Samsung Super League update

Britain has been experiencing a heat-wave in recent weeks, but the temperature is set to rise even further in 12 days time when the 2005 Samsung Super League series resumes at Hickstead on Friday July 29th.

It's been a fascinating season so far, with the Americans dominating at the opening leg in La Baule and the British showing their class in Rome. The double Super League champions from France headed the line-up in St Gallen and then the Swiss swept to victory in Rotterdam before the series took a six-week break.

Show jumping minds are firmly fixed on the European Championships which take place at San Patrignano, near Rimini in Italy, this week but riders are acutely aware that the Super League battle re-commences just five days after the Championships conclude, and for Belgium, Ireland and Holland, Hickstead presents a particularly important challenge.

These three nations lie at the bottom of the league table and desperately need to pick up more points in order to improve their position. The Belgians are in sixth place, but only three points separate them from the Irish in seventh while the Dutch, at the bottom of the leaderboard, are just 0.5 points further adrift.

Victory in Rotterdam rocketed the Swiss to the top of the table, but it's tight up there because the Americans are only a half-point behind while Germany, Britain and France are hot on their heels in third, fourth and fifth places respectively.

The British won on their home ground in 2004 but the Belgians, Irish and Dutch know that they need to make up some ground if they are to avoid the prospect of relegation at the end of the season and, with just four more legs of the series remaining, it's time to pull out of the danger-zone. It is unlikely that they will all manage to do it, but next week at Hickstead they will be giving it their best shot.

SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE LEADERBOARD (after Round 4 in Rotterdam):
1. Switzerland - 22
2. USA - 21.5
3. Germany - 21
4. Great Britain - 20.5
5. France - 20
6. Belgium - 10.5
7. Ireland - 7.5
8. Netherlands - 7.

SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE - NATIONAL PRIDE, INTERNATIONAL PASSION!

The next leg of the Samsung Super League series takes place at HICKSTEAD on Friday July 29th. Show President at Hickstead is Douglas Bunn, Show Director is Edward Bunn and Press Officer is Peter Jeffery. For all information contact :jeffery.communications@btopenworld.com, tel:             +441643 831011      , fax: +441643 831040 or check out the website www.hickstead.co.uk.

SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE 2005 CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

ROUND 1 - La Baule (Fra) 5-8 May; ROUND 2 - Rome (Ita) 26-29 May; ROUND 3 - St Gallen (Sui) 02-05 June; ROUND 4 - Rotterdam (Ned) 16-19 June; ROUND 5 - Hickstead (GBR) 28-31 July; ROUND 6 - Dublin (Irl) 03-07 August; ROUND 7 - Aachen (Ger) 23-28 August; ROUND 8 and FINAL - Barcelona (Esp) 15-18 September.

You can access all the latest Samsung Super League news and information on website www.samsungsuperleague.com and don't forget that BIOGRAPHIES on all riders competing in the series are available at http://bios.horsesport.org.

Want to know more? You can check the full RULES for the Samsung Super League series on the FEI website, www.horsesport.org - section jumping/rules.