Great Britain ready to swing back into action after Belgian win at latest Nations Cup in Poland

Belgium was the big winner at this past weekend’s CSIO5* Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Poland, moving that country into second place in the standings after four qualifiers in Europe’s Division 1 as the continent’s Show Jumping powerhouses battle for a spot in the Barcelona Final later this year.

Great Britain, which has only taken part in one competition so far this season and sits in 10th place out of 10 in the division, is eligible to pick up points in all the remaining competitions, starting next week in Rotterdam. Following shows will take place in Falsterbo, Sweden, Hickstead and Dublin, with seven teams from the group (plus hosts Spain if not qualified) making it to the Final, scheduled for October 4–7 at the Catalan city’s Real Club de Polo de Barcelona.

This year was the first that the 5* competition in the seaside town of Sopot was included in the elite CSIO circuit, and many of Europe’s best riders made the trip to Northern Poland for the event. On the grounds of the Hipodrom Sopot, the local racetrack, the Belgian team of Olivier Philippaerts (on H&M Ikker), Pieter Devos (Claire Z), Jerome Guery (Garfield de Tiji des Templiers) and Niels Bruynseels (Cas de Liberte) imposed itself in Sunday’s Nations Cup, winning nearly €60,000 and picking up the maximum 100 points available.

“The course was tough – big and technical – and the time was quite tight, but we came here well prepared, with a strong team, strong riders and a good tactic, and everyone did a super job!”, Bruynseels said. As the FEI reported, Olaf Petersen Jnr.’s 12-fence course was challenging. “The water (fence 5) was wide, there was a huge triple bar to a vertical (fences 9 and 10) and the last double (11) was very difficult,” the rider noted. With the result, the Belgians now have 260 points, just behind Switzerland and ahead of France.

Indeed, it was the French team of Mathieu Bilot, Kevin Staut, Olivier Robert and Nicolas Delmotte who took second in Poland. Visitors the United States – Lillie Keenan, Jamie Barge, Devin Ryan and Margie Goldstein-Engle – were third but not eligible to earn points; in any case, the Americans are already qualified for Barcelona through the North American league.

That left Sweden’s team of Henrik von Eckermann, Irma Karlsson, Evelina Tovek and Fredrik Jönsson the 65 points distributed to the next best European finisher. In Friday’s 1.60 m Longines Grand Prix in Poland, Von Eckermann, on Castello, topped the podium, with Goldstein-Engle (Royce) in second and the home nation’s Jaroslaw Skrzyczynski (Chacclana) in third. 

For the Rotterdam CSIO, a strong group of British riders are entered: Amanda Derbyshire, Ben Maher, Emily Moffitt, Alexandra Thornton and William Whitaker.