WILLIAMSBURG —
On a Sunday afternoon complete with surprises, fortunes favored Beat Mändli (SUI) in the 2026 edition of the $340,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ CSI5*-W Traverse City for the American Gold Cup presented by Frank & Eileen, as he took the win aboard Qoachella, the only double-clear performance of the day.
As the final class of the 2026 season was set to get underway, riders and spectators alike knew Alan Wade (IRL) had set a challenging track for the 37 entries, among them the reigning FEI World Cup™ Finals champion Kent Farrington (USA), 2024 Olympic gold medalist Christian Kukuk (GER), and two-time winners of this very class, Shane Sweetnam (IRL) and James Kann Cruz.
Under a tight time allowed and facing countless technical elements across the course, only five pairs managed to jump clear, with both Farrington, aboard Greya, and McLain Ward (USA), with Jordan Molga M, finishing .07 seconds over the time allowed, tying for sixth place and missing their shot at the jump-off.
Mändli and Qoachella were the first to contend the short course, and the 2007 FEI World Cup™ Finals champion knew his time would likely be caught, so an efficient double-clear was his best path forward. Jumping in 38.03 seconds, he kept all the rails up and waited to see where he would finish. As riders tried to improve upon his time, mistakes happened, rails fell, and Mändli emerged as the winner.
“I was definitely not thinking about the win today,” Mändli reflected. “I wanted a good round and to keep my horse confident. She was incredible today. The jump-off turned out totally crazy so sometimes it works out and it did today for me, my horse, and my whole team. I’m obviously very happy.”
Pope, O-Chadischa pick up one final win in Hunter Classic
To wrap up exciting hunter action for the season, Jacob Pope prevailed in the Traverse City Horse Shows $10,000 Hunter Classic aboard O-Chadischa, a mare he’s had the pleasure of getting to know over the course of the summer. With scores of 91 and 85 in the two-round classic, the pair took the win by a margin of only one point.
Both Pope and Augusta Iwasaki, who finished second with Ever So Clear, had four very nice entries in the class. Both are highly accomplished and decorated hunter riders, as well as good friends, so they joked about battling it out in the final big hunter class of the season.
“I sent a screenshot of the order to [Augusta’s] mom,” Pope laughed, knowing he was up against a tough competitor. He had four chances to get the job done, also snagging third with Malito. “We both had four and we’d battle it out. We’re great friends and I love supporting her. It was a really fun class.”
Dates for 2027 include the Traverse City Spring Series, June 9–July 4; the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, July 7–August 15; and the Tournament of Champions, September 1–19.