BRICOT_069138.jpgThe home team and defending champions from France won the first leg of the 2010 Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ series at La Baule today, but victory came only at the very end of a nail-biting contest, with the USA chasing them all the way to line.  It was a good day for the British as they shared third place with Germany ahead of Spain in fifth and the battling Irish in sixth, but there were a few shocks in store.

The 2009 European team gold medallists from Switzerland had to settle for seventh ahead of Sweden in eighth spot while the reigning World Champions from The Netherlands didn’t even make the cut into the second round, and the only ones they beat today were the Polish team who finished last despite a spirited performance from all four riders.

This season however, the danger-zone is bigger than ever because after the eighth leg concludes in Dublin next August, the last four teams on the leaderboard will be relegated.  Dutch Chef d’Equipe Rob Ehrens said yesterday that his team tends not to do well when he expects great things of them, so he therefore said he didn’t wish them any luck in the hope that this would bring a good result.  It didn’t work however, and with no points on the board going to the next leg in Rome in two weeks time, a significant improvement will be required.

Advertisement