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The teams have been confirmed for the fourth and last leg of the inaugural Longines League of Nations™ 2024 series which takes place in Rotterdam, The Netherlands in ten days time, and for Belgium, France and Great Britain the pressure will be immense.
Languishing together at the bottom of the leaderboard in joint-eighth place with just 85 points apiece, they need to finish prominently next week if they are to make the cut into the top-eight nations that will qualify for the inaugral Final of the brand new series at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain on 6 October.
After the first two legs, in Abu Dhabi, UAE in February and Ocala in Florida, USA in March, Team Ireland had the whip hand with a 30-point lead over Germany in second place, and with two legs still left to run there was no great cause for alarm for the sides at the bottom of the League table. But the cancellation of round three in St Gallen, Switzerland two weeks ago due to adverse weather conditions has changed all that.
The Belgians, French and British really need to step it up this time out, and even the home side can’t afford to be complacent. As next week’s competition gets underway the Dutch will be lying seventh with 115 points and they’ll need to build on that for sure. However they’ve been unbeatable on home ground for the last three years, so no doubt they’ll be doing all in their power to make it four wins in a row.
Chosen
Henk Nooren’s French side looks really strong with Simon Delestre, Julien Epaillard, Olivier Perreau and Kevin Staut flying their flag this time out. And the British are not holding back, fielding Harry Charles, Tim Gredley and Joseph Stockdale along with reigning Olympic champion Ben Maher. Meanwhile the third of the vulnerable teams at the bottom of the table, Belgium, also looks rock solid with Pieter Devos, Abdel Saïd and Gilles Thomas joined by Koen Vereecke.
After their back-to-back hat-trick of home wins the Dutch crowd will be expecting big things from their foursome, but Kim Emmen, Willem Greve, Harrie Smolders and Maikel van der Vleuten are well up to the task. Just five points separate them from Team Sweden in sixth place, so those Swedes need to stay on their toes too. However team manager Henrik Ankarcrona has selected three of the team that won Olympic gold in Tokyo (JPN) three years ago - longtime world number one Henrik von Eckermann, Peder Fredricson and Malin Baryard-Johnsson - along with five-time Olympian Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, and they look very formidable indeed.
The exciting Brazilian side consists of Stephan de Freitas Barcha, Luciana Diniz, Rodrigo Pessoa and Pedro Veniss and with 125 points collected so far they lie in fifth place on the leaderboard, just ten points adrift of fourth-placed Team USA who will be represented by veteran multi-medallists Laura Kraut and McLain Ward along with Jessica Springsteen and Callie Schott.
Solidify
Lying third, Switzerland carries 150 points into next week’s contest and it is up to Romain Duguet, Edouard Schmitz, Pius Schwizer and Janika Sprunger to solidify their position while Otto Becker’s German team of Marcus Ehning, Christian Kukuk, Richard Vogel and Philipp Weishaupt won’t be wanting to relinquish their second-place slot. And with their noses out in front the Irish won’t be keen to lose their advantage either.
So Irish Chef d’Equipe, Michael Blake, is sending a crack side that includes Daniel Coyle, Cian O’Connor, Shane Sweetnam and Mark McAuley and clearly the green-team mean business and intend to stay top of the Longines League of Nations™ 2024 standings ahead of the Final. But of course horse sport being what it is, no-one can predict the outcome until the last combination has galloped through the timers in Rotterdam on Friday 21 June.
Statistics
Here are some statistics from the two legs of the series so far:
A total of 80 horse-and-rider combinations have started, jumping 124 rounds with four eliminated and two opting to retire. A total of 1,801 fences have been jumped and there have been 19 single clear rounds and 10 double-clear rounds while just seven refusals have been recorded - one at a vertical fence, two at an oxer and four at the open water obstacle. You can find lots more interesting details here
https://leagueofnations.fei.org/statistics
CHIO Rotterdam is one of the Top Three hospitality events in The Netherlands, and in 2024 celebrates its 75th anniversary. It is the only Dutch outdoor 5* FEI event, and is organised at the beautiful Kralingse Bos, a wooded park surrounding the Kralingse Park lake.
The teams for the fourth leg of the Longines League of Nations™ 2024 will parade in the Rotterdam arena at 15.30 on Friday 21 June and the action will get underway at 16.00 local time. With qualification for the Final hanging in the balance it will be crunch time for the top 10 nations, so don’t miss a hoofbeat….
