Edited press release from EEF 

The Dutch team was in imperious form at the CSIO3* Longines EEF Nations Cup – the Central Regional qualifier in the Longines EEF Series – in Mannheim, Germany, retaining the title they won last year at the same venue. Hosts Germany were second, while France occupied third.

Double clears for Willem Greve riding the 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood Minute Man (Vigo d'Arsouilles x Montender) and Kevin Jochems aboard the experienced KWPN mare Flying Jackie (Nabab de Reve x Voltaire Pref), a first-round clear for Lars Kersten on the lovely nine-year-old gelding Chuck Marienshof Z (Colestus x Emerald), and just two time penalties in the second round for Michael Greeve with Foxpit Grim (Vigo d'Arsouilles x Papillon Rouge) – a nine-year-old Selle Francais gelding who didn’t start in the first round – gave the Dutch team an unbeatable score of two and 100 qualifying points for the Longines EEF Series.

Just two penalties behind came the crowd favourites Germany, who fielded some well-known names in their quartet of Christian Kukuk and Just Be Gentle (Tyson x Ticallux Verte), Teike Carstensen and Greece (Mylord Carthago x Quinar Z), Katrin Eckermann and Chao Lee (Comme Il Faut 5 x Chacco-Blue) and Richard Vogel aboard Cydello (Cascadello x Forsyth FRH). The German team kept the pressure on the Dutch by producing three clears in the second round but a costly four faults in the opening round meant they had to settle for the runner-up position and 90 qualifying points. 

Two flawless rounds from Marie Pellegrin and the 11-year-old Selle Francais mare Deuxcatsix d’Eglefin (Vigo Cece x Bamako de Muze) helped France to third on a total of 12 penalties, just one point ahead of Slovakia. Camille Conde Ferreira and Bassano de Nantuel (Baloubet du Rouet x Calypso d'Herbiers), Edward Levy and Junior du Seigneur (Eternity du Seigneur x Calvaro) as well as Alexandra Francart aboard Betty du Prieure (Doremi x Chellano Z) rode alongside Pellegrin on the third-placed French team. 

The Slovakian team produced a strong performance in the second round to add just four faults to their first-round total of nine, leaving them just off the podium. Stars of the show for Slovakia were Bronislav Chudyba (SVK) and the 10-year-old Hannoverian mare Statis Conti (Stakkato x Contender) who produced a stylish double clear on what was an overcast afternoon. The result puts the Slovakian team as third best of the central region teams and adds an important 80 points towards semi-final qualification.

Reining champions Austria, Czech Republic and Slovenia all picked up valuable qualifying points after finishing seventh, eighth and tenth respectively. 

The Longines EEF Series offers two qualifiers for each of the four regions; South, North, Central and West, with the semi finals held in Budapest (HUN) and Deauville (FRA) while the final takes place in the Polish capital Warsaw on 8 September. The Longines EEF Series will now continue to Stutteri Ask, Denmark, for the region North qualifier and Peelbergen, the Netherlands, for the region West - both qualifiers taking place on Friday, May 17th.