Edited press release from EEF

Team Italy were runaway winners of the Greek leg of the CSIO3* 1.50m Longines EEF Nations Cup held in Thessaloniki on Sunday, with some strong jumping performances from all four team members.

After two rounds, Team Italy won on a score of five penalties, well ahead of nearest rivals; Germany placed second on 28 penalties, while the host nation of Greece completed the podium in third place on 46 penalties.

Italy – who not only won this event when it took place in Athens last year but also claimed the EEF season final held in Warsaw last year – fielded a strong team. Roberto Previtali and I'm Special Mess PS (I'm Special de Muze x Messenger), Roberto Turchetto and Heidelberg (Mylord Carthago x Flyinge Quite Easy) and Bruno Chimirri aboard Je Suis Godot d'Acheronte (Toulon x Corland) were joined by Mauro Jr Matteucci on Filippo (Kannan x Campione).

This was the first time Thessaloniki have hosted this Longines EEF Nations Cup event as the leg was previously held in Athens (GRE). Just six teams came forward to jump in the second regional qualifier for the South region at the stunning Greek venue. There were Italy, Germany, Greece, Turkey and Romania who all fielded four members whilst Bulgaria had just three athletes. When the second athlete for Bulgaria was eliminated in the first round, it meant just five teams went through to the second round.

The course designer Andrea Stobier from Austria set a challenging track which had to be jumped twice by teams, as is the format of the EEF Nations Cup Series. The course which was built at 1.50m for this CSIO3* competition, saw poles fall throughout. Italy’s Roberto Turchetto was the only athlete to jump a double clear aboard his experienced gelding Heidelberg. Speaking after the prizegiving ceremony, Turchetto – who had enjoyed a successful show at Thessaloniki with several top three placings – said: “My horse jumped very good and I am happy to win the Nations Cup."

34-year-old Matteucci was jumping his very first Nations Cup for Italy and was delighted with his performance, jumping clear in the first round and picking up four jumping penalties and one for time the second time around on his ten-year-old gelding Fillippo. “I was very happy today. I am really thankful to have such good partners in our sport. The show was amazing, everything went right so I’m really happy.”

Previtali, who had four faults in the first round but jumped clear in the second, was delighted with his spring-heeled ride I’m Special Mess PS, who at just eight was one of the youngest horses in the field. “It’s the first Nations Cup for this horse so it was a good test for him. It was an unlucky four faults in the first round which I think was my fault and in the second round, the horse was amazing. I think the horse is very good and when you ride a good horse, it is much easier.”

Mario Verheyden, chef d’equipe for the Italian team, was delighted that his plan to use this competition to try out up-and-coming horses paid off. This summed up what the Longines EEF Series helps facilitate as a means of giving experience to young and less experienced horses and riders, with a view towards developing combinations for major championships and a future in the sport. “We finished the first round clear and the second with one mistake and the last rider didn’t ride," he said. "I’m very happy because we had a nice group. We tried new riders, new horses and a young horse. It was a great atmosphere here in Thessaloniki and we had a very good show so we are very happy. Next week we will be in Drammen and I hope we will be in Budapest, I hope with a good team. We will try other horses and riders the next week (in Drammen); then we will see who will arrive in Budapest.”

Region South accounts for the largest number of national teams of any region, with 15 teams in total, all looking to qualify for the prestigious final. Just five teams from the South will go through to the semi-final against the five top teams from the Central region. This year, the final – held September 4 to 7 – moves from its previous home of Warsaw in Poland to Avenches in Switzerland.