Lyon, France – October 25, 2026 – The world’s best riders will be putting on an amazing show for the crowds at Equita Lyon. From 28 October to 1 November 2026, Longines Equita Lyon, Concours Hippique International, will be hosting five days of top-class equestrian sport at Eurexpo. In the main international arena, some 60 riders representing 19 nations will be competing in the Lyon stage of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™.

And this year’s line-up certainly whets the appetite. Olympic medallists, world champions, former winners and up-and-coming talents: each rider will be aiming to defend their ranking points, prove they are in top form or taste victory in one of the world’s finest arenas. Below is a quick overview of the line-up.

Steve Guerdat (SUI) has won almost everything there is to win: Olympic gold in London, European gold in Milan, three Longines FEI World Cup™ finals and, this summer, the individual gold at the world championship in Aachen with Dynamix de Belhème. At 44 years old, the world number five could simply sit back and enjoy life. And yet he is coming to Lyon with just one idea on his mind: to secure another victory here. It must be said that the Swiss rider already knows what it is like to taste success in Lyon.

In 2008, he won a particularly competitive 5* Grand Prix here riding Trésor V, before the competition became part of the FEI World Cup™. Since then, he has often come close to sealing another victory in the Lyon stage. “Every year, we come here to win. Since 2008, I’ve often come really close to winning again, so I have lots of great memories of Lyon. But winning is always the goal,” says the champion.

Buoyed by his recent world title, Steve Guerdat (SUI) could well achieve his objective in 2026: “I feel sort of lighter. Winning the World Championships has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. It makes it easier for me to put things into perspective and enjoy the little everyday things a bit more.” Enjoyment refound, but ambition undiminished. Steve Guerdat is definitely still hungry for success in Lyon.

The Germans Remain Serious Contenders
The German delegation will also be confident they can be in the mix, with two of the four reigning world team champions entered for the event.

The current world number one, Richard Vogel (GER), who is particularly known for his association with United Touch S, has already tasted victory in Lyon, having won the Longines FEI World Cup™ stage here in 2024. Since then, he has enjoyed a string of successes with his other horses, including Cloudio, whom he will be riding this year. Two years after his victory in Lyon, the horse may have changed but the drive and the will to win are still there!

Alongside him, Daniel Deusser (GER), currently ranked no. 10 in the world, has also tasted victory in Lyon, having won the Longines FEI World Cup™ stage here in 2016. Ten years on, the German will be looking to return to winning ways again Lyon. This tenth anniversary might well inspire him to new heights!

Will the French riders Repeat their exploits of 2025?
There are plenty of contenders for the title, and they will certainly be doing their utmost to spoil the plans of their German and Swiss counterparts. Starting with the French. Since that magnificent allFrench podium in 2025, the Marseillaise still echoes through the halls of Eurexpo. Last year, the crowd was buzzing like rarely before when cheering on the all-French one-two-three, led by Olivier Perreau (FRA), followed by Julien Épaillard (FRA) and Antoine Ermann (FRA).

And the spectators in Lyon would love to see the same thing happen again… Especially as the three riders are back this year! Olivier Perreau (FRA) will be riding GL events Dorai d’Aiguilly, the mare on which he won the Grand Prix in 2025. A home victory, with a mare he bred himself. “I had always dreamt of winning a stage of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™. The fact that it happened in Lyon, in front of my family and the GL events teams whose colours I represent, was just incredible.” A year on, but the victory still tastes just as sweet. And the desire to do it again remains as strong as ever.

Julien Épaillard (FRA) also knows what it means to win in Lyon, since he tasted victory here in 2022 with Caracole de la Roque, at the end of a historic weekend. Having also won the 2025 Longines FEI World Cup™ final, the rider from Normandy possesses that rare ability to turn a jump-off on its head with a single turn, or a single stride. He knows how to entertain the Lyon crowds with sport and showmanship.

After finishing third last year, Antoine Ermann (FRA) is also keen to leave his mark in Lyon. Having established himself as a mainstay in the French team, the rider of Floyd des Prés has gone from strength to strength. And today, he can justifiably claim to be in the mix to win a stage as prestigious as the one in Lyon.

And what if Nina Mallevaey (FRA) were to become the first female rider since Pénélope Leprevost (FRA) in 2015 to win the stage here in Lyon? It has to be said that the 26-year-old champion has a strong case to make.

Ranked eighth in the world, she is the only French rider and the only woman to feature among the world’s top ten riders. She spends part of the year in the United States and has enjoyed a remarkable rise up the rankings in recent months. During the summer in Aachen, she finished eighth in the individual event at her first senior World Championships, riding Dynastie de Beaufour… who will be returning to competition this week in Lyon.

In addition to Nina Mallevaey (FRA), there are plenty of other French riders who will be pushing hard. Kevin Staut (FRA), who has been particularly consistent on the Longines FEI World Cup™ circuit, is in good form after his fifth-place finish in the final at Fort Worth last April. Marc Dilasser (FRA), who finished ninth in the Longines FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix in Oslo a few days ago, is also performing well on the winter circuit. Then there is Roger-Yves Bost (FRA), who won the Lyon stage in 2014, and knows exactly what it takes to succeed in this arena. Finally, Jeanne Sadran (FRA) is currently climbing up the rankings, whilst Mégane Moissonnier (FRA), the local rider competing in this FEI World Cup™ stage, knows the arena well and will have the crowd behind her.

Martin Fuchs knows What it Takes
The French have some exciting prospects to keep them in the mix. However, Switzerland also has some serious contenders, starting with Martin Fuchs (SUI), who knows what it takes to win. He has tasted success three times in a row: in 2018 and 2019 with Clooney 51, and then in 2021 with Chaplin. Three consecutive stages of the Longines FEI World Cup™ in Lyon, and three victories.

But Switzerland’s hopes do not rest solely on the shoulders of Martin Fuchs (SUI) and Steve Guerdat (SUI). With Edouard Schmitz (SUI), Janika Sprunger (SUI) and Gaëtan Joliat (SUI), Switzerland will have five riders entered in the competition, with a mix of experience, youth and ambition… and, of course, a three-time winner who knows the Lyon circuit like the back of his hand.

A Host of Top Riders with Great Ambitions
Ben Maher (GBR) has also tasted victory in Lyon. With an individual Olympic gold in Tokyo, and currently ranked sixth in the world, the British rider won the Equita Masters presented by Hermès Sellier here in 2024. A year later, Petronella Andersson (SWE) succeeded him. Prior to that, her compatriot Henrik von Eckermann (SWE), a former world number one, had already won the event back in 2021. Three former winners of the Equita Masters and three genuine contenders for victory in this year’s FEI World Cup™ stage.

Various other top riders dream of adding their names to Equita Lyon’s roll of honour. Italy’s Piergiorgio Bucci (ITA), ranked eleventh in the world, and buoyed by some fine performances this season – including a fourth-place finish in the individual event at the World Championships in Aachen – could be a real contender. So too, Thibeau Spits, ranked 20th in the world and individual silver medallist at the world championships. José María Larocca (ARG) could also be in the mix for the top spot. Following his victory in the 4* Grand Prix in Bourg-en-Bresse, the Argentine rider recorded a superb second place this seasonin the 5* Grand Prix in Aachen.

Source: Press Release by Eloïse Lepine for Longines Equita Lyon

Photos: © Longines Equita Lyon / PSV Photo

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