Team France maintain strong lead in Furusiyya Nations Cup Division 1 Standings…

Penelope Leprevost and Flora de Mariposa jumped a double clear for France today in Rome (ITA)

Team Belgium’s winning result in Rome, Italy means that they still hold onto second place on the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Europe Division 1 leader board behind the defending champions from France. But that is only because the winners were not chasing points at today’s event. They still have two more point-gathering opportunities, the first at St Gallen in Switzerland next Friday and then at Hickstead in Great Britain at the end of July. The French have only one more chance to forge further ahead, at Rotterdam (NED) in June. It is still wide open for the qualifying places from this league for the much-anticipated Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final 2014 next October.

Following Team Belgium’s result in Rome, Gravemeier was asked at the Press Conference if he would opt for a full team of young riders for the forthcoming Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy this summer, he replied, “I’m not saying we won’t be sending older riders but we have a lot of great young riders in Belgium right now. At the European Championships last year we had Jos Verlooy and he rode at La Baule last week with eight faults and a clear. He is also just 20 years old. I hope we have enough horses because it we do, then in Belgium we can look forward to a fantastic future!”

Source: FEI

Standings in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2014 Europe Division 1 series after Round 3 at Piazza di Siena, Rome (ITA):

1. France – 245.00
2. Belgium – 165.00
3. Switzerland – 150.00
4. Spain – 112.50
5. Netherlands – 90.00
6. Germany – 80.00
7. Ireland – 75.00
8. Great Britain – 70.00
9. Ukraine – 60.00
10. Sweden – 50.00