Facts and Figures:
4 double-clears - from Brazil’s Marlon Zanotelli (Sirene de la Motte) and Pedro Veniss (For Felicila), The Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders (Don VHP Z) and Kevin Staut (For Joy Van’t Zorgvliet HDC).
Course designer was Great Britain’s Kelvin Bywater.
The time-allowed was extended from 81 seconds in the first round to 84 seconds in round 2 after the fences were moved to better ground due to heavy rain.
3 doubles and no triple combination on the 12-fence course.
The open water at Hickstead is 4 metres wide.
The eighth and last leg of the FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Europe Division 1 series will take place in Dublin (IRL) on Friday 11 August.
Quotes:
Marlon Zanotelli BRA - “This was my first Nations Cup since we started our own business and it’s great to be back on the team. I have my mare (Sirena de la Motte) since the end of last year and it was a huge thing to go in the team as first rider today but I know her very well and she was so confident on the track, she jumped amazing! I worked for Enda Carroll for six years and had a fantastic time so it was a difficult decision to go out on my own. Enda gave me everything, but my wife and I started on our own and we didn’t expect that this year we would be back so quickly so I have to thank my fantastic horse-owners!”
Pedro Veniss BRA - “the weather was not the best today so the course designer made a good decision to move the jumps in the second round. This was the first Nations Cup for my horse (For Felicila). Cabri (Cabri des Isles, his Rio Olympic horse) was in Aachen so we changed the plan and it has worked out really great, especially for our Chef d’Equipe (Pedro Luz Lacerda) who came all the way from Brazil on Monday!”
Standings in FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Europe Division 1 after round 7 at Hickstead (GBR):
1. Italy - 345
2. Netherlands - 335
3. Switzerland - 330
4. Germany - 325
5. Sweden - 307.5
6. Ireland - 305
7. France - 302.5
8. Spain - 250