Foto: (left to right) Great Britain’s Nicky Roncoroni, Dani Evans, Emilie Chandler and Paul Sims, winners at the Montelibretti (ITA) leg of last year’s FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing. Great Britain finished the season a single point ahead of Germany. - Fotograf: Massimo Argenziano/FEI
FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing: expanded Eventing series lifts off in France
The FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing 2014 season kicks off this weekend with what promises to be an exciting and competitive start at Fontainebleau (FRA) on 20-23 March.
This increasingly popular series continues to expand, and in 2014 it will comprise nine events in nine different countries thanks to the addition of an Irish leg, at the Fell family’s well-established Ballindenisk in County Cork (11-14 April), and a Swedish leg in the seaside city of Malmö (1-3 August) at the venue of last year’s FEI European Championships.
Now in its third year, the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing, which provides great opportunities for riders to gain team experience, continues with CIC3*s in Ireland, Great Britain, Poland, Germany, Sweden, Italy and Belgium before the climax at Boekelo CCI3* (NED) in October.
Last year, the series culminated in a closely fought battle between Great Britain and Germany, with Britain eventually winning out by just one point.
“We are getting very good feedback from riders, team managers and organisers about the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing,” commented Catrin Norinder, FEI Director, Eventing.
“Last year, more countries established serious strategies and really entered into the spirit of the series, which is becoming properly established and now provides an exciting added dimension to the calendar. We’re also delighted that Ireland and Sweden have now come on board.”
It is expected that six nations will contest the first leg at Fontainebleau: France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain.
Germany, winners of last year’s first leg at Fontainebleau, field only three riders, but they are a strong trio: Kai-Steffan Meier, Andreas Dibowski and the reigning Olympic, World and European Champion Michael Jung.
FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing 2014 calendar
1 Fontainebleau (FRA) 19-23 March
2 Ballindenisk (IRE) 11-14 April
3 Houghton Hall (GBR) 22-25 May
4 Strzegom (POL) 26-29 June
5 Aachen (GER) 15-20 July
6 Malmö (SWE) 1-3 August
7 Montelibretti (ITA) 19-21 September
8 Waregem (BEL) 25-28 September
9 Boekelo (NED) 9-12 October
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