On Sunday evening, the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ of Basel, presented by Bank J. Safra Sarasin, ended with a thrilling showdown: in a nail-biting jump-off in front of a packed house, Richard Vogel secured victory on United Touch S.

“We always look forward to Basel – it’s a fantastic tournament. I always have friends and family here, which makes the atmosphere even more special and gives me extra motivation,” said Vogel after his triumph. With a twinkle in his eye, he added: “United must have heard that my other two horses had already won here this weekend – and didn’t want to go away empty-handed today either”. The decisive moment came with a bold line in front of the cheese wall in the jump-off: “I knew that United likes Swiss cheese”, joked Vogel about the turn in which he gained crucial seconds on Kim Emmen.

Second place went to the Dutch rider Kim Emmen on Imagine N.O.P., who made another strong impression following her first Grand Prix victory on Friday. Third place went to the Norwegian Johan-Sebastian Gulliksen on Equine America Harwich VDL.

Martin Fuchs was the highest-placed Swiss rider, finishing fourth. The Olympic champion was pleased: “You really had to think carefully and ride very cleanly to stay clear. The course was very fair – all the riders had a genuine chance of a clear round. I’m very happy with the whole weekend and my results”.

One of the emotional highlights of the evening was provided by Gaëtan Joliat, who is just 20 years old. The Swiss rider qualified for a World Cup jump-off for the second time in his career, thereby earning World Cup points for the third time. “It was incredibly cool to be in the jump-off with all these superstars”, said Joliat. He ultimately finished seventh in the jump-off – another strong indication of his progress at this level.