With just a few days to go before the fourth and last qualifier of the Longines League of NationsTM 2024 in Rotterdam (NED) before the Final in Barcelona (ESP) on 6 October, nations are already looking at their options for qualifying for the 2025 edition.
The Longines League of NationsTM Ranking determines which nations will compete in the world's most prestigious team Jumping event. For the 2025 edition, only the top nine nations globally, along with the Longines League of NationsTM 2024 winning nation, will secure their place in the series’ second edition.
The Longines League of NationsTM ranking is determined by combining the points of each nation's top five athletes from the Longines Ranking, along with at least one athlete from the FEI Jumping U25 Ranking. This total score forms the Longines League of NationsTM Ranking.
Ireland leads the way
Ireland remains at the top with 13,840 points, keeping the leading position from November 2023. The Irish have demonstrated remarkable consistency, with all five senior athletes scoring over 2,000 points and ranking within the Top 50 of the Longines Ranking. Additionally, U25 representative Harry Allen is currently ranked second in the FEI Jumping U25 Ranking.
France has climbed to second place with 13,760 points, surpassing the USA, which now sits in third on 13,157 points. Ireland, France, and the USA are the only nations exceeding the 13,000-point threshold.
In the next tier, all scoring above 12,000 points, are Great Britain (12,611 points), Switzerland (12,587 points), Germany (12,359 points), and Belgium (12,185 points). The Netherlands (11,729 points) and Sweden (11,379 points) occupy the eighth and ninth positions, respectively.
The fight for the final qualification spot for the 2025 Longines League of NationsTM edition has proven to be highly competitive for the last few months. While Brazil has claimed this spot for the current edition, Italy currently holds it for 2025 with 10,175 points. Trailing closely are Canada with 9,822 points, Brazil with 9,740 points, Mexico with 8,927 points, and Austria with 8,376 points.
Three teams have been vying for the last spot in the Top 10 over recent months, with Brazil, Canada and Italy temporarily holding the tenth spot, while Mexico and Austria are still close enough to hold options for qualification.
The competition is expected to remain fierce until the end of October, as the November Ranking, following the final of the Series in Barcelona, will ultimately determine the participants for the second edition of the Longines League of NationsTM.
The Crucial Role of U25 Athletes
According to the Longines League of Nations™ Ranking rules, the classification points are determined by the top six athletes from each nation in the Longines Ranking, with at least one of them being an under-25 (U25) athlete. This requirement places significant importance on the younger athletes from each participating nation.
Many of these nations boast one or even two athletes in the Top 10 of the FEI Jumping U25 Ranking, including Harry Charles (GBR), Harry Allen (IRL) and Michael Pender (IRL), Jeanne Sadran (FRA), Natalie Dean (USA) and Mimi Gochman (USA), Lars Kersten (NED), Edouard Schmitz (SUI), and Thibaut Spits (BEL).
The impact of younger athletes extends beyond ranking points to actual competition performance. Several U25 athletes have been selected to participate in the Longines League of Nations™. Notable participants include Michael Pender (IRL), Tani Joosten (NED), Joseph Stockdale (GBR), and Jack Whitaker (GBR) in the inaugural stage in Abu Dhabi (UAE), and Harry Charles (GBR) in Ocala (USA) and St. Gallen (SUI), where Natalie Dean (USA) was also selected to compete.
Following the last qualification stage in Rotterdam (NED) on June 21, the eight finalists will vie for the coveted Longines League of NationsTM Trophy in Barcelona. However, the coming months will also witness an intense scuffle for qualification spots for the next edition, promising an exciting journey ahead.
All the versions of the Longines League of NationsTM Ranking are accessible with full details here.
The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision in a case involving a Prohibited Substance.
In this case, the horse Kensington W (FEI ID 107YP42/NED), ridden by Finn Boerekamp (FEI ID 10150533/NED), at the CSI3* Valencia (ESP) from 19-25 February 2024, tested positive for the prohibited substance O-Desmethylvenlafaxine.
The athlete was able to trace the source of the Banned Substance in the horse’s system back to human cross-contamination caused by his support personnel, who urinated in the box of the horse while being on medication, which was very likely to account for the positive sample.
In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal accepted the Settlement Agreement reached between the FEI and the athlete, according to which the athlete had clearly established on a balance of probabilities, how the Banned Substance 0-Desmethylvenlafaxine entered the horse’s system. Therefore, the period of ineligibility imposed on the athlete was eliminated. The athlete will also not incur any fines, however the results obtained at the event remain disqualified.
