“Alla vägar bär till Omaha.” Translated from Swedish: All roads lead to Omaha, specifically the 2017

Gothenburg, Sweden to be exact, where the thirteenth and final CSI5*-W qualifier in the Longines Western European Show Jumping League takes place this weekend. After launching their qualifying campaigns in October in Oslo, top European riders have been winding their way across the Old Continent — Helsinki, Lyon, Verona, Stuttgart, Madrid, La Coruña, London, Mechelen (Belgium), Leipzig, Zurich and Bordeaux — chasing precious points to secure a spot in the Final.

That Final, one of the greatest titles in the sport of Show Jumping, was won last year by Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat for the second straight year. The location of Guerdat’s back-to-back title? Gothenburg, Sweden’s second largest city after the capital Stockholm.

This year, Guerdat is sitting pretty in 5th place with 47 points in the Western European League standings and will be going to America next month with his 11-year-old mare Bianca in search of a World Cup three-peat. But in any case the Swiss rider was already assured a place in Omaha as Defending Champion.

Four riders are currently above Guerdat in the League: France’s Kevin Staut in first with 78 points, followed by Italy’s Lorenzo De Luca with 67, Ireland’s Denis Lynch (58) and Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum (56). In total, 18 riders from the Western European League will qualify for the 48 spots in the 2017 Final, the most of any of the 15 leagues across the world. But there will also be two extra places available as Guerdat and at least one non-European will qualify here.

With the current standings as tight as they are and so many riders within striking distance of qualifying, all the way down to World No.1 Daniel Deusser of Germany in 24th place with 30 points (who is currently in Florida and not coming to Gothenburg), a lot is at stake in Sweden this weekend.

Great Britain’s Scott Brash is well-placed in 16th with 35 points and Ireland’s Cian O’Connor is in 21st with 32 put has been having excellent results in the United States recently and is not listed to ride in Sweden. The winner in Gothenburg will earn 20 World Cup qualifying points, and the next fifteen top finishers will also advance their causes. So a lot is up in the air… And rather than make predictions, maybe it is safer just to say Lycka till! (Good luck…)