Best of the Barrière Nations Cup of La Baule, part one

Friday’s highlight at the 2023-edition of Jumping International de La Baule was the CSIO5* 1.60m Barrière Nations Cup, which saw Brazil best a field of ten world-class teams. “Winning a Nations Cup like this, means more than winning any Grand Prix,” Brazil's Marlon Modolo Zanotelli said after he had secured the victory in a thrilling jump-off against Belgium and Sweden with Grand Slam VDL.

Here, Modolo Zanotelli gets a big hug from his team mate Rodrigo Pessoa – who jumped double clear with his fantastic 10-year-old Major Tom.

Photos © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping.

Like so many, Yuri Mansur and Miss Blue-Saint Blue Farm had the plank on no. 11 down in round one but came back to deliver a clear in round two for Brazil.

Brazil's Stephan de Freitas Barcha and Chevaux Primavera Montana Imperio Egipcio had a fault on the open water in the first round, and in the triple combination in round two – finishing on a score of four in both rounds.

Major Tom is living up to his name for Rodrigo Pessoa! After being double clear in the Nations Cup in St. Gallen, the 10-year-old gelding did it again in La Baule.

French Chef d'Equipe Henk Nooren leading the way in the Parade of Nations.

Serious Irish faces...

Little did he know... Brazil's Chef d'Equipe Pedro Paulo Lacerda during the Parade of Nations.

Germany's Gerrit Nieberg checking out Gregory Bodo's brilliant course.

A penny for your thoughts Scott...

Richard Vogel and Philipp Weishaupt with German Chef d'Equipe Otto Becker.

Great Britain's Ben Maher and Faltic HB produced one of the four double clears of the class.

Triple clear for Belgium: Wilm Vermeir and IQ van het Steentje.

Double clear for France: Julien Epaillard and Dubai du Cedre.

Behind the scenes in the warm-up.

A treat for Petronella Andersson's Castres van de Begijnakker Z, clear in round one for Sweden.

Sweden was in the lead after round one with a score of four penalties after clears from Petronella Andersson and Castres van de Begijnakker Z as well as world no. one Henrik von Eckermann and Iliana, counting only Wilma Hellström’s four faults on the penultimate plank and discharging Jens Fredricson’s eight faults.

But then, in round two, Belgium put the pressure on – with clear rounds from Nicola Philippaerts and Katanga vh Dingeshof...

...as well as Gregory Wathelet and Nevados S, which together with Vermeir's second clear performance left them on a score of eight in round two.

This was also the result for Brazil, after Marlon Modolo Zanotelli jumped clear with Grand Slam VDL alongside Mansur and Pessoa.

With Belgium and Brazil breathing them down their necks, the Swedes could really feel the pressure increasing in round two. Here, Sweden's anchor rider Henrik von Eckermann watches Wilma Hellström...

...who after four faults in round one, jumped clear in round two with her wonderful Cicci BJN.

Thumbs up from Jens Fredricson who bounced back after eight faults in round one to jump clear the second time out with Markan Cosmopolit.

As last to go, Henrik von Eckermann had to deliver a clear round for the Swedes to stay on a score of four faults. However, the decisive plank at no. 11 fell to the ground and a jump-off was needed to decide the La Baule-title.

Taizo Sugitani and Japan's Chef d'Equipe Rob Ehrens keeping an eye on the action.

After an uncharacteristic eight faults in round one, Simon Delestre and crowd favourite Cayman Jolly Jumper bounced back to deliver a clear for the host nation in round two. The French finished fourth on 16 faults overall.

All eyes on Edouard Schmitz...

...who after eight faults on the oxer at no. 10 and the plank at 11 came back stronger for round two to finish on four faults.

Scott Brash thanks Jodie Hall McAteer's Salt'n Peppa after a clear in round two for Great Britain, that eventually finished fifth on 16 penalties.

This horse! Steve Guerdat's Dynamix de Belheme played with the fences, jumping clear in round two after making a small mistake in the triple combination the first time out.