Samsung Super League, Preview Dublin

The French come to Dublin next week heading the Samsung Super League leaderboard by a margin of seven points and looking for their third consecutive victory at the Irish venue.

In 2002 they claimed the Aga Khan Trophy for the first time in 45 years and they continued their winning ways when just pipping the British in the opening Samsung Super League season last summer.

Chef dEquipe Jean-Maurice Bonneau fields a strong squad that includes Robert Breul, Patrice Deleveau, Christian Hermon, Jean-Marc Nicolas and Laurent Goffinet who, partnering the little stallion Flipper dElle, became a firm favourite with spectators at the 2003 Dublin fixture.

The British however should be in flying form following their doggedly determined winning performance in Hickstead and will be hoping to reverse the 2003 placings. Last Friday they showed the kind of courage and grit more normally associated with the Irish who seem to have lost their way in recent weeks, and Derek Ricketts selection of Richard Davenport, John Whitaker, Robert Smith, Scott Smith and Nick Skelton can be expected to give a good account of themselves.

Although the Germans lie second behind the French on the league table after six of the eight legs of the series their performance at Hickstead was weak, and the same team that lined out at the British fixture will be hoping to do a great deal better this time out. Florian Meyer Zu Hartum, Eva Bitter, Rene Tebbel and Alois Pollmann-Schweckhorst were at the bottom of the order at the end of the first round in Hickstead and finished sixth in the final analysis. Heinrich Hermann Engemann has also been named for the Irish fixture and Chef dEquipe Sonke Sonksen will be looking for a considerably improved result.

Double-points at the Final in Barcelona in September could make a colossal difference, so a great deal hinges on how the nations are placed after Dublin  a bad blunder now could be very costly indeed for the top four teams.

The Belgians too appear to be in little danger. Carrying a total of 25.3 points to date they

With 15.5 points on the scoreboard so far the Irish have a 6.5 point lead over the Italians but they cannot afford to be complacent. A late Italian recovery would really shake things up and Andrea Bracci, Piergiorgio Bucci, Luca Carini, Roberto Cristofoletti and Alessia Marioni could save the day if they can get it together this time around. Duccio Bartalucci will be leaving his squad under no illusions about the fact that they are fighting for their countrys survival at Super League level and they may, for once, have something in their favour as course-designer for the week at Dublin is their fellow-countryman Uliano Vezzani - the 47 year old from Modena who made a huge impact at the FEI World Cup Final in Milan in April.

So next Fridays seventh leg of the 2004 Samsung Super League series will be as much about losing as winning.

Dublin Horse Show  the seventh leg of the series takes place in Dublin on Friday 6 August. Full details on website www.dublinhorseshow.com. Show Director is Gerry McAuliffe  gerry.mcauliffe@rds.ie, Show Secretary is Brian Reid and Press Officer is Fiona Sheridan  fiona.sheridan@rds.ie or telephone ++3531 6680866.

SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE 2004 LEADERBOARD (AFTER ROUND 6 IN HICKSTEAD):
France  37.3
Germany  30.3
The Netherlands  29
Great Britain  28
Belgium  25.3
USA  20.5
Ireland  15.5
Italy  9.

(Extract of Samsung Super League Press news by Louise Parkes: To subscribe to the SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE PRESS NEWS: send any message to fei.superleague-on@horsesport.org)