Herning tonight: 1.30 m ponies in a World Cup hall
The FEI Jumping Ponies’ Trophy opens its 2026 season in Herning this week. The Grand Prix is tonight, Saturday 17 October, at 18.30 in Jyske Bank Boxen, at 1.30 m. That is not a club 80 cm with a bigger number on the schedule. It is an indoor series on World Cup grounds, with its own rule book.
Four legs, then Mechelen
The FEI calendar for the season is four qualifying shows then a final: Herning 13 to 18 October, Lyon 27 October to 1 November, Stuttgart 11 to 15 November, Salzburg 2 to 6 December, and the Final at Mechelen 26 to 30 December.
The 2026 Trophy rules (updates approved 24 February 2026, listed on the FEI Jumping Rules page) say the series is indoor in principle. European legs sit in a sports arena or a covered exhibition hall. The Final must be indoors in a permanently covered arena.
Points go to athletes, not combinations, for the top 16 who complete the initial round. With four qualifying competitions this year, three results count. Twenty European athletes with the highest totals go to Mechelen. A defending champion can come back as an extra, on a pony they completed at least one Trophy class on during the season.
What Thursday already told you
World Cup Herning published Thursday’s warm-up from the Boxen. Twenty-nine combinations. Height 1.25 m. Thirteen clears. Amalie Breum-Harild and Good Boy du Bondet won in 57.97 seconds. Ted Fagan and Ballyfore Rosie were second in 58.58. Lilli Mellström and Sparkling Lackaghmore Joey were third in 59.90.
The rules want that warm-up as Table A against the clock, no jump-off (Art 220.2.1.1). The Trophy class itself is Table A against the clock with one jump-off (Art 220.2.1.2). Speed 350 m/min. Height anywhere between 1.20 m and 1.35 m. Spreads in proportion, not more than 1.45 m, or 1.60 m on a triple bar. Time to 1/100 of a second.
Ridehesten had the week’s shape before the first round: Wednesday 1.20 m in PAVO Hal M, Thursday into the Boxen, Friday rest, Saturday 18.30 Grand Prix at 1.30 m, same hall as the CSI3* Grand Prix later in the evening. Starting order for the Trophy class is the reverse of the warm-up. If you won Thursday, you go late on Saturday.
Courses must be built by an FEI Level 3 designer who has done pony work. That is in the rule book. It is the line most club rotas skip.
Pony relateds are still a different table
A 1.30 m indoor track for ponies is not a horse 1.30 m with the oxers pulled in. British Showjumping already prints three bands. A 128 one-stride is 19 ft to 20 ft. A horse one-stride is 24 ft 6 in to 25 ft 6 in. Leave horse numbers in a pony class and you have changed the test.
If you are drawing a winter indoor for 128s, 138s or 148s this month, start from the pony column, not from last week’s 1.20 horse Foxhunter. The official FEI spread cap on this series is 1.45 m. That is still a lot of width for a 128. Keep the related honest for the smallest pony that will jump it.
Open the designer, set a real indoor, and put one related on the pony band you actually have on Saturday. Then watch Herning at 18.30 and write down how many reached the jump-off at 1.30 m.
