Italy's team will be the first to jump into the Olympic track at the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona in the qualifying round of the Longines Nations Cup final. Tomorrow, Thursday, starting at 2:00 PM, a total of fifteen nations will compete to qualify for the grand final of the most important equestrian competition of the year, which the Barcelona club is hosting for the tenth time.
The draw held this Wednesday in the new equestrian grandstand of RC Polo has also determined that the Spanish team, led by Carolo López-Quesada, will be the fourteenth to jump, giving them the advantage of having seen the courses of almost all their competitors.
The top eight teams in today's competition will gain access to the final on Sunday (3:00 PM), while the remaining seven will compete in the Longines Challenge Cup on the evening of Saturday, September 30th. This Longines Nations Cup final is part of the 111th edition of the CSIO Barcelona, Spain's oldest international sports event. Over these four days, RC Polo will once again become the world capital of equestrian sports, bringing together the best riders and horsewomen from the international scene.
What the team managers had to say…..
Vitor Alves Teixeira, Argentina - “it is great to be here again. This year is very important to us because we try to get a place at the Olympics and it’s not going to be easy!”
Stephen Lamb, Australia - “we are also very pleased to be here. Having secured an Olympic berth it’s important for us to compete as a team, we don’t get the opportunity very often. We have only three riders here but we look forward to the opportunity!”
Peter Weinberg, Belgium - “we will try to do our best - last year we were very good but every team is going to be trying very hard and I wish them all good luck, but for us the best of luck!”
Pedro Paulo Lacerda, Brazil - “we are very happy to be here again and this is a very important week for us, fighting to get a place at the Olympic Games.”
Carolo Lopez-Quesada, Spain - “Barcelona is a nice place and we think there will be a perfect ambience for this week. I’d like to say that Daniel and his team did a great job to be here in this moment so congratulations and good luck to everybody!”
Henk Nooren, France - “it always feels good to come back to Barcelona, we have to congratulate the organisation for this beautiful new building. Thank goodness we do not have this pressure of qualifying because we invited ourselves to the Games in Paris next year! Let the best team win!”
Di Lampard, Great Britain - “it’s always wonderful to bring a team back to Barcelona. Congratulations on this wonderful new building! I’m very pleased with the draw, number seven. We have brought a team that’s getting experience as they go, and a team of 10-year-old horses as well. We are looking forward to the competition as always here!”
Otto Becker, Germany - “it was a nice surprise today to come here and see all the improvements. This is the best Nations Cup series for me and this is the best place for the Final. Our whole team and I are very pleased and happy to be here!”
Michael Blake, Ireland - “it’s great to see the improvements here and as Otto said it’s great to be back in Barcelona. It’s such a wonderful city and the people here are so welcoming to us and we love being here. We are hopeful of a good result, we’ve had a good year and we’d like it to continue.”
Speaking on behalf of Marco Porro, Italy - “it is a big pleasure for Italy to be here again. This is the last chance for us to get to get to Paris so we will try to do our very best. Good luck to everyone!”
Mark Laskin, Mexico - “it’s wonderful to be back in Barcelona. For sure it’s one of our favourite stops on the showjumping calendar. Thank you to Daniel and his team for all their hard work and hospitality as usual. I feel I have a fairly decent team here. Last year we won the consolation final (The Challenge Cup) and it is our intention to improve on that this year.”
Peter van der Waaij, assistant to Jos Lansink, The Netherlands - "for The Netherlands Barcelona has a special place in our hearts since of course here in 1992 the Dutch became Olympic champions! The four riders we brought are all former winners here at the Nations Cup Final so we are very, very motivated to close off the season and delighted to be back here!”
Michel Sorg, Switzerland - "thank you to Daniel and whole team, it’s always a pleasure to be here. It’s an amazing venue and it’s so impressive to see this new building today. We are really looking forward to a great show once again. Switzerland has never won (the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final) so maybe this year! All the best to all the teams, we will have great sport and good luck!”
Robert Ridland, USA - "we are delighted to be back and as everyone has said Daniel, it’s just impressive, not just this building but how you have reconfigured the entire arena - it just looks spectacular! We brought a strong team here because like many we are trying to qualify for the Olympic Games. Most of the riders on our team are the ones that qualified us to get here and we are delighted to be back!”
