Team Belgium enjoyed a perfect day today when not only winning the prestigious Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2022 Final but also earning a qualifying spot for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

It was their third victory since the Longines Final was first established at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain back in 2013. They came out on top in 2015, and then did it again three years later, but today’s success was particularly sweet.

It was sealed by three classic clear rounds that left them as the only side on a zero scoreline at the end of the day. As anchorman Jérôme Guery pointed out “we were a little disappointed after Herning (World Championship) because we were good all season. When we came here we were determined to try to pick up the Olympic qualifying spot and the pressure was on us to the end, because to get that we had to win!”

They were locked in battle with a strong Swiss side who were also chasing that place in Paris in two years time, and after the first two rider rotations were completed there was a three-way tie between Belgium, Switzerland and France with each side carrying one four-fault result.

But only the Belgians kept a clean sheet in the final analysis, with Guery wrapping it up after brilliant runs from pathfinder Koen Vereecke and the 12-year-old stallion Kasanova de la Pomme and relative newcomer Gilles Thomas with his lovely 12-year-old mare Calleryama, while veteran team member Gregory Wathelet and his 14-year-old stallion Iron Man van de Padenborre dropped just a single pole for the discard score.

The French and Swiss both finished on a four-fault scoreline, France getting the nod for second place when less than three seconds quicker, while The Netherlands lined up fourth on a total of eight. Great Britain, Spain and Germany all finished with 16 on the board and slotted in behind each other in that order, while Ireland finished eighth and last on a total of 20.

Tough and testing

The eight best nations from Thursday’s opening round faced a tough and testing 14-fence track set by Spanish course designer Santiago Varela.  “It was not over-built, you could build bigger but the last line was difficult. I designed three combinations today - it was not for free - and there were faults in them all and also around the track”, said the man who also set the courses for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games last summer.

There were 18 jumping efforts including a double at fence four, an open water at fence six, a triple combination that began with a wide triple bar at fence eight and a water-tray vertical at fence eleven that was quickly followed by another double at fence 12. The snaking line from eleven to the vertical at fence 13 certainly took its toll and every one of the last four fences hit the floor throughout the afternoon. But as Varela said this evening, “there is a reason that Belgium won and qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and that is because they did a great job today!”

Vereecke’s clear led the way and Wathelet faulted only at the second element of the double at fence four before Gilles Thomas set off on a beautiful round with his mare who never looked like touching a pole. Meanwhile the Swiss began to slip when both Pius Schwizer (Vancouver de Lanlore) and Martin Fuchs (Conner Jei) had a pole down. So even though pathfinder and Dublin Grand Prix winner Edouard Schmitz was foot-perfect with Quno and Steve Guerdat produced a lovely anchor clear from Venard de Cerisy they had to carry four faults. As did the French.

Going last of the eight nations after finishing best in Thursday’s first round they also had a great start with more spectacular jumping from the Simon Delestre and the aptly-named Cayman Jolly Jumper before both Gregory Cottard (Bibici) and Julien Epaillard (Caracole de la Roque) each had a single rail down. Kevin Staut returned a brilliant clear but the score-board would show four faults while the Belgians remained securely in pole position.

Really delivered

Winning Chef d’Equipe, Belgium’s Peter Weinberg, said his side really delivered today, and he was particularly thrilled with the performance of Thomas. “For us there was pressure because we still had to qualify for Paris, but my riders can live with pressure and they delivered very well and the horses were jumping absolutely fantastic. As you all saw the course was as usual in that Final, difficult and tricky enough and it asked a lot of questions of the riders and the horses. Some of these riders are more experienced but for Gilles it was the first time to compete at this level and he did a brilliant job!”

Vereecke earned a share of the €100,000 bonus on offer to riders jumping clear over both rounds of the Final. “This year has been unbelievable for me”, the 53-year-old rider said. “It started in St Gallen, then Falsterbo double-clear, Hickstead double-clear and now double-clear here. I have an amazing horse who has done an amazing job this year!"

Thomas has also sparkled this summer, winning the Grand Prix at Hickstead (GBR) and enjoying great results at Spruce Meadows in Canada in early September. He had a great career at Junior and Young Rider level and, still only 24 years of age, looks set for a big future in the sport.

Amazing year

“I only knew I was coming here two weeks ago and I couldn’t believe it but I’ve had an amazing year with three really good horses. I didn’t expect any of this, but even if next year isn’t quite so good I will look back and know 2022 was a really good year! Now everything that comes I take!”, he said.

Guery has nothing to prove. Together with the superb Quel Homme de Hus the 42-year-old double-Olympian took European team gold in Rotterdam (NED) in 2019, team bronze in Tokyo last summer and individual silver at the ECCO FEI World Championships in Herning (DEN) this summer. They are an amazing partnership.

“I’m three years together with Quel Homme now and he’s a super horse and when I ride good he’s always good. It’s great for us to be qualified for the Olympics, it is always my dream, but I like the feeling of a Championship too and I love to come here in Barcelona for the final of the season”, he said.

Next year the Final will be a little different, because 90 years after the stadium was originally built at Real Club de Polo, a rebuilding project is about to start next week, expanding the spectator viewing area for the 2023 edition. The sport can be expected to be as competitive as ever in twelve months’ time, and the Belgians intend to be back to chase Longines victory number four…..

