French domination, Irish invasion, and a 2-week champion—this week's action packed plenty without a 5 star in sight!

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No 5 star action this week, but we still had some seriously juicy storylines. French riders dominated on home soil with a Bourg-en-Bresse sweep, Irish riders completely took over Old Salem Farm, and Rodrigo Giesteira Almeida won the same Grand Prix at the same venue two weeks in a row. Meanwhile, the FEI is getting serious with new same-day treatment bans and mandatory noseband measuring devices. Let's jump right in!

QUICK HITS: THE WEEK'S RESULTS

French Riders Show Their Strength at Home

The French absolutely owned their home events this week. In the CSI4 star Bourg-en-Bresse Grand Prix, they took SEVEN of the top ten spots! Megan Moissonnier and Crooner Tame clinched the win with the only double clear, proving once again that there's no place like home. Over at Le Touquet's CSI3 star, another rising French star, Nina Mallevaey (current World No. 1 U-25), delivered what was called a "true equestrian masterpiece" with her mare My Clementine. The home crowd went wild, and who can blame them—that mare is something special!

Ireland's Old Salem Farm Takeover

Talk about a green invasion! The Irish absolutely dominated at Old Salem Farm with Jordan Coyle and Keep Me With You N.C. flying to victory in the 135,000 dollar Grand Prix. But that wasn't enough—the Irish secured the entire top four spots with Darragh Kenny taking both second AND third! Coyle was on fire all weekend, also winning Friday's 25,000 dollar Jumper Classic with a different horse. When asked about his Grand Prix winner, Coyle admitted she might be sold someday, saying "There might come a day when I'm going to be very upset to lose her." Commercial reality of the sport, but damn, what a partnership!

Lightning Strikes Twice for Almeida

How's this for consistency? Portugal's Rodrigo Giesteira Almeida and Karonia.L won the Montefalco CSI4* Grand Prix for the SECOND week in a row at the same venue! That's the kind of form that makes everyone sit up and pay attention. When a combination gets that hot, you wonder if they might just keep the streak going all season.

Top Dogs Deliver

World Number 1 Kent Farrington showed exactly why he's at the top, winning Kentucky's 62,500 dollar Spring Classic with Orafina, who's returning from injury. He mentioned this was just a prep run before heading to Europe—consider that a warning to his European competitors! Meanwhile, World Number 2 Ben Maher kept pace by winning at Le Touquet with his partner Ginger-Blue.

New Stars Emerging

Venezuela's Luis Larrazabal came through in the clutch at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show, winning the 125,000 dollar Grand Prix as the final rider in the jump-off. A 15-year veteran of Kentucky shows, Larrazabal had nothing but praise for his partner Quick Chick 3, calling her "clever" with a "desire to win"—horses with heart are everything in this sport!

INDUSTRY NEWS: FEI GETTING SERIOUS

The FEI isn't playing around with their 2025 rule changes, folks. The biggest update? A complete ban on any treatment on the day a horse competes—even the previous allowance for treatments before 10am for horses competing after 6pm is gone. This is a serious step toward ensuring horses compete in their natural state.

Also coming May 1st: standardized noseband measuring devices. The days of the subjective "two-finger rule" are over, with the FEI providing every active steward with an official device. It's a welcome move for horse welfare, but riders better start practicing with those nosebands now!

Looking ahead to 2027, Gothenburg, Sweden will host the FEI World Cup Finals for Jumping, Dressage, and Vaulting—a homecoming of sorts, since Gothenburg hosted the very first Jumping World Cup Final back in 1979. Meanwhile, Waregem, Belgium gets the 2027 European Championships, which will be crucial for Los Angeles 2028 Olympic qualification.

On the disease front, Strangles outbreaks continue across North America with cases in Florida, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Maryland, Michigan, and Ontario. One case in Ontario was traced to a horse returning from competition—a sobering reminder of why biosecurity matters so much.

LOOKING AHEAD: NEXT WEEK'S SHOWDOWNS

Two massive events coming up next week, and we're already salivating over the potential matchups. First, LGCT Madrid (May 15-18) brings the Global Champions Tour back to Europe at the historic Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. Christian Kukuk took the win here last year—can he defend his title against a stacked field? Word is several top 10 riders are making the trip, so expect fireworks in the Spanish capital.

But the real crown jewel of next week? The 5 star Rolex Grand Prix at Royal Windsor Horse Show on May 18. This quintessentially British event has the Queen's backyard as its backdrop (literally), and with that Rolex sponsorship, you can bet the prize money and prestige will attract the absolute best. The track will be technical, the competition fierce, and being held on home soil, all eyes will be on the British contingent to deliver.

Until next time, stay tuned to jumpoff dot news for all the latest. Make sure to subscribe, share with fellow equestrians, and follow all the action as it unfolds, here at JumpOff dot news, elite showjumping news, jump-off speed!