From left: Staff Italy in second place – Chef D’Equipe Giacomo Della Chiesa, Matteo Orlandi, Fosco Girardi, and Evelina Bertoli; Staff winners Belgium – Jarno Verwimp, Karin Donckers, Lara De Liedekerke Meier, Senne Vervaecke, and Chef D’Equipe Kai-Steffen Meier; Third place Switzerland – Felix Vogg, Roxane Gonfard, and Chef D’Equipe Dominik Burger. Copyright ©FEI / Massimo Argenziano.
It was a clear sweep for Staff Belgium who claimed the primary leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ held in Montelibretti (ITA). With constant three section performances by all 4 of their riders, they completed on a rating of 93.7 penalties. The house nation Italy lagged a way behind in second on a rating of 152.3, while Switzerland completed third on 192.1.
Three of the 4 Belgian riders completed inside the highest ten which gave them a wholesome lead with nearly a 60 level margin over Italy. Jarno Verwimp put in an exemplary show in all three phases together with her Belgian bred mare Mahalia, and a double clear with simply 1.2 cross-country time penalties left the athlete on a last rating of 26.9, ok for a second place within the particular person rating, only a whisker behind Austrian athlete Lea Siegl, who completed on 24.9 for Austria. Belgian teammate Lara De Liedekerke Meier was fourth on Ducati D’Arville, while eventing stalwart Karin Donckers completed eight on Fletcha Van’t Verahof.
Each the leaping phases proved difficult to quite a lot of combos and shook up the chief board after each phases. The cross-country section proved notably influential with eight combos eradicated or retiring and an extra seven ending leaping penalties. No combos completed inside the time allowed.
Riders and nations have only one season left to qualify for the Paris Olympics held subsequent yr and the Belgians are but to qualify. While they’ll have an opportunity on the European Championships held in Le Pin au Haras (FRA) later this yr, the Nations Cup Sequence gives a possibility for groups and people to realize qualification by means of the FEI factors allocation system. The nations certified for Paris up to now are host nation France, Nice Britain, Germany, Eire, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA.
The FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Sequence now strikes to the distinguished venue of Chatsworth in Nice Britain, which runs from 13-14 Could.
by Eleanore Kelly