Results here

Team Mexico stormed to victory in the Challenge Cup at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final 2022 at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain tonight where Sweden finished second ahead of Brazil in third place. There were five nations in contention when Canada opted not to line out, and Argentina slotted into fourth ahead of Norway in fifth.

The thrilling Mexican performance began with a just a single time fault for pathfinder Nicolas Pizarro and Oak Grove’s Enkidu, and when Fernando Martinez Sommer and High Life went clear and then the rock-solid anchor partnership of Manuel Gonzalez Dufrane and Hortensia van de Leeuwerk followed suit they had it in the bag.

However nothing was decided until the closing stages after second-line rider Andres Azcarraga and the 15-year-old stallion Contendros 2 collected six faults.

Clever

Spanish course designer Santiago Varela had set them a clever 13-fence track that drew to a close with a tough line of fences that consisted of a triple bar followed by a double of verticals and finally a water-tray oxer. And it was that triple bar that fell for Azcarraga at the halfway stage of the competition before he broke the beam with an additional two seconds to add for exceeding the time-allowed of 85 seconds.

Clear rounds proved hard to get, so when Sweden’s Stephanie Holmen and Flip’s Little Sparrow left all the poles in place her side was carrying just the four faults, again at that triple bar, from pathfinder Wilma Hellstrom and Cicci BJN with two more riders to go for each side.

But when third-line Swede, Evelina Tovek collected 20 faults with Winnetou de la Hamente Z they looked very vulnerable until anchor partnership Linda Heed and Laurien van Orshof reeled it back with a perfect tour of the track to leave them on a final tally of just four faults for that second place finish.

Revenge

Meanwhile Team Brazil, who were only squeezed out of tomorrow’s title-decider by the narrowest of margins in Thursday’s qualifying round, looked set to take their revenge when Marlon Zanotelli kicked off with a foot-perfect run from the feisty 11-year-old mare Like a Diamond van het Schaeck.

But when Francisco Mesquita Muse’s Carte de Blue PS Marathon knocked the white plank on top of the vertical at fence eight and added time faults, Filho Cortizo Goncalves de Azevedo was three seconds over the time with Hermes van de Vrombautshoeve and Eduardo Pereira de Menezes also fell victim to the plank at fence eight with H5 Chaganus then their finishing total of seven faults would see them slot in behind the Swedes.

Argentina’s anchorman Jose Larocca produced the last of the six clear rounds in today’s competition with Finn Lente, but with a final tally of eight faults his team had to settle for fourth place ahead of Norway in fifth on a total of 10.

Positive energy

At Wednesday’s draw for the order-of-go, Canadian Chef d’Equipe Mark Laskin said that “win lose or draw I promise that Mexico will bring positive energy and competitive spirit to the event!”, and he was right about that.

They may not have qualified for the final showdown but his young team is bursting with promise and he knows it.

“We hoped to jump tomorrow, but this is the heck of a consolation prize!”, he said after tonight’s win. “Riding in Nations Cups it’s always important that whatever your score was in the first round that you improve in the second round and every single one of them did that and contributed, it was a real team effort. The only one who didn’t improve was Fish - that’s what we call Manuel - but then it’s kinda hard to improve on perfection! Double-clear, (on Thursday and then again today) it doesn’t get much better than that, and we’re all thrilled for him and thrilled for our team!”, Laskin said.

Number one

Pathfinder Pizarro talked about his single time fault. “I think coming out number one is always tough but I made my plan. I probably was a bit slow from fence one to two and I never made up that time”, he explained. “For sure the team was more confident today than when we spoke on Thursday and I’m really happy for them, and having an anchor rider like Manuel “Fish” today was amazing! And it’s a completely different team spirit when the alternate rider supports us so much and is so close to the team”, he pointed out, referring to fifth man, 22-year-old Carlos Hank Guerreiro who didn’t get to jump on the team but who has been offering his help every step of the way all week.

At the age of 44 Pizarro is the veteran of this Mexican side and he is delighted to see the young team developing around him, and to be back competing in Barcelona which holds great memories for him.

“There is so much history here, the Olympic Games happened here and it wasn’t that long ago, and also my first big Nations Cup was here and I can see riders who were children back then and who are now part of the team. Mark has taken over this year and I think the future will be very good for us”, he pointed out.

Martinez Sommer rode a beautifully sympathetic round today, his 10-year-old gelding High Five showing spectacular scope over the open water at fence nine. “At the moment I’m very lucky because I have a really good string of horses”, the 32-year-old athlete said. “The horse I rode today doesn’t have all the experience so I’m thrilled with him, even in the first round I screwed up in the last line and he jumped really well so I’m proud of him and really happy!”

Azcarraga said this is his first time to jump in Barcelona. “It is very exciting and a special one for me because I got to jump with my friends and we had great team spirit. It was a great experience, one of the first 1.60m Nations Cups for me and I guess it will be good experience for Nations Cups in the coming years”.

Bonus

Meanwhile Gonzalez Dufrane had extra reason to be pleased because not only is he going home with an elegant Longines watch and his share of tonight’s prize money but he has earned an extra €50,000 bonus for jumping clear both on Thursday and again today. “I’m really happy, especially for the team, riding with friends is the most amazing thing”, the talented 28-year-old said.

