IJRC Board Member Steve Guerdat reigns in Helsinki as Oda Charlotte Lyngvaer impresses with Carabella vd Neyen Z.

Spectacular riding, relentless competition and edge-of-the-seat moments – season’s last Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ qualifier in Helsinki offered a true thriller. The battle for the remaining qualifying points for the Fort Worth finals 2026 was fierce and came down to a 7-way jump-off.

Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat on Albfuehren’s Iashin Sitte put a flying round of 38 seconds on the leaderboard, and it was just enough to secure a victory. Oda Charlotte Lyngvaer of Norway and Carabella vd Neyen Z gave their all to challenge Guerdat but were left to the second place with only four hundredths of a second separating them from the win. Belgian Viktor Daem with Kavaliers Blue slotted into third in what was only his first five-star main class.

The Swiss, who had a serious back injury in September 2025, has come back to dominate on the top level. He won the World Cup qualifier first in Leipzig and now in Helsinki, securing the place in the Texas finals in style.

I’m happy about the win. Obviously, there’s nothing better than winning but I’m especially very relieved to now have my ticket to the finals. I think everyone who is close to the sport or knows me, knows about the special relationship I have with World Cup series and World Cup Finals.

Guerdat has won the finals three times and has the chance to make history in Texas in April.

This is a sport I was looking at when I was growing up and that motivated me to be part of it one day. And now, I’m a little part of the history of the World Cup and I keep being very motivated with it.

Before their performance in Helsinki today, Guerdat felt nervous as he wanted to be able to make the qualification.

I was very relieved after the first round. I didn’t really enjoy it, I didn’t feel like I rode it very smoothly, probably because the pressure was a bit too high. And then actually before the jump off I had to wake myself up ‘okay, you’re qualified, but it would be nice to win again’. Lashen has been amazing again and it was absolute pleasure to ride the jump-off and it was really tight with Charlotte. I was a little bit quiet after the double, she was once again little bit behind, and then really fast. Today was on my side, next time is on her side.

Guerdat loves riding in Helsinki and gave his congrats to the organizing committee.

I think the show was very good before, I have always liked to come to Helsinki, but they did an unbelievable move. The athletes we got our prizes, medals but I think the committee also deserve one today because they are also big winners for what they’ve done. As a rider we can only be thankful for the organizer to provide us this kind of stages to compete in best conditions.

The second placed Oda Charlotte Lyngvaer continued from where she left in A Coruña (2nd) and Gothenburg (4th) qualifiers.

I came to Helsinki for the first time and I’m now going to the finals, which was actually not the goal at the beginning of the season. I thought I would do Oslo and then I got the chance to go to A Coruña and when I got more points I thought okay let’s try a bit more. She (Carabella) has been jumping great all season and today I also felt the pressure to jump clear. I knew I had to go there and do my best and Carabella always does her best if I do, so it was really cool to pull it off. In the jump off I knew the pressure was off and that I need to challenge myself to ride as fast as I did today. And I am very proud that I almost beat Steve.

Completing the top three was Viktor Daem who came to Helsinki with the aim to ride at his best.

This was my first 5* and first World Cup and I came here with an ambition to ride at my best. I know I have a very good horse and see where it will bring us. She is a little unexperienced in the jump-offs, so I did my own round, and I am very happy with the third place. In the jump off I tried to do my own speed, just ride my own round and feel how fast I can go and I think that went well for us.

The long-time Helsinki course designer Guilherme Jorge is always proud to come to Helsinki and considers himself part of the team.

I am very proud that we, and I say we because I consider myself a part of team, always attract good riders here. When the organizing committee did this move into this incredible facility and I had a bigger ring, it was very very welcome for me. I had to adjust the design of the course to the dimensions of the ring because then I knew that the riders and the horses have more space. I have to be honest – at the beginning I thought that it was riding a little bit too easy but at the end I said, okay, we need more qualifiers. So that’s how it goes for the course designing, little bit up and down like that. But I think it was fantastic competition, the conditions were excellent. My team is fantastic and I am very happy.

The renewed Helsinki Horse Show did an all-time record in ticket sales and the event CEO Valtteri Gundersby was feeling happy and satisfied now that the pressure is off and the event was a success.