"I came to Wellington with younger horses, aiming to build them up," Vogel explains. "This is a great place to do so. You have the time to develop horses to a higher level, and the facilities are excellent. You can train on both sand arenas and grass fields, which is a big advantage."

Reflecting on the sport, Vogel acknowledges its evolution: "At the highest level, it's becoming increasingly difficult to predict a winner. There are so many combinations capable of winning, which is fantastic for the sport." He adds, "Emilie Conter recently proved that anyone can win. None of us were surprised—we knew she had the talent. But for some spectators, she might not have been the obvious choice for the CSI5 Grand Prix. That’s what makes show jumping so exciting and unpredictable."*

Listening to Your Horse

When asked about key lessons from his career, Vogel credits McLain Ward: "I've learned a lot from McLain! In the end, this is horse sport—we have to listen to our horses. You can make schedules and plans, but ultimately, the horse dictates the pace and what is possible. Riders need to be adaptable and guided by their horses."

Will Kent Farrington Be the New World Number One?

During a panel discussion at Wellington International, USA rider Kent Farrington shared his thoughts on the upcoming season. With a new month ahead, he's tipped to reclaim the world number one ranking.

"It’s still early in the year," Farrington notes. "There are so many competitions ahead. I prefer to focus on my plan rather than chasing points. Of course, I’d love to be world number one again, but it should be the result of your work, not the sole objective. That’s where many riders go wrong—they focus too much on rankings and start making mistakes. But so far, so good!" he adds with a smile.