Asked how it felt going last for his side with so much hanging in the balance, he replied, “I ride that spot in many Nations Cups and I feel good with that kind of pressure”. But then he also has the added advantage of sitting on the wonderfully consistent grey mare Hortensia who has been his rock throughout his career so far and who carried him to individual gold and team silver at the Central American Games in Guatemala in 2017. “She’s 15 years old now and she’s been jumping a lot these past years and I feel very lucky riding her”, he said.

Nicolas Pizarro said this evening that, “Barcelona Polo Club makes magic out of this week!”, but Team Mexico made some magic of their own tonight.

Tomorrow the focus will turn to the eight qualified nations - France, Ireland, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, The Netherlands and Great Britain - as they battle it out for the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2022 title. And for the Belgians and Swiss there will be an extra edge as they will also be chasing the single qualifying spot on offer for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It’s going to be a nail-biter, so don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Results here

It was a home-win for host nation, Spain, at the FEI Endurance European Championship for Young Riders & Juniors held in Vic (ESP) on Friday September 30, 2022, as the Spanish team took the gold for the second championship in a row, and placing in the top two on the individual podium. This first of the 2 FEI Championships held this week at the impressive Spanish location was host to 37 starters from 13 European countries.

Recognised as an international sport in 1978 by the FEI, Endurance rides can cover distances ranging from 80 to 160 kilometres, usually over the course of a single day, across breath-taking landscapes. For this ride, athletes completed a mountainous and challenging 120 km-long course, over four 30km loops. 

The race towards the finish was a tight one, with team France claiming silver and team Italy claiming bronze. With the individuals, Joana Ullastre Niubó (19 years old) with the horse JM Bucefala and Gerard Casadesus Ruaix (20 years old) with the horse Bolchoi el Akim - both from Spain - rode in towards the finish line together clasping their hands in the air.  

With the Spanish fans cheering them on, they placed first and second respectively, with Ullastre maintaining the lead during all four loops. Caterina Coppini (20 years old) with the horse Vezire from Italy came in third. 

The last FEI European Championship for Young Riders & Juniors was held in Pisa (ITA) in July 2018, where team Spain also clinched the gold medal over a 120 km course, edging host nation Italy into second place. 

With the well-being of both equine and human athletes at the heart of every event, veterinary inspections were carried out prior to the ride and at the end of each loop, ensuring that all participating horses were physically sound and ready to participate - and continue - in the ride. The horses were also held for a minimum of one minute per kilometre covered following each phase inspection, allowing for each combination to refuel and rehydrate. 

The action continues this weekend, with the FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Horses being held on Sunday 2 October 2022, which will host 47 athletes from 20 countries around the world.

FULL RESULTS

 Four fabulous clears from Henk Nooren’s French side put them clearly at the head of affairs in the first round of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final 2022 at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain today where Ireland finished second ahead of the hosts from Spain in third.

The top eight nations have qualified for Sunday’s title-decider in which they will all start again on a zero score, and the remaining countries that have made the cut are Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, The Netherlands and Great Britain.

For Team Brazil it was an agonising afternoon when they finished level with the British on a final scoreline of 12 faults, because when the combined times of the three best riders on each team were taken into account they were squeezed down to ninth place by a tiny margin of just 0.4 seconds. Along with all the other nations that finished below eighth today they have the option to now compete in Saturday night’s Longines Challenge Cup.

Meanwhile the battle for the single qualifying spot on offer for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be a two-way affair between Belgium and Switzerland on Sunday. The French are automatically qualified and the Spanish are not eligible because they are competing as hosts this week without qualifying for the Longines Final. Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands and Great Britain all booked their tickets to Paris at the ECCO FEI World Championships 2022 in Herning, Denmark last month.

Same team

The French finished sixth in Herning with the same team of horses and riders that came out on top this afternoon. Simon Delestre and the electric little 10-year-old gelding Cayman Jolly Jumper led the way, storming around to set it up for the rest of their team who didn’t disappoint. Gregory Cottard and his ever-reliable 11-year-old mare Bibici followed suit before Julien Epaillard and Caracole de la Roque wrapped it up. So when fourth-line rider, Kevin Staut, also produced a copybook performance from Scuderia 1918 Viking D’La Rousserie it was just the icing on the French cake.

Delestre said the French horses have blossomed over the last few weeks. “We were just saying how much they have grown since Herning. They are super quality horses with a good mind, they are fighters and really modern horses and they proved that again today. My horse has had an amazing Nations Cup season this year. He’s never easy but the way he jumps really helps. He’s always improving and I think he’s getting more confidence in himself and also in me. Today I had a really nice warm-up and in the arena the rideability is always better”, he pointed out.

Olympic course designer, Spain’s Santiago Varela, set them a 14-fence track with 17 jumping efforts including open water at five, a double at fence nine and a triple combination at fence 13 leading to the final vertical with a plank on top. It was no walk in the park but 16 of the 51 starters left all the poles in place and came home inside the time-allowed of 81 seconds. And two of those clears, from Trevor Breen with Highland President and Jack Ryan with BBS McGregor, secured second spot for the Irish who counted only the opening four faults, at the very first fence, for Andrew Bourns and Sea Top Blue.

