From Slovakia to Kentucky, top-level Show Jumping and Eventing action this weekend

Over the next five months, national teams from across Europe – like their counterparts abroad – will be attempting to qualify for the 2018 Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final in Barcelona, scheduled for October 4-7. Last year, the Dutch team, including Harrie Smolders, captured the title at the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona.

Given its large number of national equestrian federations, Europe is divided into Divisions 1 and 2, with eight CSIO5* competitions in Division 1 to determine who will get to Barcelona. Those qualifiers kick off with the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Slovakia, taking place April 26-29 at the x-bionic sphere venue in Samorin, near the country’s border with Austria. Following events will be held through August in La Baule, France, St. Gallen, Switzerland, Sopot, Poland, Rotterdam, Falsterbo, Sweden, Hickstead, Great Britain, and Dublin.

With the host nation Spain automatically qualified, seven nations out of the 10 in the division – Belgium, Spain, France, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden – will make it to the Final. Six or seven nations will be eligible to pick up points at each stage, and in Samorin, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Ireland, Spain and Belgium are set to take to the course.

On the same dates, April 26-29, Great Britain’s Oliver Townend and Ireland’s Tim Bourke are among the riders who will compete in the equestrian triathlon of Dressage, Cross-country, Jumping at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. There, they will be taking on defending champions Michael Jung of Germany and FischerRocana FST.

The Kentucky 4* competition, will be followed shortly after by the Badminton Horse Trials in Great Britain, then Luhmuhlen in Germany, the Burghley Horse Trials in England, and the Australian International 3 Day Event in Adelaide. The world governing body for Olympic equestrian sports, the Fédération Équestre Internationale, is currently looking at a reorganization of the top-level international Eventing circuit, after the suspension of the FEI Classics series.