Paris to Host 2018 World Cup Finals of Dressage & Jumping
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Nov. 10, 2015
Paris will host the World Cup Finals of dressage and jumping in 2018, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) announced Tuesday in awarding 14 championships over the next two years.
The French capital hosted the final of the annual global championships in dressage in 1991 while Lyon staged the event in 2014.
Paris beat out Gothenburg, Sweden and Las Vegas, Nevada for the dual finals. Las Vegas staged the event in April this year for the fourth time so far this century while Gothenburg is the host next April for the eighth time since the dressage final was first held in 1986. Omaha, Nebraska will stage the Final in 2017.
“We are delighted that the FEI World Cup Finals will be taking place in the vibrant French capital,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez (previously Zeender) said. “This will be the first time the dual Finals have been held in Paris, although the Finals were held separately in 1987 for jumping and 1991 for dressage, so the time is right to return to this wonderful international city.
“Last year France hosted the largest Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games to date, and we are confident that GL Events, the team that organized brilliant double Finals in Lyon in 2014, will take the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final and the FEI World Cup Dressage Final 2018 to a new level of excellence.”
The two finals will take place April 10-15 at the AccorHotels Arena, formerly known as Paris Bercy Arena, located on the Boulevard de Bercy in central Paris.
The indoor arena, known for its pyramidal shape and walls covered with sloping lawn, is one of France’s biggest concert venue and has hosted global megastars such as Madonna, Céline Dion, Tina Turner, Kylie Minogue, and U2 among many others. Major sporting events, including the ATP Tour tennis tournament Paris Masters, have also been held at this venue.
Among the FEI championships and finals awarded for 2016 were the Balkan Dressage Championship at Thessaloniki, Greece on dates to be confirmed and the European Championship for Ponies (dressage, jumping & eventing) at Vilhelmsborg, Denmark Aug. 17-21.