At just 21 years old, Ryan is a prodigious talent and he was delighted with his result. “It was fantastic, Andrew was very unlucky at the first jump and the horse jumped amazing after that, and then Trevor went clear. There was a little bit of pressure because today is all about qualifying for Sunday and to get the clear round but I think we’re in now so it’s very good. McGregor is very special, my mother bred him and he’s been a fantastic horse. He’s a great character and everything he’s been asked to do so far he’s done it with ease. He has a big heart and every time he goes in the ring he wants to do his best and you can’t ask for more than that!”, he said.

The Spanish may not have qualified for this year’s Final but they are giving a great account of themselves so far.

Aiming

“We were aiming to be in Sunday’s Final so we couldn’t be more happy!”, said Eduardo Alvarez Aznar whose last-to-go clear round with Full Option Van’t Zand sealed his country’s result. “We don’t have the strongest team on paper but we have a good string of horses and the riders are all fighters so we are always going to try, and on Sunday it’s one day, one round and anything can happen! Manuel (Fernandez Sara) had an unlucky time fault with Jarlin de Torres and Mariano (Martinez Bastida) had the first fence down (with Delano v. Wijnhoeve Z) and I thought it would be a long trip to the end but he fought. Alberto (Marquez Galobardes) had three down but the horse (Aldo du Manoir) got tired at the end and needs a bit more experience at this level maybe”, he explained.

Di Lampard’s young British team just squeezed into that last place for Sunday’s finale and the clear posted by 22-year-old Joe Stockdale with Equine American Cacharel proved pivotal.

“The mare jumped fantastic, she went in there and felt very comfortable, and I sort of knew even from jumping the first three fences that she was on good form. Since Herning she had a few weeks of downtime, a couple of weeks in the field, and then I’ve slowly built her up with work at home and then she did two shows, one week jumping very small just getting her back in the ring and relaxed, and then a Grand Prix the second week in Sentower in Belgium where she finished fourth. For some horses switching them off for a few weeks and switching them back on is tricky but she took to it well. You can tell when she’s ready because she gets a bit bored in the field!”, he said.

It’s a wide-open book again on Sunday when the eight teams return to battle once more for the coveted Longines title. The French last came out on top in Barcelona in 2013 and they look set to be the ones to beat again this time around, so don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Results here

Team Brazil will be first into the arena when the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2022 Final gets underway in Barcelona, Spain tomorrow afternoon.

The draw conducted by Show Director Daniel Giro and and Chair of the FEI Jumping Committee Stephan Ellenbruch took place this evening, and the order-of-go for the 14 competing nations is:

1, Brazil; 2, Canada; 3, Ireland; 4, Spain; 5, Norway; 6, France; 7, Mexico; 8, Switzerland; 9, Great Britain; 10, Germany; 11, Belgium; 12, The Netherlands; 13, Sweden; 14, Argentina.

The Real Club de Polo has a long history dating all the way back to 1897, and this year it celebrates its 125th anniversary with the staging of the Longines Final for the ninth consecutive time. 

The venue, located in the heart of the city which is the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region and which is known for its art and architecture including Antoni Gaudí’s fantastical Sagrada Família church, provides the perfect back-drop to the season-closer that gathers the best teams from around the globe for one thrilling final clash.

Going home with the coveted Longines trophy means everything to the athletes who represent their countries with fierce pride, and next Sunday afternoon new champions will be crowned.

What they had to say…

Here’s what some of the Chefs d’Equipe had to say this evening…..

Henk Nooren, France - “all the riders who are selected are always delighted to come here for the Final. We are bringing the same team as we had at the World Championship in Herning (DEN) but we need to see how the form of the horses is because most of them have only jumped one show since Herning so there’s a bit of a question mark but we will see!”

Di Lampard, Great Britain - “the Brits always look forward to coming to Barcelona for the Nations Cup final and we have a group of riders who are very excited to be here. We have Jodie Hall-McAteer, Lily Atwood, Ellen and William Whitaker and Joe Stockdale who is our only rider from the Herning team, so we have to make a choice this evening after they have jumped under lights.”

Otto Becker, Germany - “it’s good to be back here - in my opinion this is the right place for this important Final. In our team we have Jana Wargers, Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann, Andre Thieme, Christian Kukuk and Mario Stevens.”

Michael Blake, Ireland - “we love Barcelona and we are reasonably lucky here normally so we hope we will be lucky, and good, this year! We have a slightly less experienced team, they have experience but have never been to this Final before. We start with Andrew Bourns who has been on a few winning teams this year, then Trevor Breen followed by Jack Ryan and Mark McAuley. We are looking forward to good sport and wish everyone else the best of luck, and thank you to the show organisers here in Barcelona for having us!”

Jos Lansink, The Netherlands - “we also are very happy to be here. We have three riders from the team who were second in Herning - Michael van der Vleuten, Harrie Smolders and Jur Vrieling - and we have a new team member Johnny Pals. They are all in good shape so we will do our best and we wish everyone good luck!”

