Thunderbird Showpark begins the Summer Fort Festival with heightened excitement, as 75 athletes representing 13 countries passed inspection for CSI4*-W competition, which will culminate with the $145,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Vancouver on Sunday, Aug. 26.

This World Cup qualifier is the first of 14 legs on the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League, from which seven east coast U.S. riders, three west coast U.S. riders, two Canadian riders, and two Mexican riders, along with current World Cup Champion Beezie Madden (USA), will qualify for the 2019 World Cup Final in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Among the athletes lined up to jump at tbird this week are Richard Spooner (USA) and Alison Robitaille (USA), who both competed in last year’s World Cup Final in Paris, France. Spooner also led the west coast sub league standings of the North American League last season. Conor Swail (IRL) returns as the defending Champion of tbird’s World Cup qualifier after prevailing with Flower last August. Also in the lineup are Jenn Serek and Laura Jane Tidball, who both contributed to a gold medal effort for Canada in the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Mexico in April.

The Summer Fort Festival features four international classes. The CSI4*-W tbird Happy Welcome (2:00 p.m. PT) and the $75,000 CSI4*-W Maui Jim Welcome (5:00 p.m.) highlight Thursday, Aug. 23’s schedule, while the $75,000 CSI4*-W Steel-Craft Doors Cup will take place Friday, Aug. 24.

The week will conclude on a high note Sunday, Aug. 26, with the feature event, the $145,000 CSI4*-W Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Vancouver at 2:00 p.m. PT.

The full list of international riders is as follows:

ARGENTINA
Guillermo Obligado
Tornado

BRAZIL
Eduardo Menezes
Quintol
Caruschka 2
Manzano

CANADA
Laura-Jane Tidball
Concetto Son

Vanessa Mannix
Valentino D’Elte
Chemas

Jaclyn Duff
Caesar Z
Stakkarus

Jenn Serek
Wicked

Jenna Thompson
Lou 66

Femke Van Den Bosch
Dereusa S

Claire Doty
Breemeersen Imoretto

Darrin Dlin
Dorado

Tracey Epp
Chicago
Denise

Joelle Froese
Romeos Child

DENMARK
Kenneth Vinther
Colicchio

EGYPT
Nayel Nassar
Lordan

FRANCE
Eric Navet
Catypso

GERMANY
Soehnke Theymann
Cypress VF

IRELAND
Conor Swail
Koss Van Heiste
CK Coco Chanel
Rubens LS LA Silla

James Brennan
Cantino 9

ISRAEL
Ashlee Bond
Chela LS
Donatello 141
Ace of Hearts

Saree Gordon Solanki
Azuro 108

LEBANON
Jad Dana
Darosso VDL
Carnaval

MEXICO
Juan Jose Zendejas Salgado
Just Nice Van Het Indihof
Tino La Chapelle

Carlos Hank Guerreiro
Market Irminka
Sunshine

Antonio Maurer
Galileo De Laubry
Hascos Vd Wijngaardhoeve

Lorenza O’Farrill
Pekin St Denis
Queens Darling

SWEDEN
Mariano Maggi
Quintago VA

USA
Karl Cook
Tembla
Caillou 24

Sayre Happy
Celena VDL
Turner St Ghyvan Z

Jennifer Gates
Alex
Pumped Up Kicks

Carly Anthony
Chacco
Clochard

Lindsay Archer
Jarpur

Rich Fellers
Steelbi

Karianne Boyce‐Lockhart
Ferro DC

Eve Jobs
Venue D’fees Des Hazalles
Limbridge

Richard Spooner
Love
Arthos R
Quirado RC

Alison Robitaille
Cedane D
Ace

Zazou Hoffman
Samson II
Vice Versa D’Ossau

Charlie Jacobs
Cassinja S

Hannah Heidegger
Di Caprio RV

Katie Edwards
Cetello

Uma O’Neill
Sanvano
Clockwise of Greenhill Z

Karrie Rufer
Georgie D’Auvray EC
Mai Tai 2

Shawn Casady
Dakar VDL
Campitello 5
Durango VDL

Kasey Ament
Dexter R

Bryna Closson
Cair Paravel

Mandy Porter
Milano