSI4*-W tbird Happy Welcome (2:00 p.m. PT) and the $75,000 CSI4*-W tbird Challenge (5:00 p.m.) highlight Wednesday, Aug. 21’s schedule. Thursday, Aug. 22 (4:00 p.m.) features the $8,500 CSI4*-W tbird Speed, while the $75,000 CSI4*-W Volvo Cup will take place Friday, Aug. 23 (5:00 p.m.) and the $15,000 CSI4*-W Maui Jim Winning Round on Saturday, Aug. 24 (2:00 p.m.).

Advertisement