Martin Fuchs wins second leg of Jumping World Cup Final

Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs and his trusted partner Leone Jei soared to victory in the second leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2025 in Basel. The crowd at St. Jakobshalle erupted as the duo delivered a thrilling jump-off round to take the win in Friday night’s 1.60m Table A competition.

Max Kühner (AUT) and Elektric Blue P finished second, while Alessandra Volpi (USA) claimed third with Gypsy Love—the only combination to jump clear in both rounds so far.

Out of 38 starters, only six produced clear rounds over Gérard Lachat’s technical course to qualify for the jump-off. Among them were Fuchs, Kühner, Volpi, Daniel Coyle (IRL), Hans-Dieter Dreher (GER), and overnight leader Julien Epaillard (FRA).

In a surprise move, Epaillard—who had already secured a strong points lead—opted not to jump off, conserving his homebred Donatello d’Auge for Sunday’s final. As a result, Fuchs’s fast and fearless round with Leone Jei sealed the win.

Jump-Off Results – Day 2

1. Martin Fuchs (SUI) – Leone Jei – 0 faults / 41.85 sec
2. Max Kühner (AUT) – Elektric Blue P – 0 faults / 42.32 sec
3. Alessandra Volpi (USA) – Gypsy Love – 0 faults / 45.78 sec
4. Hans-Dieter Dreher (GER) – Elysium – 4 faults / 42.44 sec
5. Daniel Coyle (IRL) – Incredible – 4 faults / 47.25 sec
6. Julien Epaillard (FRA) – Donatello d’Auge – Did not jump-off

Volpi, making her Final debut, is now the only rider with three consecutive clear rounds and heads into Sunday’s two-round decider with strong momentum.

Current Standings (after two rounds, converted to penalties):

• Julien Epaillard (FRA): 0 penalties
• Martin Fuchs (SUI): 2 penalties
• Henrik von Eckermann (SWE): 2 penalties
• Ben Maher (GBR): 3 penalties
• Lillie Keenan (USA): 3 penalties
• Kevin Staut (FRA): 3 penalties

The top 30 combinations now advance to Sunday’s Final, with two more rounds to decide the 2025 World Cup champion. After the first round, the top 20 will qualify for the second and final round.

The stage is set for a dramatic finish in Basel.