A challenging cross-country course meant that the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ at Lignières (FRA) was never going to rest on dressage scores. The Belgian team’s prowess in both jumping phases gave them their first Nations Cup victory of the season in the penultimate leg the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ on French soil.
They finished on a score of 143.9 after three of their four riders jumped double clears in the Jumping and cross-country phases. The other two teams competing were Great Britain and France but they lagged far behind in second and third respectively with scores of 1084.90 and 1108.60, after both teams lost two riders each to eliminations or withdrawals.
Team Belgium moved their way up the leaderboard from last in the Dressage to second after the Jumping rounding it off with a victory after three solid cross-country performances around this demanding course.
This was particularly impressive given their most experienced team member Lara de Liedekerke- Meier was eliminated on her mare Hooney D’Arville, while Steppe Vilain was best of the Belgians on Kawa de la Cour Z. They finished with a double clear and just 12-time penalties and look a promising combination for the future.
Sense Vervaecke jumped a double clear with the 13-year-old mare Google Van Alsingen with whom she competed at various FEI European Championships. The pair had 14.8 cross-country time penalties. Wouter de Cleese riding the 14-year-old Holstein mare Quintera, made up the Belgian quartet. They put in a solid performance to jumped clear in both phases with 19.2 time penalties in the cross-country.
Former Olympian Kai-Steffan Meier is the Team Manager for the Belgian team and summed up his team’s performance: “It was a very strong Cross-Country course and the ground was a factor due to the rain. After a good and solid Dressage and Jumping performance, I am obviously delighted with three clear rounds on the Cross-Country. That this put us on the top of the podium is the cherry on the cake.”
In this CIC4* short format competition, the cross-country saw a number well-seasoned equine and human athlete combinations have faults or eliminations, a stiff track designed by Pierre Le Goupil, course designer at the last Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The jumping faults were peppered around the course, but the early part of the track was particularly eventful for some athletes. The cross-country clock also proved hard to beat, with no participants jumping clear inside the time.
The Nations Cup Series now moves to The Netherlands were once again the prestigious Boekelo will play host to the final of this popular series from 10 to 13 October, which will run as a long format four-star competition. Despite a disappointing experience at their home event, France continues to lead the overall standing on 370 points.
FULL RESULTS here.
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