Team USA celebrate winning the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth Final 2025 - Young Riders Competition 

Anne Kursinski (Team Coach), Skylar Wireman, Olivia Sweetnam, Alexa Elle Lignelli, Mia Bagnato

©FEI/Houou Tomita

22.09.2025

After four days of thrilling competition, the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Final 2025 winners have been crowned. The Finals for each of the four categories including Ponies, Children, Juniors and Young Riders were held at Azelhof, Lier (BEL) from Thursday, culminating in the awards ceremonies from each division on Sunday 21 September.

The FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Series was introduced in 2018 as a means for Nations to showcase their young talent and give future stars of the sport an opportunity to sample a taste of international team competition. It provides a platform upon which young athletes from Europe and North America can witness the high standards of competition presented by some of the best rivalling Jumping nations in the World, learn from their differing training methods, cultures and riding styles, and of course experience the excitement, thrills and pressures that come with competing on a team in a Nations Cup event.

Each of the 41 teams participating in the Final across the four categories have qualified to do so via a series of qualifying FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth competitions throughout the season. Points are awarded according to placings and teams may compete in all of the qualifying events across the season, but only their four best results count towards the standings. 

In the Children, Junior and Young Riders divisions, the two highest ranked teams from the FEI Jumping North American Youth Championship are also invited to compete in the relevant FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Final alongside the top ten ranked teams in the European Standings.

In the Young Riders category, 17 Nations competed across eight qualifying competitions in Europe for the ten places available at the Final. Switzerland topped the standings on 340 points just edging out Germany, also on 340 points but relegated to second place as both teams had a win apiece across the series but Switzerland had two second places to Germany’s one. 

Italy took third place in the standings. The remaining nations to make up the ten European teams eligible to compete in the Final were Poland, Belgium, Denmark, Great Britain, Sweden, Austria and France. Austria and the Netherlands elected not to participate. USA were the only team to qualify via the FEI Jumping North American Youth Championship and in doing so earned their place at the Final. Consequently, ten of a possible 12 teams started out in the Young Riders division of the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Final 2025.

In the Juniors category, USA and Canada topped the North American league standings but only USA brought a team across the Atlantic, opening up an extra qualifying spot from Europe. This was headed by Ireland on 370 points with Switzerland and Germany in second and third on 350 points, split only by the number of third place finishes across the season. The remaining qualification places were taken by Belgium, Sweden, The Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania and Great Britain.

Eighteen European nations competed across ten qualifying competitions for the 12 qualifying places on offer for the Children’s category. The Netherlands topped the standings on 390 points with Poland in second on 356.25 and Germany in third on 335. Italy, Romania, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, Czech Republic, Denmark and Great Britain filled the remaining qualification spots. Neither Ireland nor Sweden sent teams to the Final, so the qualification spots passed down the standings. With France the only team taking up this qualification opportunity, eleven teams lined up to contest the Children’s Final.

In the Pony division, ten European nations competed across seven qualifying legs for the eight places on offer at the Finals. Ireland topped the league standings on 370 points ahead of The Netherlands and Germany in second and third on 345 points, split only by the number of second place finishes. The remaining places were taken by Sweden, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium and France, all of whom accepted their places at the Final.

Each Nation may bring five athletes per team and switch athletes in and out of the team of four on each day of competition, allowing nations to give more young athletes the chance to experience the Nations Cup atmosphere. Additionally, athletes may opt to use different horses in each of the Nations Cup competitions over the week giving teams the invaluable opportunity to try out multiple partnerships in a Championship environment.

The first competition on Thursday is run as one round of jumping with four members per team of which the best three scores count. In the event of equality of faults, the total times of the three best scores are combined to decide the placings. The second competition held on Friday is run under the same format. The scores from the two days are then combined to give the standings for qualification for the relevant division in the Final.

Following the first two days of competition, the top six ranked teams in the Young Riders, Juniors and Children’s categories and the top five teams in the Pony category qualify to compete in their relevant finals on Sunday. The remaining teams are eligible to compete in the Challenge Cup, held on the Saturday.

The 2025 Ponies Challenge Cup was won by Italy after a Jump-off with Germany who had to settle for second place ahead of Ireland in third. Denmark headed the Children’s Challenge Cup as the only team to finish on zero faults; Great Britain took second on four faults and Czech Republic’s team score of eight faults saw them fill the final podium position. In the Juniors Division it was Great Britain who took the honours in the Challenge Cup finishing with just one time fault, ahead of Belgium and Poland in second and third. France claimed a convincing win in Saturday’s feature class, the Young Riders Challenge Cup. They finished on a zero score whilst their closest rivals Germany took second with a team total of eight faults ahead of Denmark on 16 faults.

Sunday’s competitions saw all qualified teams start afresh on zero faults. The Nations Cup style competition for each category is run as one round of jumping with the potential for a jump- off to decide the result in the event of equality of faults for first place.

Juniors

Sweden rose to the occasion to claim victory in the Juniors category for the first time since the inception of the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Series seven years ago. Having just made the cut for this Final via their sixth-place finish in the standings following the first two rounds of competition, they showed determination and flair to finish on a score of zero from their opening draw. They were pushed to the wire by Ireland who forced them into a jump-off when they too delivered faultless performances in the single round competition. 

With the disadvantage of going first in the jump-off, the Swedish athletes Linn Arvidsson (Glenmorangie), Elvira Aaby-Ericsson (Pikachu ‘Ter Elzen’), Ella Löfqvist (Linus) and Mathilda Hansson (Pia – Lotta Van’t Roosakker) showed great composure and ability when managing to produce three more faultless rounds to put the pressure on Ireland. With clear rounds from Abbie Oakley (Moningo – D Van’t Heyveld) and James Derwin (Quinci Quality) but an uncharacteristic eight faults from Annie Boland, the result hung on Ireland’s anchor athlete Emily Moloney.

