Swiss Win Again in St Gallen

Brazil, led by Pedro Paulo Lacerda, were neck and neck with Switzerland until the final round, where they picked up 4 additional points in the jump off. Germany and Chef d’Equipe Otto Becker pipped Great Britain to take home the bronze, ending their campaign in St. Gallen on 8 points. Behind Great Britain in fourth place, France finished fifth, followed by Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

Eight teams presented at the start to vie for qualifying points to head to the Nations Cup Finals at Barcelona in autumn. This year the prestigious Finals carry extra weight, as they are an opportunity for one Jumping team that hasn’t yet qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games to secure a berth.

It was a gorgeous day, with fans enjoying the event from the grassy banks along the arena. The turf course designed by Gérard Lachat, Reto Ruflin, and team (SUI) had to be completed in 77 seconds. It became clear early on that the B element of the double combination — the penultimate fence — was going to be the trouble spot for most combos.

Each team was allowed a discard score from one of its four athletes. The nations had to execute two rounds on the same track, which meant for some fatigue but also a chance to improve on errors from the first time around.

At the interim, Brazil were in the lead on zero penalties. Both Switzerland and Great Britain were hot on their heels with 4 points each. Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and France also wanted a piece of the action, but would they be able to top Brazil’s perfectly clear round, where anchor duo Pedro Veniss and Nimrod de Muze Z didn’t even have to ride?

As the afternoon unrolled, the scores of some teams were not what they had hoped. Martin Dinesen Neergaard of Denmark (First Choice HT) had to withdraw, leaving the Danish team without a discard option.

And the Netherlands snagged an uncharacteristically high number of points, leaving them out of the running, along with Team Austria. Whilst France saw their second round much improved over the first, with three consecutive clears, their 16 points from Round 1 also held them off the podium.

Soon there were two battles being waged: one for the top of the leaderboard between Brazil and Switzerland and another for third place between Great Britain and Germany.

In spite of a beautiful clear from Harry Charles with Casquo Blue (former ride of Sweden’s Douglas Lindelöw), the British Team saw their chances wane with 8 points to add to their 4 from Round 1.

When German athletes Marcel Marschall (Coolio 42), Mario Stevens (Starissa), and David Will (My Prins Van Dorperheide) posted three clears in a row, it was all over for Great Britain, and Germany had the bronze sewn up.

Team Switzerland were meanwhile thrilling the home crowd with a monster second round. Edouard Schmitz’s 4 points aboard Gamin Van’t Naastveldhof was the discard, as Bryan Balsiger (Dubai Du Bois Pinchet), former World Cup champion Martin Fuchs (Leone Jei), and former Olympic and World Cup champion Steve Guerdat (Venard De Cerisy) all rode clear — double clears for Balsiger and Guerdat.

When Pedro Veniss crossed the Longines beam with no fences down, the jump off was on, thanks to previous clears by teammates Francisco Jose Mesquita Musa (Alea Marathon), Yuri Mansur (Miss Blue-Saint Blue Farm QH), and former Olympic champion Rodrigo Pessoa (Major Tom) — also a double clear for Pessoa.

First up in the jump off, Martin Fuchs had a fast, risky ride with Leone Jei that paid off. They finished clear in only 42.14 seconds, a tough challenge for Brazil to beat.

Yuri Mansur was looking like he might actually top Fuchs’ time, and indeed the Longines clock showed a mere 41.84 seconds. But when his mare knocked the last vertical for 4 points, the victory went to Team Switzerland, and Brazil would have to settle for the silver medal spot.

“I have no words,” said Michel Sorg of his team’s triumph. “There’s so much emotion to the day. It’s like a dream.”

After thanking all the grooms, vets, owners, and others who made the Swiss win possible, Sorg commented that he had chosen Fuchs early on in Round 2 should there be a jump off.

The chef d’equipe’s strategy paid off, and there was much celebration on the Swiss side before the awards ceremony. “It’s better to wait one year than 22,” laughed Sorg before heading to the prize giving.

Following Friday’s competition, Switzerland — who have yet to qualify for Paris — now lead the European Division 1 overall Nations Cup standings on 100 points. Germany picked up 80 points for their third-place finish, and they’re chased by France and the Netherlands in the league rankings.

Defending champions Belgium, Ireland, and Italy have yet to compete but will certainly be working hard for a coveted slot on the Barcelona start list.

The action moves to Sopot, Poland in two weeks for another leg, before more excitement at Rotterdam, Falsterbo, Hickstead, and Dublin to see who will punch a ticket to Spain at the end of September.