Following the highly successful FEI World Cup™ Finals in April, the Omaha Equestrian Foundation has announced the inaugural InIt2WinIt Speed Jumping Series, a nationally televised tournament that includes five, 1.40m speed jumping events sanctioned by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). The series hosts four qualifying rounds, and the top 35 riders will be eligible for the $100,000 Championship held at the International Omaha in Nebraska on April 13, 2018.
The 1.45m championship will be a USEF sanctioned, Table III faults converted speed competition. Both the qualifiers and the final event will be featured in a nationally televised program.
“The InIt2WinIt Speed Jumping Series is part of OEF’s mission to produce international caliber equestrian events that change the way the sport is presented in this country, and to develop Omaha into a hub of the sport horse industry,” said Lisa Roskens, OEF founder and chair. “We want to attract international championships as both educational and economic development opportunities for the community.”
To fulfill its strategic plan, the OEF seeks to create opportunities for high performance athletes in the Midwest and to develop young riders with a clear path to higher levels in the sport. The series, open to riders of various levels, consists of four qualifying rounds:
- Qualifier 1: The series kicks off at the HITS Balmoral show in Chicago with a $25,000 Open Speed Class on September 22, 2017.
- Qualifier 2: The American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri will feature a $25,000 InIt2WinIt class on October 13, 2017.
- Qualifier 3: On November 11, 2017, Queenie Productions will host a $20,000 InIt2WinIt Open Speed class at the St Louis Hunter/Jumper Show at the National Equestrian Center in Missouri.
- Qualifier 4: The final qualifying competition on the road to Omaha will be the $10,000 Monarch Casino Jumper Stake at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado on January 12, 2018.
The Path to Qualifying
- Riders can qualify at any of the qualifying events and do not have to compete in all four to be eligible for the championship.
- Those finishing in the top three at any of the qualifiers will earn the right to compete in Omaha. If the top three are already qualified, the next riders in order will earn the right to compete in the championship.
- Each qualifying event organizer can issue a Wild Card to one rider of its choosing, and OEF will be able to issue Wild Cards to any rider who presents a signed judge’s card with a clear round at 1.40 meters in order.
- To reward consistency of performance, the rider who has earned the most money but has not placed in the top three at any of the events will also be invited to compete in the Omaha final.
The International Omaha 2018 will also feature its signature jumping competition, the $130,000 International Omaha Grand Prix. In addition, it will host a high level team dressage competition and a Dressage Showcase in conjunction with the United States Dressage Foundation.
All events will be held at the CenturyLink Center Omaha, which hosted the 2017 FEI World Cup™ Finals to rave reviews. The four-day event, held on April 12-15, 2018 is designed to be the Great Equestrian Gathering in the Midwest.