In Piazza di Siena, Rome, the prestigious 5* Nations Cup was just held over two rounds. It was an exciting competition with a nail-biting denouement but in the end team France, led by Henk Nooren, managed to take the victory. They had a total of zero penalty points at the end, which is an amazing achievement!
On the French team, both Simon Delestre & Cayman Jolly Jumper (v. Hickstead) and Roger Yves Bost & Cassius Clay Vdv Z (by Calvino Z) managed to have two clear rounds. That was a huge advantage for the whole team. Penelope Leprevost and the SBS stallion Gfe Excalibur de la Tour Vidal (by Ugano Sitte) had the eliminated result in both rounds. They had four faults in each round. Finally, Kevin Staut managed to stay clear in the first round with Visconti du Telman (by Toulon). In the second round there was a lot of pressure on him because as the last competitor he had to stay clear to assure France of winning the gold. The Frenchman succeeded and so France won this 5* Nations Cup of Rome without any penalty points behind their name.
Team Belgium, led by Peter Weinberg, was very close to winning. Nicola Philippaerts and the BWP mare Katanga v/h Dingeshof (by Cardento 933) managed to deliver two clear rounds. Jérôme Guéry got with an atypical fault in the first round with his Olympic horse Quel Homme de Hus (by Quidam de Revel) , but they immediately made up for that with a clear second round. Pieter Clemens and Akarad Hero Z (by Aganix du Seigneur) had a clear first round. In the second round they got eight penalty points and that was immediately the eliminated result. Olympic duo Grégory Wathelet and Nevados S (Calvados Z) had to leave the course early in the first round so Guéry's four penalty points could not be cancelled out. As the penultimate competitor there was a lot of pressure on Wathelet's shoulders, but together with Nevados S he did what he does best: staying clear. That left team Belgium with only four penalty points and it was more than enough for Peter Weinberg's team to take home the silver medal.
Team the Netherlands, led by brand new national coach Jos Lansink, took third place. Willem Greve and his KWPN stallion Grandorado TN (v. Eldorado vd Zeshoek) gave the team two clear rounds. Jur Vrieling and Long John Silver 3 (v. Lasino) had the eliminated score in both rounds. They got five penalty points in the first round and nine in the second. Bart Bles and the BWP gelding Kriskras DV (by Cooper vd Heffinck) jumped clear in the first round and got four penalty points in the second. Marc Houtzager and the KWPN mare Sterrehof's Dante N.O.P. (by Canturano) turned that result around: they got four penalty points in the first round but remained nicely clear in the second and decisive round, which ensured that the Netherlands eventually finished in a nice third place.
Lillie Keenan (Argan de Beliard), Choe Reid (Souper Shuttle), Brian Moggre (Balou du Reventon) and Laura Kraut (Confu) took fourth place for the USA. Team Canada, consisting of Yann Candele (Farezzo), Tiffany Foster (Figor), Beth Underhill (Dieu Merci Van T&L) and Amy Millar (Truman) completed the top five.
Click here for the complete results.