Text © World of Showjumping

Nine teams came to start in Friday’s CSIO5* 1.60m Land Rover Discovery Nations Cup of Switzerland in St Gallen, with Germany, Belgium, Ireland, France, Austria, Great Britain, Brazil and Saudi Arabia challenging the hosts.

"I am totally happy to win this traditional Nations Cup," Otto Becker commented to World of Showjumping. "My team did really well and deserve this victory with seven clear rounds, I am very proud of them." 

After two rounds of jumping, Otto Becker’s Team Germany – Marcus Ehning and Coolio 42 (Casalito x Quidam de Revel), Sophie Hinners and Iron Dames Combella (Cornet du Lys x Indoctro), Hans-Dieter Dreher and Elysium (VDL Zirocco Blue x Coronado), as well as Richard Vogel with United Touch S (Untouched x Lux Z) – took the top honours with a flawless performance.

With Ehning, Hinners and Vogel delivering double clears, the German squad kept their team on a total score of zero, taking the win ahead of Peter Weinberg’s Team Belgium – Jos Verlooy with Parise van den Dael (Zazu x For Passion d’Ive Z), Thibeau Spits on Impress-K van't Kattenheye Z (Indoktro van’T Kattenheye x Vagabond de La Pomme), Nathan Budd aboard Touardo Blue Z (Toulon x Arko) and Emilie Conter on Portobella van de Fruitkorf (Bamako de Muze x Nabab de Reve) – that had to settle for second with a team total of four faults, with Spits and Verlooy jumping double clears.

The host nation’s Nadja Peter Steiner and Mila (Monte Bellini x Linton), Steve Guerdat and Dynamix de Belheme (Snaike de Blondel x Cornet Obolensky), Edouard Schmitz and Gamin van't Naastveldhof (Chacco Chacco x Toulon), and Martin Fuchs aboard Commissar Pezi (Commissario x Böckmann’s Lord Pezi) – led by chef d’equipe Peter van der Waaij – completed the podium in third with a team total of 12 penalties. Peter Steiner and Guerdat delivered double clears for Switzerland.