The Lens

On moments of excellence

Laudrup-Dufour Leads the Home Challenge in Herning

World number one Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle lead the home challenge as Herning opens the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Western European League on 16–17 October. Returning after last year’s 90.175% Freestyle victory and two individual silver medals in Aachen, the Danish partnership heads a strong international field. Ten qualifiers will shape the road to Gothenburg in March 2027, where the 40th World Cup Final coincides with the Gothenburg Horse Show’s 50th anniversary.

Voavah: A Private Island to Come Home To

At Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah, a day at sea comes with an unusual promise: an entire island awaiting your return. Set within the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the five-acre retreat welcomes up to 22 guests, with seven bedrooms and a dedicated 25-person team. Its 19-metre yacht, Voavah Summer, opens the way to diving, sandbank lunches and sunset cruises, with manta encounters when conditions allow. Back on shore, the Ocean of Consciousness Spa, unhurried dinners and time together give island life its own quiet rhythm.

Great Britain Wins Inaugural FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Final

Great Britain claimed the inaugural FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Final at Boekelo, finishing on 84.4 penalties to narrowly defeat Germany on 87.0, with Ireland completing the podium on 97.5. Katie Magee with Cushlas Indigo, Gemma Stevens with Cooley Park Muze and Yasmin Ingham with Kinda Corvette provided Britain’s three counting scores, holding their nerve through a decisive final jumping phase. All three horses are just nine years old: a result Chef d’Equipe Philip Surl described as particularly exciting for the future, while Germany’s Julia Krajewski added individual history by becoming the first athlete to win at Boekelo three times.

XPENG Brings Google Play to the Journey

Announced in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, XPENG’s expanded collaboration with Google will bring Google Play directly into its AI-powered cockpits, with integration scheduled for early 2027. From music and podcasts to navigation, charging and parking services, automotive apps will be accessible without connecting a phone, alongside XPENG’s multilingual voice assistant. Video and gaming will offer entertainment while parked, giving charging stops their own possibilities. Participating models, markets and app availability will be announced in due course.

Ramzy Al Duhami Completes a Flawless Asian Games

Saudi Arabia’s Ramzy Al Duhami and Untouchable 32 completed an extraordinary Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games campaign with five clear rounds and two gold medals, adding the Individual B title to Saudi Arabia’s Team gold. The 54-year-old finished as the only combination to complete every round of both competitions without a single penalty, securing his sixth Asian Games gold and a second individual title, 16 years after his first. Abdulrahman Alrajhi took silver for Saudi Arabia and Qatar’s Basem Mohammed bronze, while Faleh Alajami and Qapella claimed the Individual A title earlier in the day — Alajami’s first individual Asian Games medal.

The Masters, Set to Music

At Opera Gallery Singapore, modern and contemporary masters find a new rhythm. The Singapore Masters Show 2026 brings together more than thirty works, including pieces by Picasso, Chagall, Calder and Kusama, with playlists curated by Julian Casablancas, frontman of The Strokes. Four chapters from the Classical Recital Room to the Stage—explore the ideas and cultural currents shared by art and music, inviting visitors to look closely and listen differently. On view from 2 October to 1 November 2026, the exhibition offers an international encounter through Singapore’s gallery scene.