In a competition that could have gone either way until the last hoof crossed the finish-line, Team Italy secured a narrow single-fault victory over Belgium at the nail-biting opening leg of the FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2017 Europe Division 2 League in Linz, Austria.
It all hung on the performance of the last pair into the ring, Luca Marziani (37) and the 10-year-old stallion Tokyo du Soleil who had to jump clear if Italy was to take the honours for the seventh time in the 25-year history of the Austrian event.
In the lead carrying just two faults after the first round, the Italians could have wrapped it up even earlier if Luca Moneta (49) could match the faultless second-round efforts of team-mates Emanuele Gaudiano (30) with Chalou and Davide Sbardella (43) with Triomphe van Schuttershof. But a surprise stop from Moneta’s Herold N at the vertical before the open water left it all up to anchorman Marziani.
Fabulous second-round clears from Pieter Devos, Neils Bruynseels and Jerome Guery had already fixed the Belgian finishing score at just four faults so there wasn’t much room for manoeuvre as the Italian set off for a second time. And his winning round wasn’t completely blemish free, the first element of the final double rattling loudly but staying in place before he broke the beam with the clock showing just a single time penalty to bring the Italian total to three faults.
Team Italy were not chasing points today because they belong in the Europe Division 1 series, so the maximum Division 2 points went to Belgium with third-placed Great Britain next in line ahead of Czech Republic in fourth place.
Full results here.
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