For the 20th time in the long and distinguished history of Nations Cup jumping at CSIO Rome, Team France came out on top. On an afternoon packed with excitement, Les Bleus pinned last year’s winners from Belgium into runner-up spot while The Netherlands and USA finished third and fourth.

With the only zero score of the competition, it was a clear-cut affair for the victors in the end, but it came down to one last nail-biting round from last-man-in, Kevin Staut, to decide the result. A single mistake from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games team gold medallist would see his side go into a third-round jump-off against Belgium, who completed their day with just four faults on the board. But Staut was in no mood for mistakes, and with the coolest of cool rides with Visconti du Telman, he clinched it.

Just a few short weeks ago a French team that included three of the same riders ‒ Staut, Penelope Leprevost and Simone Delestre ‒ finished second on home ground at La Baule where Belgium reigned supreme. That one also came to a very close finish, so today’s result was all the sweeter.

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