Julien Epaillard wins opening leg of Jumping World Cup Final

Julien Epaillard (FRA) and his homebred Donatello d’Auge delivered a masterclass in precision and speed to win the opening leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2025 in Basel. With a time of 60.30 seconds, Epaillard topped the leaderboard in the Table C speed class, securing an early advantage in the three-part Final.

Riding fourth in the 39-strong field, defending champion Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) set the early pace with Iliana, finishing on 61.26 seconds. He was eventually pushed down the standings as the class progressed, with several riders producing faultless and fluid rounds over Gérard Lachat’s (SUI) technical 1.60m course.

Britain’s Ben Maher, despite nursing a freshly broken foot, delivered a silky round with Point Break to finish second in 60.43 seconds, just 0.13 seconds behind Epaillard. Making her World Cup Final debut, Lillie Keenan (USA) thrilled the crowd with a composed and quick round on Kick On, stopping the clock at 60.69 seconds to take third.

Top 5 – Round 1 Results

1. Julien Epaillard (FRA) – Donatello d’Auge – 60.30
2. Ben Maher (GBR) – Point Break – 60.43
3. Lillie Keenan (USA) – Kick On – 60.69
4. Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) – Iliana – 61.26
5. Kevin Staut (FRA) – Visconti du Telman – 61.33

Other notable performances included Sophie Hinners (GER), who clocked 62.56 with Iron Dames My Prins to secure sixth, and Pieter Devos (BEL) with Casual DV Z, who posted 62.64 for eighth place. Switzerland’s Edouard Schmitz finished ninth with Gamin van’t Naastveldhof, while Robert Whitaker (GBR) also made the top 10 aboard Vermento.

The opening round in Basel saw 14 clear rounds, underlining the depth of quality in the field. With two more days of competition to come, consistency and strategy will be key.

The second round of the Final takes place Friday, 4 April at 20:15 local time.