The full Decision is available here.
Notes to Editors:
FEI Equine Prohibited Substances
The FEI Prohibited Substances List is divided into two sections: Controlled Medication and *Banned Substances. Controlled Medication substances are those that are regularly used to treat horses, but which must have been cleared from the horse’s system by the time of competition. Banned (doping) Substances should never be found in the body of the horse and are prohibited at all times.
In the case of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for a Banned Substance, the Person Responsible (PR) is automatically provisionally suspended from the date of notification (with the exception of certain cases involving a Prohibited Substance which is also a **Specified Substance). The horse is provisionally suspended for two months.
**Specified Substances
The FEI introduced the concept of Specified Substances in 2016. Specified Substances should not in any way be considered less important or less dangerous than other Prohibited Substances (i.e. whether Banned or Controlled). Rather, they are simply substances that are more likely to have been ingested by horses for a purpose other than the enhancement of sport performance, for example, through a contaminated food substance. Positive cases involving Specified Substances can be handled with a greater degree of flexibility within the structure of the FEI Regulations.
Information on all substances is available on the searchable FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database.
Think Outside The Box
Think Outside The Box is a campaign created to raise awareness around the risk of contamination in and around the stables, and the potential consequences from a rule’s violation perspective as well as general health and safety for horses.
The campaign is centred around four core themes – Behave, Organise, Maintain and Secure – with each theme broken down into specific actionable points and the risks should they not be addressed. The risk for contamination and consequences for EADCMR violations such as disqualification and suspension, being the core driver of the campaign, feature prominently as does safety messaging in relation to intoxication, injury and potential fire hazards.
The campaign portal www.fei.org/think is available in three languages – English, French and Spanish - and includes downloadable assets for the public to promote and endorse the campaign natively on their own platforms as well as dedicated sections for ambassadors and supporters, including the International Grooms Association and Equestrian Organisers Association among others.
The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision in a human doping case.
This case involves two adverse analytical findings for the prohibited substance Clenbuterol, listed in Class S1.2 Other Anabolic Agents according to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List 2022.
Samples taken from the Spanish Dressage athlete Agusti Juan Elias Lara (FEI ID 10032759) on 21 May 2022 during the CDIO5*-NC in Compiègne (FRA) and on 8 July 2022 during the CDI4* in Fritzens-Schindlhof (AUT), returned positive for Clenbuterol.
The athlete was notified of the violation of the FEI’s Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA) on 1 September 2022 and was provisionally suspended by the FEI at that time since Clenbuterol is a Non-Specified Substance and is prohibited both, in and out of competition.
In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal decided to suspend the athlete for a period of four years, starting from the date of the FEI Tribunal Final Decision (4 June 2024). The provisional suspension already served by the athlete shall be credited against the ineligibility period. Additionally, the athlete was disqualified from all results obtained at the events, fined CHF 5,000 and asked to pay costs of CHF 3,000.
The parties can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receipt of the decision.
The full FEI Tribunal Final Decision is available here.
Notes to Editors:
FEI Clean Sport - human athletes
The FEI is part of the collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport led by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The aim of this movement is to protect fair competition as well as athlete health and welfare.
WADA’s Prohibited List identifies the substances and methods prohibited in- and out-of-competition, and in particular sports. The substances and methods on the List are classified by different categories (e.g., steroids, stimulants, gene doping).
As a WADA Code Signatory, the FEI runs a testing programme for human athletes based on WADA’s List of Prohibited List of Substances and Methods and on the Code-compliant FEI Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA).
For further information, please consult the Clean Sport section of the FEI website here.
With the Paris Olympics just around the corner, Team Switzerland could prove a serious medal-contender if recent results are anything to go by. An experienced home-side took decisive win at the fourth leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ this week, with three of the four team members finishing in the top four of this CCIO4*-Nations Cup held in Avenches (SUI). Leading throughout the competition, their final score of 134.6 put them way out in front of Italy who finished on a score of 160.0 and Germany who were third with 231.9.