Nodribek Ibragimov, Uzbekistan - “thank you to the organisers, the venue and facilities are very good and Barcelona treats us so well! Our riders and our horses have worked hard to get here and we wish all the finalists the best of luck”.
The draw held this Wednesday in the new equestrian grandstand of RC Polo has also determined that the Spanish team, led by Carolo López-Quesada, will be the fourteenth to jump, giving them the advantage of having seen the courses of almost all their competitors.
The top eight teams in today's competition will gain access to the final on Sunday (3:00 PM), while the remaining seven will compete in the Longines Challenge Cup on the evening of Saturday, September 30th. This Longines Nations Cup final is part of the 111th edition of the CSIO Barcelona, Spain's oldest international sports event. Over these four days, RC Polo will once again become the world capital of equestrian sports, bringing together the best riders and horsewomen from the international scene.
What the team managers had to say…..
Vitor Alves Teixeira, Argentina - “it is great to be here again. This year is very important to us because we try to get a place at the Olympics and it’s not going to be easy!”
Stephen Lamb, Australia - “we are also very pleased to be here. Having secured an Olympic berth it’s important for us to compete as a team, we don’t get the opportunity very often. We have only three riders here but we look forward to the opportunity!”
Peter Weinberg, Belgium - “we will try to do our best - last year we were very good but every team is going to be trying very hard and I wish them all good luck, but for us the best of luck!”
Pedro Paulo Lacerda, Brazil - “we are very happy to be here again and this is a very important week for us, fighting to get a place at the Olympic Games.”
Carolo Lopez-Quesada, Spain - “Barcelona is a nice place and we think there will be a perfect ambience for this week. I’d like to say that Daniel and his team did a great job to be here in this moment so congratulations and good luck to everybody!”
Henk Nooren, France - “it always feels good to come back to Barcelona, we have to congratulate the organisation for this beautiful new building. Thank goodness we do not have this pressure of qualifying because we invited ourselves to the Games in Paris next year! Let the best team win!”
Di Lampard, Great Britain - “it’s always wonderful to bring a team back to Barcelona. Congratulations on this wonderful new building! I’m very pleased with the draw, number seven. We have brought a team that’s getting experience as they go, and a team of 10-year-old horses as well. We are looking forward to the competition as always here!”
Otto Becker, Germany - “it was a nice surprise today to come here and see all the improvements. This is the best Nations Cup series for me and this is the best place for the Final. Our whole team and I are very pleased and happy to be here!”
Michael Blake, Ireland - “it’s great to see the improvements here and as Otto said it’s great to be back in Barcelona. It’s such a wonderful city and the people here are so welcoming to us and we love being here. We are hopeful of a good result, we’ve had a good year and we’d like it to continue.”
Speaking on behalf of Marco Porro, Italy - “it is a big pleasure for Italy to be here again. This is the last chance for us to get to get to Paris so we will try to do our very best. Good luck to everyone!”
Mark Laskin, Mexico - “it’s wonderful to be back in Barcelona. For sure it’s one of our favourite stops on the showjumping calendar. Thank you to Daniel and his team for all their hard work and hospitality as usual. I feel I have a fairly decent team here. Last year we won the consolation final (The Challenge Cup) and it is our intention to improve on that this year.”
Peter van der Waaij, assistant to Jos Lansink, The Netherlands - "for The Netherlands Barcelona has a special place in our hearts since of course here in 1992 the Dutch became Olympic champions! The four riders we brought are all former winners here at the Nations Cup Final so we are very, very motivated to close off the season and delighted to be back here!”
Michel Sorg, Switzerland - "thank you to Daniel and whole team, it’s always a pleasure to be here. It’s an amazing venue and it’s so impressive to see this new building today. We are really looking forward to a great show once again. Switzerland has never won (the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final) so maybe this year! All the best to all the teams, we will have great sport and good luck!”
Robert Ridland, USA - "we are delighted to be back and as everyone has said Daniel, it’s just impressive, not just this building but how you have reconfigured the entire arena - it just looks spectacular! We brought a strong team here because like many we are trying to qualify for the Olympic Games. Most of the riders on our team are the ones that qualified us to get here and we are delighted to be back!”
Nodribek Ibragimov, Uzbekistan - “thank you to the organisers, the venue and facilities are very good and Barcelona treats us so well! Our riders and our horses have worked hard to get here and we wish all the finalists the best of luck”.