Vingrálková and Opatrný are heading to CSI2*-W Olomouc. 350 horses from 13 coutries will arive

Nearly 350 horses from 13 countries around the world are expected to arrive to Olomouc this year for the Banka CREDITAS CSI2*-W international show jumping competition, which is a part of the World Cup qualifiers. Sára Vingrálková and Aleš Opatrný will be among the domestic stars.

Alongside domestic riders led by Sára Vingrálková and Aleš Opatrný, 235 riders with 347 horses are expected to arrive for the 13th year of the CREDITAS CSI2*-W Olomouc international show jumping competition. From June 18th to 21st, they will represent 13 countries from around the world.

In the main category alone, 210 riding comginations are expected to compete. Aside from the Czech Republic, the list of participating countries includes Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Uzbekistan.

Domestic riders will be very well represented. 67 of them will arrive for the two-star section of the event, bringing 108 horses with them. However, it is worth noting that the final numbers may change, as these figures are current as of one week before the start of the event.

Among the biggest stars will be two Czech representatives - Sára Vingrálková and Aleš Opatrný. Vingrálková, who is at home in Olomouc not only in terms of nationality but also regional ties, is currently the highest ranked Czech woman in the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) Longines Ranking. With 1,243 points, she sits in 160th place, while Opatrný is at number 216, making him 'only' the third highest Czech behind Václav Staněk in 204th. Regardless, Aleš Opatrný has long been our top rider and, moreover, sits in a fantastic 35th place in the combinations rankings with gelding Vivo de Muze PS. He has already won the Grand Prix at the Olomouc CSI four times, ranking him among the most successful riders in the history of the event.

I am incredibly excited for Olomouc; that arena really suits me. I’ve already won the Grand Prix at the Equine Sport Center four times, and this year I should be competing there again with gelding Kapsones,” Opatrný revealed. Although he will certainly fight hard for a fifth triumph, he also noted his upcoming national team duties. “I have to look ahead a bit because a week after Olomouc, we are heading out to the CSIO in Budapest, where I will compete in the Nations Cup. But Olomouc is always a great event for me, and the crowd support there is always fantastic,” added the Czech rider, who also highly praised his national teammate.

Sára is in great form, and together with Rock'n Roll, they are our best riding combination. He is definitely the best horse in the Czech Republic,” Opatrný added. However, Vingrálková will not be bringing her top horses to the Equine Sport Center, as they are competing this week in the Global Champions show jumping series. In fact, after five rounds of the series, the Czech representative currently sits in 10th place overall, a spot she moved up to thanks to her 14th-place finish at the LGCT Grand Prix in Cannes, France. She will have the opportunity to secure more points in the coming days during the sixth round in St. Tropez.

I came back home in the meantime because I needed to get some jumping rounds in with all my other horses. In fact, next week I have the CSI in Olomouc, followed immediately by the CSIO in Budapest. It’s precisely because I wanted to compete in Olomouc that my team and I agreed on my participation in Cannes and St. Tropez. Unfortunately, I won't be moving on to Paris for the third French stop, specifically due to the Olomouc competition,” Vingrálková mentioned.

I always really look forward to Olomouc, and overall, I truly appreciate that the Equine Sport Center organizes this event. There is an incredible atmosphere every year. I am bringing five horses with me - one for the seven-year-old classes, one for the U25 tour, and three for the CSI2*, which will be Constantin 110, Kas-Sini DC, and Naila v´t Merelsnest. Naturally, I would love to win the Grand Prix in front of the home crowd; I managed to do that three years ago, and I would be thrilled to get the best possible result this year as well,” the current top Czech female rider added.

From Thursday, June 18th to Sunday, June 21st, a total of 21 competitions will take place as part of the Banka CREDITAS CSI2*-W Olomouc 2026 event. The first sporting highlights will be on Saturday morning with the Junior Tour Grand Prix, followed in the afternoon by the Prize of Olomouc City. This is the second-highest prize money competition of the entire event, where - just like in the Grand Prix - riders collect points for the Longines Jumping Ranking. Sunday's CSI2*-W Banka CREDITAS Grand Prix of Olomouc starts exactly at 12:00 PM, and will be followed by the EY Cup Grand Prix for U25 riders.

With the exception of Sunday, competition will always begin at 8:00 AM. On the final day, the first competitor will enter the arena half an hour later. The event will be available to watch live via the online broadcaster EquiTV.cz, on the ClipMyHorse.TV platform, or on the ČT sport Plus channel. Further details can be found on the website www.csiolomouc.cz.