Mikael Kolind, Norway - “thank you for the invitation to come here. We have four riders, the first out is Maria Longem, then Marit Skollerud, Therese Henriksen and Cecilia Hatteland. Three of them were also in Herning so we look forward to the competition over the next few days”.

Michel Sorg, Switzerland - “thank you for welcoming us at this beautiful show again. We have four of our riders from the World Championship - Martin Fuchs, Steve Guerdat, Pius Schwizer and Edouard Schmitz and we also have Niklaus Rutschi with us.”

Henrik Ankarcrona, Sweden - “we are excited to be here and happy to be here because we were struggling a bit, but now we are here with a team of the future I hope - Irma Karlsson, Evelina Tovek, Stephanie Holmen, Wilma Hellstrom and Linda Heed. We will try out best.”

Mark Laskin, Mexico - “I want to thank Daniel (Giro) and the organising committee, the FEI and Longines for putting on the Final here in Barcelona which we are always very excited to attend. My team this year is starting with Nico Pizarro, Andres Azcarraga, Fernando Martinez, Manuel Gonzalez and Carlos Hank. Win lose or draw I promise that Mexico will bring positive energy and competitive spirit to the event!”

Eric Lamaze, Canada - “Team Canada is very happy to be here. We brought two not veteran riders but riders with a lot of experience and upcoming young riders who will have a big future. For me Barcelona has fantastic memories, it’s been so kind to Canadians over the years, and it’s a challenging place to come as a rider and now as a Chef. My team will be Beth Underhill, Alicia Gadban, Tim Walks and Rebecca McGoldrick.”

Qualifying round

The action gets underway tomorrow with the first qualifying round which is open to all 14 nations, beginning at 14.00 local time. The best eight teams from this round will go through to Sunday’s title-decider while the remaining six nations will battle it out in the Challenge Cup which will take place in an electric atmosphere under lights on Saturday night.

With Olympic course designer Santiago Varela setting the tracks throughout the week the competition is guaranteed to be challenging from the get-go, and the single qualifying spot on offer for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games gives the event an extra cutting edge.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Details here….

The Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final 2022 kicks off at the elegant Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain in two days’ time and the excitement is mounting. At the end of another truly exciting season of top team sport around the globe a total of 14 nations will compete for the trophy they all want to win.

It has a special meaning, because nothing compares with the pride and honour of flying your country’s flag alongside your compatriots. This is an event that every jumping athlete looks forward to each season in celebration of the best of what their sport has to offer, and victory is very, very sweet.

The Dutch arrive as defending champions and hold the record for most wins since the series Final was first staged at the fabulous Spanish venue that welcomed the world during the Olympic Games in 1992.

A year ago under the direction of popular Chef d’Equipe Rob Ehrens, Maikel van der Vleuten, Harrie Smolders, Willem Greve and Sanne Thijssen clinched it with a resolute performance that saw them finish with the only zero score on the last day, making it a hat-trick in the series when adding it to the The Netherlands’ successes in 2014 and 2017.

Smolders has long been the rock on which many great Dutch teams have been built, and as he said that evening, “in Holland we work hard, stay patient and keep believing”. He lines out again this week alongside Marc Houtzager, Johnny Pals, Maikel van der Vleuten and Jur Vrieling, and with that steady sense of purpose they will be chasing down win number four, this time with new Chef D’Equipe and former world champion Jos Lansink at the helm.

Earned

Argentina and Brazil will represent South America while Canada and Mexico have earned the two places on offer to countries from North/Central America. Team USA will be noticeably absent this year having failed to qualify.

Norway and the reigning Olympic and World champions from Sweden filled the final two placings. Just seven spots were on offer in the hard-fought top-level European Division 1 series and they didn’t make the cut. However following confirmation that there will be no participating teams from the Middle East region they accepted the invitation to join the rest of the best.

As hosts, Team Spain will also line out when the action begins on Thursday, 29 September.

The full list of competing teams is as follows: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. And eight of the top-18 riders in the world rankings will be in action including Swiss superstar Martin Fuchs who is currently world number two.

Strongest nations

Although one of the strongest nations on the international circuit, the Swiss have never won the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ series title, even going back to the very early years before the Longines Final was first established in Barcelona back in 2013.

They are coming out with all guns blazing again this year, with Fuchs - reigning Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ champion and 2021 European team gold and individual silver medallist - joined by 2012 Olympic gold medallist and three-time World Cup champion Steve Guerdat along with Niklaus Rutschi, Edouard Schmitz and Pius Schwizer.

And, like several other nations, the Swiss will have a double-goal when they canter into the ring in two days’ time. Not only to fight for the coveted Longines title but also for the single qualifying spot on offer for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Qualified

Sweden, The Netherlands, Great Britain, Ireland and Germany claimed the five qualifying slots up for grabs at the ECCO FEI World Championship 2022 in Herning, Denmark last month and the host nation is automatically qualified. So the Swiss will be joined in that extra battle for the ticket to France by Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and Norway. It’s guaranteed to be hotly contested.

The story of the 2022 edition of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ series will begin to unfold tomorrow afternoon with the first Horse Inspection which will be followed by the draw of nations, and then the competition proper will begin on Thursday when all 14 nations will compete. The top eight will go through to Sunday’s €1,250,000 final round to decide the title while the remaining six countries will go for glory in Saturday night’s €300,000 Challenge Cup.

