The French quartet, led by chef d'équipe Edouard Couperie, consisted of Nina Mallevaey aboard Dynastie de Beaufour (Diamant de Semilly), Olivier Perreau with GL Events Dorai d'Aiguilly (Kannan), Antoine Ermann riding Floyd des Pres (Vigo Cece), and Julien Epaillard on Fringan de Vesquerie (My Lord Carthago HN). France set the tone early, finishing the opening round on just one penalty point before producing a flawless second round. Their final score of one penalty point secured a brilliant victory in front of the home supporters.

Germany finished as runner-up on four penalties. The German challenge was built around outstanding double-clear performances from Andre Thieme and DSP Chakaria as well as Sophie Hinners aboard Iron Dames Singclair. Their consistency kept the pressure on the hosts right until the end, but France ultimately proved untouchable.

The battle for third place went to Ireland, who completed the competition on nine penalties. The Irish team featured Darragh Kenny with Eddy Blue, Bertram Allen aboard Qonquest de Rigo, Cian O'Connor riding Chatolinue PS, and Shane Sweetnam with James Kann Cruz. Strong second-round performances helped the Irish secure their place on the podium.

“Winning here, in front of this crowd, with such outstanding organisation and such a superb arena, is fantastic,” said French chef d’équipe Édouard Coupérie. “They all rode incredibly well. Julien produced a double clear with a horse that is returning to top form, Olivier delivered a magnificent round, and Antoine came very close to a double clear with just a single time penalty. With Nina, it’s always either zero or four penalties, and more often than not it’s a clear round. It’s extremely encouraging for the future. La Baule was a major test. This victory gives us a tremendous boost in confidence. But a lot can still happen over the next two months. We now need to manage this period carefully. We will work on an individual programme for each rider.”

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