The Swiss team was made up of three riders who competed in the last Olympics in Tokyo and are hopeful of representing their nation in Paris in just over a month's time. Robin Godel’s fantastic partnership with his evergreen performer, Grandeur de Lully CH looked as strong as ever in Avenches. The pair finished in first place individually after riding one of the fastest cross-country rounds of the day, in a competition which saw no combinations go clear inside the time. Godel and the lovely Swiss-bred gelding have been a mainstay of the Swiss team and competed in a number of Nations Cup events with success.
Speaking after the prize giving, Gödel summed up what it meant for them and the benefits that come with competing as a team in these competitions. “It is a wonderful result for the team and to win at home. It is very important to see how the team reacts and connects together. It was the last preparation for Paris and it is always beneficial for the team to perform together and a good preparation for the Games. It is also important for a championship where a team result counts. It is always a pleasure to compete in a Nations Cup.”
Godel was joined by his experienced Swiss teammate Felix Vogg on Dao de l’Ocean who finished second individually; together with Mélody Johner with her equine partner for Tokyo and the FEI World Championships in Pratoni, Toubleu de Rueire, who at seventeen years old looked as good as ever whilst contesting the undulating terrain of the cross-country course. The final rider hoping to head to Paris was Nadia Minder, riding the Polish bred gelding, Top Job’s Jalisco, who climbed the leaderboard from 26th after the dressage to 11th overall, after a positive cross-country performance.
The cross-country time proved the biggest challenge for most riders, explained Godel. “Nobody ended up the cross country in time. This cross is famous for turning a lot and we did not have a lot of long line to gallop and gain some time. I was very happy with my horse because we have good consistency. For a few years we met some difficulties for the jumping, now it’s under control and it is from there we chaise some good results. We could see it today he did a lot of progress in this discipline. I am very happy because it was his last event before Paris. It was very close to my heart to perform well and achieve a good result to have confidence for this event.
“For me it is always a bit special because I feel at home. It is very different because a lot of close family came to support me. It is always a pleasure. Since the beginning of the international championship in Avenches we did not miss any championship. It is always a goal that I have in my schedule. Being able to win gives some great feelings.”
There were just three teams competing at Avenches, a picturesque event held at the National Equestrian Institute (IENA). Italy, who claimed the final team ticket for Paris by being the highest place team in the Nations Cup Series, not already qualified, also sent an experienced team of riders who are vying for a place in Paris. Whilst Germany had just three riders looking to gain invaluable team experience.
Switzerland and Italy are in joint first in the Nations Cup standings at this halfway point. Both nations have 180 points. The Series will now move to Strzegom in Poland later this month (20-23 June), for the fifth event in this eight-leg Series which concludes at Boekelo (NED) in October.
Image: Felix Vogg, Nadja Minder, Robin Godel and Mélody Johner celebrate victory in the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ in Avenches (SUI) 2024. © FEI / Martin Dokoupil
Today marks the 50-day countdown to the start of the equestrian events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the excitement is mounting with every moment.
The three Olympic disciplines of Dressage, Eventing and Jumping will take centre stage in the beautiful gardens of the Palace of Versailles from 26 July to 6 August, so here are some things you might like to know when marking your calendar and making your plan to follow it from start to finish, whether you are travelling to the French capital or watching the action from afar.
The venue
Initially built as a simple hunting lodge, the magnificent Château de Versailles was home to the court of Louis XIV in 1682 and became the epicentre of French royalty. In 1883 it became a national museum open to the public and it was the first French site to be awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979.
The Paris 2024 equestrian events will play out over its 2,000 acres of parkland, and a temporary outdoor arena, flanked by several stands, has been created on the Etoile Royale esplanade to the west of the Grand Canal at the heart of the palace’s gardens. The Eventing cross-country course will take competitors across the Canal and along both sides of it, with the Château providing the most stunning backdrop.
Despite challenging weather conditions works on site are well up to speed with all major infrastructure in place including field of play, warm-up, training arenas and stable tents. Right now internal fit-out is underway including stable boxes, the veterinary clinic, the media centre and the judge’s tower. The main cross-country obstacle features such as water jumps, banks and ditches have been completed for some time, and other obstacles will be brought in as pre-constructed portable jumps and positioned by the course designer in the coming weeks.
It won’t be long until all the facilities are buzzing with even more activity when the horses begin to arrive on 24 July.
Eventing
Eventing will stand alone in that the entire competition will run, without interruption, on consecutive days between 26 and 29 July.
It will begin with the First Horse Inspection on Friday 26 July at 09.30, and the following day 65 horse-and-rider combinations will line out in the Dressage phase, also starting at 09.30 local time.
