France Overcomes Fall to Capture Nations Cup Qualifier and Take Lead in Europe — Ireland Third

There, the home side — Olympic Show Jumping Champions at last year’s Rio Olympic Games — won the Division 1 Nations Cup qualifier with just three riders after one of their stars took an early spill and chose not to continue.

In the first round, veteran Roger Yves Bost fell from partner Sangria du Coty while trying to clear a series of three obstacles at the 5,000-seat François André equestrian stadium in the coastal city. But Bost’s difficulties were not fatal for the French squad. In the Nations Cup, each nation sends out four pairs per team, with all riders and horses jumping the first round. The worst score from each nation is dropped, and France remained in contention into the second round and then the two-nation jump-off against Sweden.

Indeed, France’s strong team for this second divisional qualifier after April’s Jumping Lummen CSIO5* in Belgium more than picked up the slack after Bost and Sangria’s tumble, with Kevin Staut (on Reveur de Hurtebise HDC) and Penelope Leprevost (Flora de Mariposa) going clear in both rounds (not knocking down any rails or poles), and Cedric Angot and Saxo de La Cour racking up four in each round, for a total of eight. That tied the French with Sweden, the only other country to advance into the tie-breaking jump-off, where Staut prevailed in a show-down with Peder Fredricson and his mount H&M Christian K.

Seven of the eight teams in La Baule — France, Sweden, Ireland, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands, with Belgium part of Division 2 — were chasing points to qualify for the world Final in Barcelona, Spain at the end of September. There are 18 spots available up for grabs in Barcelona for national teams in six qualifying regions across the planet, with most allocated to the two European divisions. For their win at La Baule, France took home €64,000, with Sweden earning €40,000 and third-place Ireland (Denis Lynch and All Star 5, Shane Breen and Golden Hawk, Michael Duffy and Belcanto Z, Shane Sweetnam and Chaqui Z, with Chef d’Equipe Rodrigo Pessoa) taking home €32,000.

In terms of Division 1 standings after Lummen and La Baule, France now leads with 190 points, followed by Germany (150) and Sweden (140). Ireland, which chose not to compete in Belgium, has a solid 80, with the next 5* qualifier set for Rome from May 24-28. Great Britain, despite having finished second in the global final last year, is in Europe Division 2 this year. 

Also at La Baule this past weekend: Sunday’s 1.60m Grand Prix Longines – Ville de La Baule. On the Frédéric Cottier-designed course, Brazil’s Pedro Junqueira Muylaert and Prince Royal Z MFS came out on top in the eight-pair jump-off, winning €66,000 and edging out crowd favourite Patrice Delaveau of France, on Aquila HD in second, and the Netherland’s Maikel van der Vleuten and VDL Groep Arera C in third.