The on-fire Swiss rider Daniel Etter and his mount Peu a Peu won the event in a 10-horse jumpoff to match their World Cup Qualifier victory last weekend in Oslo. USA rider Lauren Hough on Quick Study took second only 1.08 seconds behind the leader, the best result for a US rider in this early season.

European World Cup Jumping is an exciting indoor series because of the large public crowds and media attention. Show jumping was originally developed in Europe and still leads the world in spectators and dynamic, innovative presentation of the sport.

The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy (second volume to be published in the summer of 2010) incorporates the idea of such “great” horses in history, for the horse is an athlete and–like human athletes–special equine champions actually exist.

One such horse is Snowman, a horse that was saved from slaughter by beloved horseman Harry de Leyer–and went on to become one of America’s top international jumpers. The horse’s story reads like a fairy tale, so it is welcome news that a new book is coming out about Snowman appropriately titled, “The Cinderella Horse.”

The World Cup is an extensive series of indoor qualifiers across the globe, leading to the Finals in April.

It is an interesting odd fact that horse jumping is a  young sport: the ability of horses to jump with a rider was not discovered until the 1700’s. This intriguing competition continues to grow in popularity worldwide. The Show Jumping World Cup series was only begun in 1978, and today the series is contested in 14 leagues on every continent.

In essence, Show Jumping’s World Cup is the sport’s annual international indoor championship. Since the 1950’s, Show Jumping has evolved into a year-round sport, and the tight, colorful, electric atmosphere of indoor jumping is very different than the galloping expanses of outdoor courses. Some horses go better indoors, some prefer outside–this difference in challenge makes for interesting jumping competition year-round.

A century ago we seemed to be at the end of our ancient partnership with the horse, since the animal’s use in transportation was made obsolete by the invention of the internal combustion engine. Today there are more horses than ever, largely due to equestrian sport and recreation … and one of the big drivers of that growth is the international sport of Show Jumping.

So it is great news to hear of the sport’s continuing success as a spectator attraction, as was seen last week at the Canadian jumping hot-spot of Spruce Meadows in Calgary. A record crowd of over 70,000 spectators attended the closing Masters competition, sitting in lawnchairs at 6:00am to secure the best seats. Congrats to Spruce Meadows for showing again that well-presented and promoted Show Jumping is a sport for the future.

Additional links:

Chronicle of the Horse (by Tricia Booker)

Ward & Sapphire win $1,000,000 CN International Grand Prix (Meghan Chevrette-McIvor via Hunter Jumper News)

The only lack was in the Announcing. Show jumping is like a storybook with pictures: it must be narrated. The story needs to be told.

Those who already love the sport will forgive transgressions against their spectator interests, but that is no reason for complacency. The key to creating new fans is engaging them.

Entertaining spectators at a horse show is as easy as talking to them about horses. This is not “easy” at all, in reality, as it requires talent combined with professionalism and love for horses and the sport. However, it would be pay great dividends for the sport to develop just such talent.

We have chosen to honor the “Olympics,” but there were actually four major Grecian Games, the Olympian, Pythian, Nemean, and Isthmian. These were held in yearly cycles, so that the largest Games near Olympia were held every four years. The equestrian events were the most popular and religiously significant. The contests included flat Racing, Dressage and Chariot Racing (today the sports are Dressage, Eventing and Jumping). Note that Dressage is the definition of “classical.”

The fact that the ancient Games were religious in nature has given a special moral character to the modern Olympic movement. There were two sports in the original Games: Athletics and Equestrian. Each type of competition held a specific meaning. Athletics represented the striving for human excellence, and Equestrian events represented man’s survival and conquest against the elements.

Inclusion of horses ennoble the Games, and the honorary aspect of equestrian sport is the origin of the famous “Olympic spirit.” The integrity of the Olympic ideal is upheld in the equestrian sport above all, for it is the horse which competes for no prize except the joy of taking part, and horsemanship which puts the mount’s welfare higher even than the Olympic rewards of money and fame.