Plascencia Prevails in Puebla

Luis Alejandro Plascencia O (MEX) and Huberth B - winners of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League 2025/26 - Puebla (MEX) ©FEI/ Rodrigo Cecena

Luis Alejandro Plascencia O. (MEX) did what no other athlete could Saturday in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Puebla (MEX): produce a double-clear effort. 

Plascencia and the 14-year-old gelding Huberth B crossed the timers of Anderson Lima's (MEX) jump-off track without fault, securing themselves the victory after just two combinations jumped clear in the first round. Jose Antonio Chedraui Eguia (MEX) and Con-Cor, who finished the jump-off with a rail on the floor, were second, while Arturo Parada Vallejo (MEX) secured third with Laretto as the fastest of seven four-faulters in the first round.

The win gave Plascencia his second career World Cup title, having triumphed at Guadalajara (MEX) in 2018 with Davinci. But it was the first World Cup victory for Huberth B, who had jumped in three previous World Cup events with three different riders, finishing as high as second with Erynn Ballard (CAN) at Sacramento (USA) in 2021. 

"I'm so happy. This World Cup qualifier is a very, very special Grand Prix. It's very hard. Usually there's one or two clears each year. I couldn't be happier with the horse...He got [the win] today, finally.”

Luis Alejandro Plascencia O. (MEX) 

Lima, who will set the tracks at the Finals in Fort Worth (USA) in April, set a stout first round track, which featured a technical "S" line early in the course, a tall cutout wall, and a challenging final line that required significant adjustability. Clear rounds were hard to come by, and when Plascencia and Chedraui Eguia were able to come home on a zero score, it set the stage for a competitive two-horse jump-off. Chedraui Eguia returned first, and in his quest to put the pressure on his competitor, he knocked down the narrow vertical midway through the course; he finished the round with 4 faults in a time of 48.24 seconds. Plascencia then knew he only needed to keep the jumps up to win, but he determined not to leave a clear round to chance. He ultimately secured the win over the jumps and on the clock, jumping clear again in 47.36 seconds.

"I tried to beat [Chedraui Eguia's] time, because it's very easy to have one down in a jump-off [with fences] that big," Plascencia said. "It worked out. I beat the time and kept the jumps up. It was perfect."

Plascencia was partnered with Huberth B less than a year ago, but the partnership has come together quickly. Knowing the horse's accomplished history, Plascencia made it his goal to understand his partner to the best of his ability without changing much about the horse's preferred way of going.

"He's got all the skill, but if you get on his bad side a little bit, it can go the other way," Plascencia shared. "So I tried to understand what he likes and tried to be soft with him. He started going clear [more] and doing his job amazingly well. Obviously, the riders [that had him] before me dd a little of the work for me, so I got to enjoy him as a mature horse. But he's amazing."

While horse and rider are quite familiar with World Cup competition, neither has been to the Finals. Plascencia hopes that might soon change. His win has made him the highest ranked Mexican athlete on the North American League standings.

"I think [Huberth B can do it]," Plascencia asserted. "We'll think about it."

After six legs, Conor Swail (IRL) continues to sit atop the NAL leaderboard with 51 points. World No. 2 Kent Farrington (USA) sits second on 42 points, followed by McLain Ward (USA), who has 36 points. The 2025/26 NAL season concludes in a week's time in Ocala (USA) on Saturday, 14 February 2026.

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