French riders are on a roll following their triumph at the Rio 2016 Olympics and have now won their first FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing leg this season with a victory in a close competition at the new northern Italian venue of Vairano (Sept 16-18).

This was the first leg that Great Britain, currently the series leaders, have not contested and, as a result, their lead has shrunk to just 15 points over Germany, the runners-up in Vairano by just 1.1 penalty, with two legs left to go.

Germany’s Andreas Ostholt, who missed out at the last minute on a place in the Olympic silver medal team, had some compensation when leading throughout and taking individual honours at Vairano on the 16-year-old mare Pennsylvania 28.

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