Mändli Exhibits Mastery in the $340,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Traverse City CSI 5*-W

By Jumper News on 2026-09-21

Traverse City, United States –September 20, 2026 – Beat Mändli (SUI) did what no one else could in the opening leg of the 2026/27 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League. He and the 10-year-old mare Qoachella produced the only double-clear effort of the competition, securing a well-earned victory in the mare’s World Cup debut.

First take on Alan Wade‘s (IRL) short track, the crossed the timers without fault in 38.03 seconds. Shane Sweetnam (IRL) and James Kann Cruz finished second after bringing down the final fence (4, 35.61s), while Christian Kukuk (GER) and Akarad Tivolli Z were third (4, 37.68).

“I was definitely not thinking about the win today. I wanted a good round and to give my horse more confidence and more mileage over this height, but she was incredible today,” said Mändli, the 2007 World Cup Finals Champion. “Sometimes it works out, and it did today for me and for my horse and for the whole team. I’m obviously very happy.”

Mändli had only jumped Coachella at the 1.60m height of the competition on one previous occasion heading into Sunday’s series opener, but the result was also a win. The pair is now a perfect two-for-two in premier show jumping competitions.

“She surprises me every time she goes to a bigger class,” Mändli said. “She just does it, and she’s just a super intelligent horse. I’ll see what comes next, but right now I’m just going to focus on and be happy for today.”

An Influential Clock

A tight 78-second time allowed proved highly influential in the first round, with two-time defending class champions and current World Cup Final Champions Kent Farrington (USA) and Greya finishing less than a tenth of a second over the time to finish on a single time fault. In fact, none of the first six combinations could complete the technical track without penalties on the clock.

But when it came time for Mändli’s turn, he mastered the task, opting for a deliberately efficient path from the first fence. Ultimately, four other combinations would replicate his feat: Sweetnam, Kukuk, Mark Bluman (ISR) and Chalotte Jacobs (USA).

Jacobs elected to sit out the jump-off with Playboy JTZ, leaving four for the short course. First to jump, Mändli intended to put the pressure on his competitors while also being sensitive to his horse’s relative inexperience. The strategy proved fruitful.

**Shane Sweetnam** (IRL) & **James Kann Cruz**

“With [Sweetnam and Kukuk] behind me, there was no way I could have been fast enough,” Mändli said. “At this point and this stage of Qoachella’s career, in her first five-star show, I thought I’d do a nice clear round—let go a little bit but keep it safe. I worked out perfect for me.”

After securing his double-clear effort, Mändli had an anxious wait. But one after the other, athletes saw rails fall in their efforts to catch him on the clock.

**Christian Kukuk** (GER) & **Akarad Tivoli Z**

Kukuk took a risk that didn’t pay off when he tried to leave out a stride in the penultimate line. Sweetnam was up on the pace heading to the final fence, but he, too, made a mistake with his championship partner. That left Bluman to decide the class, but rails fell for him and Genial de B’Neville at each of the final two fences.

“When I walked the jump-off, I thought the number [of strides] would be six [to the last jump], but I didn’t really get a great jump at the fence before. I thought I was there, but we didn’t get there,” Sweetnam said. “It looked like Christian could have gotten there easy enough, and the same with Marky. But that’s how it goes. I should have read the line better.”

“I got greedy in the jump-off, and you always pay your bill when you get greedy in the end,” Kukuk added. “We learned something today, but obviously I’m super proud of my horse.”

A Bit of Matchmaking

Qoachella was initially meant to be the ride of Mändli’s longtime student Katie Dinan (USA), but last year a rider change was made when Mändli found himself short on horses.

“Katie said, ‘Why don’t you ride her? She seems to like you, and you get on very well with her,’” Mändli shared.

The matchmaking assessment proved astute.

“I’m very happy to have her,” he said. “She takes her time with everything, and she’s very intelligent. She just looks around and measures everything out, what’s going on. You cannot have a better character in the stable. She’s super easy to handle, and there are no quirks with her.

Earning 20 points for his victory, Mändli assumed the early league in the North American League standings. Sweetnam earned 17 points for his runner-up finish, while Kukuk earned 15. The North American League resumes in Puebla (MEX) on Saturday 03 October 2026.