Sopot and Stockholm, two top level competitions

From June 13th to June 16th Sopot in Poland will be the theater of the third leg of Nations Cup Circuit. Last year, Belgium won the competition with a team composed by Olivier Philippaerts on H&M Ikker, Pieter Devos on Claire Z, Jerome Guéry on Garfield de Tiji des Templiers and Niels Bruynseels on Cas de Liberté. Belgium’s riders will try to double this year but they will have to face other determined nations like Switzerland and France. The first one managed to do a great start in the circuit as they took the first place in La Baule. The team was composed by the brilliant couple Steve Guerdat and Albfuehren’s Bianca, Niklaus Rutschi on Cardano Ch, Bryan Balsiger on Cluzot de Lassus and Paul Estermann on Lord Pepsi. The second one, repeated their performance of 2018 by winning Saint Gallen’s leg. France was represented by Pénélope Leprevost on Vancouver de Lanlore, Guillaume Foutrier on Valdocco des Caps, Nicolas Delmotte on Urvoso du Roch and Kevin Staut on Calevo 2. Sopot is part of the eleven legs before the world final in Barcelona in October. Fifty countries were competing last years in the circuit located according three geographic zones : Division 1 of Europe / Northern America, Central America and Caribbean / Middle East. In the Division 1 of Europe, ten nations among the best are competing in 2019.

Beside the Nations Cup in Sopot, horse lovers will also enjoy the eighth leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour of Stockholm at the City’s historic Olympic Stadium. The arena has a strong heritage in equestrian sport dating back over 100 years, including the Olympic Games in 1912 and 1956 and the World Equestrian Games in the summer of 1990. For the first-time, Stockholm, Sweden now takes its place on the LGCT global circuit, joining a powerful list of cities. After the first seventh legs, Germany’s Daniel Deusser is leading the ranking with 190 points followed by Belgium’s Pieter Devos with 178 points and his compatriots Niels Bruynseels with 134 points. But as none of them will come to the Sweden’s capital, their absence can be an opportunity for other riders to earn more points and disrupt the ranking. A lot of top riders will try to shine as Autralia’s Edwina Tops Alexander, Belgium’s Jérome Guéry and Nicola Philippaerts, Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum, Ireland’s Cian O’Connor, Itlaly’s Lorenzo de Luca, Sweden’s Malin Bayard Johnsson, Peder Frericson and Henrik Von Eckermann, Great Britain’s Scott Brash, Ben Maher, Emily Moffitt, Micheal Whitaker and William Whitaker, United States’ Jessica Springsteen are on the start list.