Sweden Gets the Best of the Draw at Falsterbo

The Swedish team will be last into the ring for the sixth leg of the Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ on their home turf at Falsterbo tomorrow afternoon. The favourable draw seems particularly appropriate as Sweden plays host to the premier level of Nations Cup jumping for the very first time.

The order-of-go is as follows: 1, The Netherlands; 2, Belgium; 3, Italy; 4, Germany; 5, Switzerland; 6, USA; 7, France; 8, Ireland; 9, Great Britain; 10, Sweden.

CHANGES

There have been some significant changes to the teams announced yesterday.

Leon Thijssen will now line out for The Netherlands along with Eric van der Vleuten, Vincent Voorn and Jur Vrieling, and Chef d’Equipe Rob Ehrens said this evening that although he wasn’t altogether delighted to find his side going first they are an experienced crew and should cope admirably.

There are no changes to the Belgian selection of Niels Bruynseels, Jos Lansink, Ludo Philippaerts and Peter Postelmans but the Italian line-up looks quite different to that originally listed. Emilio Puricelli sends out Giovanni Principi, Roberto Turchetto, Roberto Christofoletti and Gerry Smit and they have a big mountain to climb if they are to pull their country off the bottom of the leaderboard tomorrow afternoon.

CALLED UP

The German side is also altered, with Alois Pollmann-Schweckhorst called up by Otto Becker to join Thomas Muhlbauer, Phillip Weishaupt and Marco Kutscher. The Swiss team remains strong with Daniel Etter, Steve Guerdat, Pius Schwizer and Jane Richard on duty and Chef d’Equipe Rolf Grass commented that while their season has been been a little up and down they hope to stay in the middle of the leaderboard at the end of tomorrow’s competition. They currently lie fifth of the ten competing nations.

America’s George Morris has selected Charlie Jayne, Cara Raether, Michelle Spadone and Beezie Madden and he was high in praise of the venue at Falsterbo. “This is a horseman’s horse show” he said today, “and there has been a lot of investment in the show and its facilities. The footing in the main arena and in the warm-up is excellent and its clear that here the horse is the most important thing. Of course we are all very grateful to Meydan for their sponsorship,” he added.

TOP SIDES

The French team remains Patrice Delaveau, Nicolas Delmotte, Fabrice Dumartin and Olivier Guillon and Chef d’Equipe Laurent Elias said that while he is fielding a good team there are many other top sides in Falsterbo. “We are really looking forward to tomorrow and I know my riders will be doing their absolute best again,” said the man whose side is bidding for a back-to-back hat-trick of victories.

There is a single change to the listed Irish side as Cameron Hanley lines out along with Capt David O’Brien, Denis Lynch and Darragh Kerins “Our team spirit is good” said team manager Robert Splaine. The British need to put on a good show this time out as they are languishing in the relegation danger-zone. There is one change here too as Guy Williams rides into battle alongside Peter Charles, Geoff Billington and Philip Spivey.

ONES TO BEAT

The Swedes however look the strongest of all with Helena Lundback joined by La Baule hero Svante Johannson, rising star Alexander Zetterman and Olympic silver medallist Rolf-Goran Bengtsson. On paper, they should be the ones to beat, but as the 2009 Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ series has reminded us, the unexpected plays a major role in the story of team show jumping.

You can watch all the action LIVE on FEITV tomorrow beginning at 14.30 CEST.

MEYDAN FEI NATIONS CUP™ - Standings after fifth leg in Aachen (GER):

1. USA 34
2. France 31
3. Germany 25
4. The Netherlands 24
5. Switzerland 23
6.Belgium 16.5
7. Ireland 11.5
8. Sweden 11
9. Great Britain 10
10. Italy 4
 

www.meydanfeinationscup.org