Eventing Cross-Country is bound to attract a massive audience on Sunday 28 July as the sound of galloping hooves will thunder out across the royal turf beginning at 10.30 in the morning and running right through to 15.00.
And on Monday 29 July, following the Second Horse Inspection at 08.00, both the Team and Individual medals will be awarded following the final Jumping phase back in the arena. The Team medals will be decided in the round that begins at 11.00, and at 15.00 the top-25 will battle it out for the Individual title.
The Dressage Test for Eventing will be the 2024 Olympic Games 5* test (short), the cross-country course will be a maximum of 5,800 metres long with a maximum time of 10 minutes. And the height of fences in the final Jumping phase will be 1.25m for the Team competition and 1.30m for the Individuals.
Officials for Eventing will include:
Technical Delegate - Marcin Konarski (POL)
Ground Jury President - Christina Klingspor (SWE)
Ground Jury Member - Xavier Le Sauce (FRA)
Ground Jury Member - Robert Stevenson (USA)
Assistant Technical Delegate - Gaston Bileitczuk (FRA)
Course Designer - Pierre le Goupil (FRA)
A total of 16 Teams and 48 athletes will compete for the Team medals including the hosts from France along with Germany, New Zealand, Great Britain, USA, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Japan and Italy. Team athletes also compete for the Individual medals.
An additional 17 Individual quota places are allocated through the FEI Olympic Groups and the overall FEI Olympic ranking. The regional distribution covers
North Western Europe, South Western Europe, Central & Eastern Europe, Central Asia, North America, Central & South America, Africa and the Middle East, South East Asia and Oceania.
Dressage
The first Horse Inspection for Dressage will be held on Sunday 28 July at 08.00, and at 11.00 on Tuesday morning 30 July the first 30 horse-and-rider combinations will compete in the Grand Prix while the remaining 30 will do their tests on Wednesday 31.
The top ten ranked Teams in the Grand Prix, including those tied for tenth place, will qualify for the FEI Grand Prix Special which will begin at 10.00 on 3 August and will decide the Team medals.
The second Dressage Horse Inspection will take place at 08.00 on 4 August and will be followed at 10.00 by the Grand Prix Freestyle. This is the Individual Final Competition which is open to 18 combinations qualified from the FEI Grand Prix. The Individual medal ceremony is scheduled for 13.30 on Sunday afternoon.
Officials for Dressage will include:
Ground Jury President - Raphael Saleh (FRA)
Ground Jury Member - Henning Lehrmann (GER)
Ground Jury Member - Isobel Wessels (GBR)
Ground Jury Member - Mariette Sanders (NED)
Ground Jury Member - Magnus Ringmark (SWE)
Ground Jury Member - Michael Osinski (USA)
Ground Jury Member - Susanne Baarup (DEN)
The Judges Supervisory Panel will consist of:
Member - Andrew Gardner (GBR)
Member - Mary Seefried (AUS)
Member - Henk van Bergen (NED)
There will be a total of 15 Teams and 45 athletes along with 15 Individual competitors. The qualified Teams are France, Denmark, Great Britain, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, USA, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Poland, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Finland.
Another 15 countries will be represented by Individuals. Places are allocated through FEI Olympic Groups, qualification events and the FEI Olympic Ranking list.
Jumping
The Jumping horses arrive on 30 July and their First Horse Inspection takes place the next day, followed by an evening Training session from 17.15 to 20.00.
The Team Qualifier on Thursday 1 August begins at 11.00 and is open to 20 teams consisting of three athletes per team with all three scores counting.
The Team Final, which kicks off on Friday 2 August at 14.00, is open to the ten best placed teams in Thursday’s competition including those tied for tenth place. Teams that withdraw before the start on Friday will not be replaced, and all teams taking part in the Team Final re-start with zero penalties.
The contest for the Individual medals will take place over two days beginning on Monday 5 August with 75 starters from which the top-30 will go through to the Individual Final on Tuesday 6 August, running in reverse order of classification and all starting again on a zero scoreline.
The Final competition, which will begin at 10.00, will be conducted under Jumping Rules Art. 238.2.2, with one round against the clock with a jump-off in case of a tie on penalties for first place and will bring the equestrian events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to a close.