It’s going to be great, so don’t miss a hoofbeat….

Details here

The FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth 2022 came to an end with the Final, held in Kronenberg (NED), where the local team claimed two gold medals (Children and Juniors), while Belgium and Great Britain got to the top of the podium in the Young Riders and Ponies categories.

FEI JUMPING NATIONS CUP FINAL YOUTH - PODIUMS

The FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth – Young Riders

1° Belgium (Sacha Beghuin & Elcup Van Beek / Mathieu Bourdeaud'Hui & Oscar The Homage / Jules van Hoydonck & Minte Vd Bisschop / Roy van Beek & Chacco Me Biolley)
2° Germany (Johanna Beckmann & Emelie van de Mirania Stam / Thies Johannsen & I'M Special Laisa / Matthis Westendarp & Chillert Blue / Sönke Fallenberg & Vescovino) 
3° Switzerland (Thibaut Keller & Badaboum One / Sira Accola & Koriano Van Klapscheut / Léon Pieyre & Verona V Z / Joana Schildknecht & Catrina J)

Full results here

 The FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth – Juniors

1° Netherlands (Thijmen Vos & Ive Got The Key / Mila Everse & Orso Del Terriccio / Emma Bocken & Kadessa Z / Nick Nanning & Bandia)
2° Poland (Iga Biegalska & Doravella / Natalia Stefanska & Kapucijn V/D Donkhoeve / Daria Pietrzak & Monsun / Lena Oleszkiewicz & Esi China Girl)
3° Ireland (Coen Williams & Conthanja / Emily Moloney & Temple Alice / Timmy Brennan & Diadema Della Caccia / Rhys Williams & Cowboy Balou)

Full results here

 The FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth – Children

1° Netherlands (Jesse Berkers & Aragon Happhira / Emma Heijligers & Sambucca / Faye Louise Vos & Monica LH / Yoni van Santvoort & Ilandra)
2° Italy (Lavinia Lo Bosco & Ocean/ Marianna Martinengo Marquet & Fine Edition / Paola Benigni & Edoctro / Giorgia Baldi & Valery Vanitosa)
3° Belgium (Louis Lambrecht & Ziggy Stardust Z / Marthe-Louize Dieu & Jazz Van T Kamerveld / Nikita van der Meerschen & Impressario Vd Heffinck / Brent de Schrijver & LIV Good Vd Kattevennen Z)

Full results here

 The FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth – Ponies

1° Great Britain (Noora Von Bülow & Elando van de Roshoeve / Tilly Bamford & Lapislazuli / Harriet Hodge & Little Charlie / Tabitha Kyle & Atomic du Bary)
2° France (Emma Gay Le Breton & Bad Boy du Beau Mont / Lou Ann Beraud & Ungaro Of Qofanny / Arwen Le Saux & All Best du Rond Pre / Nohlan Vallat & Daenerys d'Hurl'Vent)
3° Ireland (Eoin Brennan & Glor Tire Cruise / Paddy Reape & Valma de Fougnard / James Brennan & Mhs Glow / James Derwin & Rincoola Babog)

Full results here

Images & Content: Free images for editorial purposes are available from the FEI Flickr account in the photostream and in the dedicated album.

You can find the FEI on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and FEI YouTube

About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org   

The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games in Stockholm.

The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in the Olympic sports of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, as well as Driving, Endurance and Vaulting.

The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its seven able-bodied disciplines when Para Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para Dressage and Para Driving.

Media contacts:

Didier Montes Kienle
Manager, Sport Communications & Media Relations
didier.montes@fei.org  
+41 78 750 61 21

The FEI World Jumping Championships for Young Horses was held the past weekend in Lanaken, Belgium. The Irish athletes Gerard O’Neill and Ethen Ahearne claimed the gold medal in the 5 and 6-year-old categories, while the Swedish rider Rolf-Göran Bengtsson triumphed in the 7-year-old category.

FEI WORLD JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR YOUNG HORSES PODIUMS

FEI World Jumping Championship for horses 5-years of age

1° Gerard O’Neil & Bp Godfellas (IRL)
2° Olivier van der Vaart & Ristretto vd Heffinck (NED)
3° Jarno van Erp & Mindset Es (NED)

Full results here

 FEI World Jumping Championship for horses 6-years of age

1° Ethen Ahearne & ABC Saving Grace (IRL)
2° Valentin Pacaud & Garance de Vains (FRA)
3° Alex David Gill & Lacoste VDL (GBR)

Full results here

 FEI World Jumping Championship for horses 7-years of age

1° Rolf-Göran Bengtsson  & Caillan (SWE)
2° Christian Ahlmann & Dourkhan Hero Z (GER)
3° Olivier Philippaerts & Precious Dwerse Hagen (BEL)

Full results here

Images & Content: Free images for editorial purposes are available from the FEI Flickr account in the photostream and in the dedicated album.

You can find the FEI on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and FEI YouTube

About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org   

The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games in Stockholm.

The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in the Olympic sports of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, as well as Driving, Endurance and Vaulting.

The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its seven able-bodied disciplines when Para Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para Dressage and Para Driving.