A clear round was required but with Sweden’s times averaging quicker than those of Ireland’s, it also needed to be faster than any round that had been produced thus far. Moloney made a valiant effort, delivering the fastest time of the jump-off but paid the price when a pole fell and Sweden were subsequently crowned decisive winners of the 2025 FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Final for Juniors. Ireland took second ahead of the super consistent USA team in third. Winners of both qualifying competitions with scores of zero on both occasions, a team score of just four faults in today’s final saw the impressive quartet from USA have to settle for third on this occasion.

Young Riders

USA stamped their authority upon the Young Riders category as they stormed to an emphatic victory in this division of the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Final having dominated on the opening day of competition and finished a close second on day two. A clean sweep of clear rounds from Skylar Wireman (Barclino B), Olivia Sweetnam (Epic) and Alexa Elle Lignelli (Xo Zadora) meant that their final athlete Carlee Mccutcheon (Aralyn Blue) didn’t have to enter the arena as their score could not be bettered.

Belgium came tantalisingly close to forcing USA into a jump-off. Their first and second-line athletes Bart Jay Junior Vandecasteele (Vamos de la Pomme d’Or Z) and Vic de Plecker (Ilypsho) delivered clear rounds whilst their third-line combination Evelyn Putters (Oberon Vdh) left all the fences standing but picked up one time penalty. Their hopes then rested upon Leon Brutsaert and the impressive stallion Corleone Tour Vidal who had produced a flawless performance to help Belgium to third place in the first qualifying competition and were not required to jump on day two as their three teammates had already secured a Belgian win with three clear rounds.

The accomplished combination looked set to repeat their flawless performance as they negotiated each fence in convincing style. However, a light rub at the plank on the front rail of the final fence and the clock just ticking over the time allowed, saw them finish on five faults handing victory to the USA and seeing Belgium finish in second place on just one fault.

Switzerland finished in third on a team total of four faults, just edging Italy, also on four faults into fourth place as a result of their faster combined time.

Ponies

Great Britain exerted their dominance on the Pony category once again as they notched up their fourth FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Final Ponies title to match Ireland’s tally of four wins apiece in the eight runnings of the competition. Reigning Team FEI Jumping European Champions for Ponies, Great Britain brought three members of their 2025 European Gold medal winning team to Lier to defend their title in the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Final.

Hollie Gerken (Galaxy V), Nellie Lock (Catho van de Langvelden Z) and Darcy Breen (One Saharah) were joined by Ella Spencer (Gilton des Islots) who produced one of three clear rounds to help secure back-to-back victories for Great Britain in the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Final Ponies category.

The Netherland’s team of Joy Neuman (Kash van Orchid’s), Senna Beckers (Comme Delicius Z), Mienie Vos (Jasmines Holly) and Liselot Kooremans (Elando van de Roshoeve) finished close behind on a team total of four faults to take the second podium position. Sweden finished third on eight faults.

Children

The Netherlands wrote themselves into the history books as they notched up a remarkable fourth consecutive victory in the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Final Children’s category. This also marked their fifth win out of the eight runnings of the competition since its inception in 2018.

In an impressive display of Jumping, they completed the one-round competition on a perfect score of zero faults despite a shaky start. An uncharacteristic score of 25 faults from the normally so dependable Lieselot Kooremans (also an integral member of The Netherlands’ Third-placed Pony Team earlier in the day) with Nini Van HD put the pressure on the remaining Dutch athletes to deliver. Kooremans and Nini Van HD had played a crucial role in the Dutch Children’s team having delivered only clear rounds when helping the team to second place in day one’s competition and first place in day two’s equivalent.

Her teammates delivered under the pressure however as Wim Vos (Ceio Zachary Z) and Pedro Mansur Guerios (Hotmail des Forets) duly produced crucial clear rounds to keep the Dutch in contention. With France and Belgium hot on their heels having completed round one on four faults, the pressure was on the final Dutch athlete Joep Schaap and his ride Cadeauminka to produce a clear round. One fence down would see them forced into a three-way jump-off with France and Belgium. 

However, the young Dutch athlete who was yet to fault in the competition having delivered clear rounds in Thursday and Friday’s qualifying competitions, showed nerves of steel to conjure up another foot-perfect performance and secure a decisive win for The Netherlands. The young Dutch athlete looks set to follow in the footsteps of his uncle Willem Greve and feature on senior teams at the highest level in years to come. With a total combined time of 222.76 seconds France’s quartet of Esteve Goffinet (Absolut de Lacke), Philippine Perrier (Coryfee T&L Z), Chloe Calcus (Exotic des Flagues) and Lena Daudinet Paquet (Caravelle de Laume) clinched the second podium position just ahead of Belgium whose time of 231.81 seconds saw them take the final podium position.

The eighth edition of the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Final held in Lier was once again an overwhelming success and heralded as an invaluable springboard for the future stars of the sport to experience all aspects of Team Jumping at the highest level.

Team USA Chef d’Equipe Anne Kursinski summed up the sentiments of all participants perfectly as she explained the enormity of the occasion and how important it was for young athletes to have access to such an experience so early on in their careers and have the opportunity to assess where they are at in relation to their piers from other nations:

“To have this experience is incredible. Trainers, riders, everybody is so excited to come over here to compete against the best in the world. We never really know how we are until we really get here. I think they (the USA youth athletes) are pretty good but the Europeans are great as well and it was a great competition.” 

Kursinski went on to explain that to make the transition to senior and 5* level ‘you have to do all the steps and this experience, win or lose, the travelling and everything, there’s no substitute for it.”

A sentiment that was echoed by all involved in the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Final 2025.

Results here