Everyone has one.
That one friend who loves Las Vegas just a little more than the rest of us. The one who plans annual trips to The Strip for an ever-evolving crew of misfits. The one with a Vegas-allocated corner in their wardrobe and a perennial supply of casino tokens in their wallet. The one who’s eyes light up at the mere whisper of Sin City.
In horse sport, the FEI is that friend.
The international regulating body has allocated the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping and FEI World Cup™ Dressage Finals to Las Vegas for the (presumably lucky!) seventh time today.
The joint-Finals will next drop down in the desert in the year 2020. Las Vegas has previously hosted two FEI World Cup™ Finals in Jumping and four combined Jumping and Dressage Finals at the Thomas & Mack Center in 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2015.
In 2020, the Finals will be hosted at the MGM Grand Garden Arena from 15 to 19 April.
Located in the MGM Grand Hotel on the famed Las Vegas Strip, the new venue has previously hosted high-profile sporting events such as boxing and basketball, as well as live performances from the likes of Celine Dion, Elton John, and Britney Spears.
Other major Championships and Finals have been allocated to Gothenburg’s Scandinavium Arena, host to the inaugural Jumping Final in 1979. The Swedish sporting capital, which has already organized 22 FEI World Cup™ Finals, has been awarded the 2021 Finals in Jumping and Dressage.
Rotterdam (NED), another city with a long-standing tradition of hosting major equestrian championships, was announced as host for the triple FEI European Championships 2019 in Jumping, Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage from 19-25 August.
From the FEI:
“We are delighted to confirm the allocation of some of our major Finals and Championships to major global cities like Las Vegas, Gothenburg and Rotterdam”, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said today. “The organising committees for all these top events have such hands-on practical experience, and understand the process, commitment and dedication involved in organising these important fixtures on the FEI Calendar. We are very grateful to all the organisers who put in bids for these key events and are extremely happy to have the opportunity to showcase our sport in major global cities.”
Find the complete list of FEI Championships and Finals allocated by the FEI Bureau at fei.org