Media contacts:

Didier Montes Kienle
Manager, Sport Communications & Media Relations
didier.montes@fei.org  
+41 78 750 61 21

Despite the best attempts of his closest rivals, Boyd Exell (AUS) kept a cool head during a soaking final Cones round in Pratoni to win a decisive 6th individual FEI Driving World Championship for Four-in-Hand, his unbroken reign intact after his first gold 12 years ago in Lexington (USA).

His greatest opponent, the four-time champion Ijsbrand Chardon (NED), pushed him every step of the way, nearly spoiling a fairytale ending for the man who has dominated the international stage for so long.  

Having just watched his son Bram produce a lightning-fast clear round – the only double clear of the day over Josef Middendorf’s (GER) tricky course with a tight time – Ijsbrand left all the balls on top and with only 2.35 time penalties, put himself firmly in contention for his 5th individual gold.  Ending 2nd in the phase, he also ensured that his national team stayed on top.  

But Boyd wasn’t going to let his grip on the crown slip, and he drove a measured round, which tallied only 5.92 in time, comfortably within the margin he had over Ijsbrand, who had to settle for another silver, 3.76 behind Boyd’s final score of 156.09.  

“I have the pressure of having fantastic horses and you mustn’t let them down.  That’s one of the hardest things – they are 15 years old now and so experienced. The team of people around me, all the helpers, it’s about not letting them down too.  Plus Koos, Bram and Ijsbrand – they add to the pressure too. So even when you have great horses, you also have to watch out for these guys.

When you look back in history, other drivers have had fantastic horses, and I’ve also had them over the years.  Over time, everybody has great horses.  It’s nice to remember them too.

The pressure was also about keeping the reins dry – I had a second pair of gloves which I hadn’t thought I’d need!  Also, the horses and carriage were starting to slip in the corners.  The course was a good testing course today, but only in good conditions. With all the many U-turns in the wet conditions, it made it much harder.  I used the information my team fed back to me about the rounds before me and I didn’t expect my horses to spook at the wooden horse in the middle, which cost me a few seconds.  But overall, I tried to stay calm and not knock any balls“, Boyd Exell explained.

Michael Brauchle (GER), who drove such an emphatic Marathon on Saturday with his razor-sharp horses, perhaps let the hope of toppling Boyd get to him.  He rolled one ball and gathered a few time faults to slip a place into bronze (163.89).  But as one of the talented next-generation drivers who performed so brilliantly all weekend, his is a name that we expect to see on many podiums in years to come.  

Following Bram’s incredible Cones which gave in a win in the section and a 4th on the leaderboard (165.92), Koos de Ronde knew that he had to produce a safe round to keep his nation in gold contention.  Although he struggled on the final section of the course, through a four-combination ‘wave’ at no. 19 and a narrow ‘oxer’ at 20, he upheld the Dutch grip despite three balls off and a few time penalties (12.99) which saw him finish in 7th overall.  As the third last to go, Ijsbrand, who admitted later that he has been concentrating on Cones during his training regime, channelled his many years of doing the job to steer his team to success.  

“Everyone had to wait a long time - including myself - for that performance this week! I knew when I made the change (of horse) before the vet-check that Dressage and Marathon was going to be hard but I still had my A-team for Cones. We are under pressure from Germany and still have two Dutch to go so this score will count for sure. This was the maximum I could do today, they felt amazing and I knew I had to put the pressure on the rest and we’ll see where it ends.
 
I’m the current Dutch, European and World Cup Champion but on the World Championship I had unusual mistakes, the same as Tryon. I needed revenge on the Sunday, I needed it today as well to show that I can do it", Bram Chardon said.

Germany had led the team event after Dressage, then fell into silver after the Marathon, and going into the last day there was a mere 3.27 between the two giants.  However, as the Netherlands stretched ahead after Bram’s blistering round, their dreams of gold evaporated. Ending on 327.45 to the Netherland’s 313.93, they nevertheless received plaudits from the winners for their gutsy challenge.

Glen Geerts bore all the weight of Belgian expectations to maintain their bronze position (356.39) and with a characteristically well-judged Cones, kept himself near the leaders with a 6th place (173.74).  It was enough to keep the French team in 4th (346.49), despite their lynchpin Benjamin Aillaud’s smooth round which tallied only 7.45 in time.

Relying on her ever-calm head in Cones, Mareike Harm (GER), who had posted the only other sub-40 Dressage mark alongside Boyd, knew that she would shine. Although the weather was becoming increasingly murky, she clocked only 4.89 in time to finish 3rd in the phase and secure silver for her team, together with Georg von Stein.

The weather Gods had kept themselves in check for most of Sunday afternoon, after event director Giuseppe della Chiesa decided to push back the start of the Cones to 12.30pm due to a foreboding forecast which had included thunder and lightning.  As it was, the worst of the storms had passed overnight which rendered the swirling Pratoni dust a sticky black mud.  But the blue skies were short lived as halfway through proceedings, the clouds dropped over Rocca di Pappa and for the climactic swathe of drivers, the rain lashed down, making vision and rein-handling difficult.

Despite being drenched, Boyd’s drove a classy round.  Since his last gold in 2018 in Tryon (USA), we wondered if he could do it again.  He did, and in commanding style. 