Officials for Jumping will include:
Ground Jury President - Frances Hesketh-Jones (ITA)
Member - Patrice Alvado (FRA)
Member - Harrij Braspenning (NED)
Member - David Distler (USA)
Member - Karoly Fugli (HUN)
Course Designer - Santiago Varela (ESP)
Co-Course Designer - Gregory Bodo (FRA)
The 20 qualified Teams are France, Sweden, Netherlands, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Israel, Poland, USA, Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Japan and Brazil.
Another 15 countries will be represented by Individuals and again places are allocated through FEI Olympic Groups, qualification events and the FEI Olympic Ranking list.
Deadline
There’s just over two weeks left to go before the deadline for National Federations to submit Certificates of Capability to the FEI on 25 June while Monday 8 July is the deadline for Definite Entries. By then we will have the full list of horses and athletes in all disciplines, including those on the reserve lists.
The Games of the XXXlll Olympiad are just around the corner. Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..
Timetable
https://inside.fei.org/fei/games/paris2024/timetable
Rules and Regulations for all disciplines here
The FEI Board has unanimously approved an Equine Welfare Strategy Action Plan and established a dedicated Equine Welfare Fund of CHF 1 million (USD 1’119’000; EUR 1’030’000) to launch the plan. The decision was taken during the Board’s in-person meeting at the FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI) on 4 and 5 June 2024.
The Action Plan is based on the recommendations outlined in the Final Report of the Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission (EEWC) and comprises six priority areas of focus:
The focus areas were divided into action points and entered into a matrix linking each point to the recommendations made by the EEWC, persons or groups in charge of delivery, finances, and deadlines. A series of other actions not linked to the six focus areas but addressing the EEWC recommendations have also been incorporated into the Action Plan, including education on the Five Domains of Animal Welfare approach, communications strategy, and reporting mechanisms.
“This is an important day for horse welfare and the FEI,” FEI President, Ingmar De Vos said. “The Board took its responsibility and devoted time to discuss the detailed Action Plan with keen interest. Significant actions have been outlined, which will benefit horse welfare and will have a powerful impact on the sport as a whole. I want to take this opportunity to thank our NFs, stakeholders and equestrian community members for their feedback during and after the dedicated Sports Forum session which has greatly assisted the FEI in producing a tangible Action Plan.”
The Action Plan will be finalised with the suggestions made by the Board and will be published shortly. Implementation will begin immediately with the objective to propose initial rule changes that safeguard horse welfare at the FEI General Assembly 2024. The Plan, which includes scientific research projects, offers an ongoing perspective that will continue to deliver in the coming years.
The remaining key decisions taken by the Board during its in-person meeting are available here.
It came down to more than ‘luck of the Irish’ for the home side to take the third leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ at Millstreet (IRL) this weekend. After finishing in fifth and therefore last place in the Dressage phase, they fought back to rise up the order into third position after Saturday’s Jumping phase- where all riders had clears. This was before dominating the cross-country phase with four very fast clear rounds to put them on a final score of 110.2. It took on extra significance because despite numerous attempts, this was the first time Ireland has won a Nations Cup event on home turf.
In second place were a highly experienced all-female team representing the USA, who finished on 113.7. Team Australia was just a whisker off with 114.2, which was particularly impressive given they were only fielding three team members.
Speaking after the prize-giving ceremony, Chef d’Equipe of the Irish Team, Dan Albert was delighted that his team were victorious, as despite being a traditionally good Eventing nation, they have had less success in the Nations Cup series over the years. “It was really tight but they (the riders) all have very good jumpers and, most importantly, they really wanted to win on home ground. There was a bit of pressure on Jenny (Kuehnle) to come up with the goods as last to go but she pulled it off. They are a good bunch of riders and they have all come up through the system.”
Jennifer Kuehnle, with her German bred horse Polly Blue Eyes, and Patrick Whelan riding the Irish Sport Horse Altitude, showed real jumping ability by finishing on their Dressage scores around this short-format competition. This gave Ireland a helpful boost, further supported by Ian Cassells jumping a double clear with just 2.4 cross-country time penalties on Millridge Atlantis. Robbie Kearney Irish bred Ballyvillane OBOS had no jumping faults but a handful of time faults in each phase.
Whilst this was technically the third leg of the Series, after the last-minute cancellation of the second leg at Chatsworth due to excessive rainfall, a number of riders had re-routed their horses here to Ireland, were the sun shone on Millstreet and big crowds turned out to watch. The riders and supporters were full of praise for the event. Technical delegate Neil Mackenzie-Hall from New Zealand said: “It was a brilliant competition and a great result. Eventing is about three disciplines and today cross-country proved the decider.”
