November 1, 2026 
Three-hundredths of a second determined the winner. Fourteen tenths of a second, the podium.
The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup in Lyon (FRA) was the thinnest of margins and the most thrilling qualifier of the season so far. Spirited crowd. Flashing phone lights. A steady drum of clapping over the exuberant welcome of the announcer.
It was more rave than horse show as each pair entered the arena—and the riders responded in kind.
Belgium’s Paula de Boer-Schwarz played to the crowd after her four-fault jump-off round, windmilling her arm and pointing exuberantly to My Miss Marpel OLD. Switzerland’s Edouard Schmitz wagged his finger in the air after setting the new time to beat in 38.31 with Gamin van’t Naastveldhof, first to break the 40-second barrier. Flying Frenchman Julien Epaillard fist pumped through the finish, dropping it to 38.17.
“I thought I had it in the jump-off,” smiled Schmitz. “I gave everything I had; I executed exactly the plan I wanted, and I felt like I did everything I could.”
Even Germany’s Richard Vogel was grinning when he saw 38.2 on the clock, missing the win by just hundredths of a second.
“It’s really not a lot, but it’s a trend where our sport is going. Margins are getting smaller and smaller; every detail and small decision matters, and at the end, that influences the results,” he said. “We will try to work our way up and beat Julien next time.”
Next time, he might have a full second more to find. Epaillard added a stride between fence one and two and to the last in Santiago Varela’s jump-off and still delivered the fastest time—and a career first five-star win in his one year partnership with Le Coultre de Muze.
But then he was a favorite.
Epaillard comes to Lyon to win—and often does. He was second in 2024 and 2023 and won in 2022, calling Longines Equita Lyon “one of the best shows of the year.”
“It’s very important for us to have good results in Lyon. I always try to show up with horses in top form. There is always super atmosphere and the best riders in the world here. Seeing that we’re still in the running usually bodes well for a good World Cup season, and that’s pretty reassuring. The World Cup Final is an objective for me.”
Epaillard took over the ride on the 15-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion, by Presley Boy x Vigo d’Arsouilles STX, from Philippe Rozier in November 2025. Overcoming an injury early in their partnership, the pair took time to gel, he said.
“We had to get to know each other. The beginning wasn’t all that easy; we took it step by step, and little by little I think I managed to earn his trust. We’ve known for a long time now that he’s a great horse, but a partnership has to develop. I have felt like we weren’t far from a top performance. And now, a year later, I think we’re really in sync as a team.”