And the Netherlands, the dominant national force for so long, showed the rest of the world that with 11 team golds, with squads that have always included Ijsbrand Chardon, they have no intention of relinquishing their position, either.

But perhaps the biggest winner of the weekend was Pratoni del Vivaro.  Revived as a first-class event venue again, by a passionate and dedicated team, it hosted two iconic FEI World Championships, ensuring that it’s legacy lives on.

FULL RESULTS

As he set out on the Marathon, his regal horses poised, their silky black coats gleaming silver under the Italian sun, Boyd’s quest to win a record-breaking sixth individual gold medal continued.  He might have wished for a later place in the draw to watch what those before him made of the course, but fate played its hand and he found himself following one of the young pretenders to his crown, Germany’s Michael Brauchle.

Josef Middendorf’s (GER) eight new obstacles, with a total of 103 balls perched on their elements, raised enough questions for the 37 starters, who took it down to the wire and were still walking routes and examining the numerous options early on a misty Saturday morning.

Pitched halfway through the order, the dark and volcanic Pratoni dust swirling around him, Michael blazed a trail and smashed through all the earlier times, proving that with bold driving, whip-fast rein handling and post-hugging tight turns, his bid to change the old order and win the world title was a serious one.  Ending on a winning penalty total of 107.00, which added to the 49.18 for Dressage, shot him up the overall placings into 2nd (156.14).

“This year I won the Marathon at Royal Windsor and Valkenswaard and that was good for me. I’m a young man and I have a lot of strength and my horses fight for me and with me. It’s a big plus for me in the Marathon when my horses have fun - big fun!”

My right leader is Djamilo (Jamie) and he’s a brilliant Marathon horse. He knows his job; he’s been doing this for four years. I bought him as a young horse, and we have worked together for a lot of years and make a good team together. I think we also put Germany in a good place now" Michael Brauchle explained.

Boyd and his crew knew that Michael was going to pile on the pressure, but that’s fuel for a man who has dominated the world stage for so long.  His score of 116.01 placed him 6th, to give him a total of 150.14 and, for now, he has done enough to stay in front of Michael going into Sunday’s final phase - with two cones in hand. 

But the mighty Ijsbrand Chardon (NED), who is as hungry as ever for his 5th world title, is another who can upset the best laid plans.  Drawing on all his combat wisdom, he turned in a dominant performance, totalling 114.49 and was thrilled with a 4th placed round which raised him to 3rd overnight.  His compatriot Koos de Ronde (NED), a marathon maestro who rounded off the day’s play with an incredible display of speed and bravery, blasting through the obstacles to produce some of the fastest times of the day, falling short of Michael’s total by a mere 0.86, and raising him from 14th to 5th (162.10). 

“The horses were fantastic; the beginning was extremely strong, but I lost a little in the water. Michael Brauchle drove a fantastic Marathon. I tried to catch him but, in the end, I missed, I think by about 0.8 but I’m very happy. Michael is a very fast driver, his team is very fast, he has power, he’s technically good, he has a lot of guts, and like me he wants to go fast. 

I have two new horses; this is my second show with them, and they did a fantastic job. In the end it’s a combined event so there’s always a bit of calculation if I can lose so much in Dressage and make so much up today. And you have to find the right balance with the right horses. I’m now in 5th place so I’m happy and the team is in top spot but it’s not over yet. Another important day to come but so far so good!",  Koos De Ronde said.

Not only have two of the biggest names put themselves back in individual medal contention, but they have pushed Germany off the top spot in the team event, ending on 311.58. But there’s only 3.27 between them – a cone and a second of time.

Chester Weber (USA) did what was required and wasn’t far away on 118.36, with his 41.52 from Thursday, and slid him down to 4th by 2.41 behind Ijsbrand (159.88).  Koos then sits just in front of 6th placed Mareike Harm (GER) by only 1.77 (165.75).

Always contenders in the Marathon, Belgium’s Glen Geerts and Dries Degrieck did enough to put their nation into bronze position with 335.2.  In touch with some of the speedier rounds, Glen rose from 12th into 7th, on a total of 165.75 – and finished in the Marathon prizes in 5th.  He sits just ahead of Bram Chardon (NED) who perhaps attacked this phase a little too hard and by his standards was off kilter, ending just 0.17 behind on 165.92.  

Another standout round came from Daniel Schneiders (AUS) who impressed through all the obstacles to finish 3rd on 111.36 to take him from 17th to 9th (167.20).  Aware that she would be unlikely to maintain her 4th place after Dressage, Anna Sandmann (GER) drove a confidence-building round at her first major championships with a four-in-hand and goes into the Cones in 17th. 

In the teams, France now lies in 4th (346.49) ahead of Hungary (358.93) who had the only elimination of the day as József Dobrovitz Jr. came unstuck in the final obstacle, and Australia in 6th (359.45).

With wafer thin margins from top to bottom, only a few cones have to roll to change the order again.  Overnight, the drivers will be realigning themselves as the battle lines are drawn and Sunday’s Cones will be nothing less than a Clash of the Titans.  

Can Boyd do it again?  Can The Netherland’s take a record 10th win?  

We’ll have to wait and see…

FULL RESULTS