Millstreet rarely fails to attract a top-class field and this year was no exception with a number of high-profile riders in the Team competition including Clarke Johnstone, Tim and Jonelle Price from New Zealand; two-time Olympian William Levett (AUS) as well as a highly experienced female team from the USA, all of whom have successfully competed at five-star level. Five nations came forward with Great Britain and New Zealand winding up on fourth and fifth respectively.
As well as leading riders, Millstreet had all the charm you would expect for an Irish event and is set amidst the spectacular parkland setting in the grounds of Drishane Castle. Run by the Duggan family, Millstreet International Horse Trials has long been a popular event for riders largely owing to their challenging but well-prepared cross-country courses which are designed by Mike Etherington-Smith. The Course Designer is recognised as one of the best in the world, and renowned for giving elite riders and their horses the best preparation for Championships.
Testament to this is the fact Etherington-Smith designed the cross-country courses for the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000 and Hong Kong in 2008, in addition to the World Championships in 2010 and the European Championships in 2005, 2019 and 2021. Once again, riders were full of praise for both the ground conditions and the event as a whole. The Duggan family are great enthusiasts of the sport, hosting international competition for many years.
At this early stage in the competition, Team Australia lead the way on 140 points with France and Ireland on 100 points each. The Nations Cup series goes on to Avenches in Switzerland which will be held next weekend (6-9 June) with the time-honoured autumn finale held in Boekelo (NED) from 10-13 October.
The third leg of the Longines League of Nations™, due to take place at St. Gallen (SUI) on Friday afternoon (31 May) has been cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.
Following a prolonged period of heavy rain in Europe over the past few days, including on-site in St. Gallen, the decision was taken this morning, after discussions that involved the FEI, Ground Jury, Organising committee, Chefs d’Equipe and athletes, to cancel the Longines League of Nations™ leg in the Swiss town.
Todd Hinde, FEI Jumping Director, said;
“Despite extensive planning, the weather conditions made the situation extremely difficult and we very much appreciate the efforts of riders, chefs, grooms, officials and the Organiser in trying to find solutions in the challenging circumstances. While this is regrettable, we believe under the circumstances this was the right decision to make.”
In terms of how this impacts the points allocated for the 2024 Series, there will be no Longines League of Nations™ points and no final standing from the St. Gallen leg. The league will continue with the next leg in Rotterdam on 21 June, and the standings for Barcelona (ESP) would be calculated based on the 3 Qualifiers of Abu Dhabi (UAE), Ocala (USA) and Rotterdam (NED), instead of 4.
After building a strong and successful consultancy, rights and distribution partnership with the Fédération Equestre Internationale [FEI] over the last two years, the team in the media partnerships division of global sports production and content business, Sunset+Vine, is thrilled to announce they will be partnering with the world governing body for equestrian sports once again, for a new three-year contract.
As part of this contract, Sunset+Vine will be supporting in the distributing of the media rights, including the three Olympic disciplines of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing. Competitions include the 2025 and 2027 FEI European Championships and the 2026 FEI World Championships, as well as the FEI’s new, exciting Team Jumping Series – the ‘Longines League of Nations™’.
The partnership will serve to maximise the televised exposure of Equestrian sports around the world, complementing FEI.TV, the global OTT platform operated by ClipMyHorse that delivers livestream coverage and Video on Demand of FEI events across the world.
Sarsfield Brolly, Head of Media Partnerships at Sunset+Vine, commented: “I am absolutely delighted that we have been able to build on the consultancy that we have been providing to the FEI over the last two years, and cement a long-term contract in looking after their premium events.”
Ralph Straus, Commercial Director at FEI, added: "We are very pleased to renew our partnership with Sunset+Vine. Their expertise and commitment to showcasing our sport will be invaluable, and this new agreement will not only enhance the visibility of our premier events, but also bring the excitement of equestrian sports to a broader global audience."
About Sunset+Vine:
Sunset+Vine is a leading UK production company providing a range of services from host broadcast, programme production, content, digital and social and distribution services to a wide range of UK and international clients. Sunset+Vine has offices in London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Milan, and Singapore.
For more information regarding Sunset+Vine, please email: sophie.ives@tinopolis.tv
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