France hold on for FEI Nations Cup qualifier win in Gijon

The French had to see off a late challenge from the British and Irish who eventually shared second spot ahead of the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium in equal-fourth.

It was good day though for the Ukrainian side who were the only ones chasing points towards the 2015 final in just over three weeks’ time, and although they had to settle for seventh place, it was good enough to overtake Finland at the top of the Division 2 leaderboard.

However it was a disappointing day for the host nation Spain who slotted into eighth place from the starting field of 10 nations with Canada and the USA failing to make the cut into the second round.

Course designer, Spain’s Avelino Rodriguez Miravalles set a 12-fence track with a generous time-allowed of 77 seconds which saw no horse-and-rider combinations collect time faults and only six horse-and-rider combinations jump double-clear rounds.

Canada and the USA disappeared from the reckoning at the halfway stage after posting 20 and 12-fault results respectively. As the second round got underway, France and Belgium looked set to battle it out for supremacy as the only two nations on a zero scoreline.

But while many horses showed improving form and confidence on their return to the ring, the two leading sides were already in trouble by the time their second-line riders completed their second tour of the track.

Belgium’s Fabienne Daigneux Lange and Venue d’Fees des Hazalles were foot-perfect only to be followed by an eight-fault result from Catherine van Roosbroeck and Calumet whose round fell apart over the final two fences.

The Swiss had been lying third, carrying just four faults, but when they added eight more the British and Irish began to threaten. Sharing an eight-fault first-round total with the Dutch, Ukrainians and Spanish they both held firm while the others faltered.

Double-clears from both Robert Bevis (on Courtney Z) and Joe Clayton (on Velini) boosted British chances. But with two eight-fault rounds from Keith Shore (on Mystic Hurricane), only a brilliant second-round clear round from anchorwoman Laura Renwick kept them in touch and put the pressure on the rest.

Ireland also rallied, with Cameron Hanley producing a great double-clear from Z Acodate DDL, and the second four-fault effort from Anthony Condon on Aristio was discarded when Dermott Lennon matched Capt Michael Kelly’s fault-free effort with Ringwood Glen.

A 12-fault result for Wilm Vermeir and Garrincha Hedoniste finally put paid to Belgian chances, and when Adeline Hecart, made her only mistake of the day, then everything depended on France’s de Ponnat. A clear round would clinch a clear-cut victory on a four-fault tally, but a fence down would leave France in a three-way jump-off with Britain and Ireland.

However, riding Ricore Courcelle, de Ponnat did not allow the pressure to get to him, sealing the result with a foot-perfect clear round.

The last leg of the 2015 Europe Division 2 series will take place next Friday, 4 September, in Arezzo, Italy, ahead of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2015 final which will take place at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain from 24 to 27 September.

1. France 4 faults

2. Great Britain 8

2. Ireland 8

4. Netherlands 12

4. Switzerland 12

4. Belgium 12

7. Ukraine 16

8. Spain 20

9. Canada 12 faults in first round

10. USA 20 faults in first round

1. Ukraine 335.0

2. Finland 335.0

3. Portugal 280.0

4. Poland 250.0

5. Czech Republic 245.0

6. Denmark 240.0

7. Russia 227.5

8. Turkey 220.0

9. Norway 210.0

10. Austria 180.0

11. Hungary 165.0

12. Slovakia 147.5

13. Greece 75.0

14. Bulgaria 35.0