Team Spain scored a brilliant Nations Cup win on home soil in Gijon on Friday, just as in 2001, 2002 and 2011. Manuel Fernández Saro with Usador du Rouet (Crusador x Galoubet A), Mikel Aizpurúa with Cartanya (Cartani 4 x Riverman), Laura Roquet with Sandi Puigroq (Diamant de Semilly x unknown), and Eduardo Álvarez Aznar with Seringat (Chef Rouge x Guillaume Tell) placed first in this class sponsored by Sabadell Bank.

The 24th Nations Cup hosted in the Sports Grounds of Las Mestas started at 13:30. A total of ten teams took part in this CSIO5* Nations Cup’s first round over a course of 12 obstacles and 15 efforts with a maximum height of 1,60 meters. Eight managed to move on to the second round.

In the end, three teams – Italy, the Netherlands and Spain – measured their forces in a very tight jump-off.

Great Britain took the lead with four faults during the first round, followed by the Netherlands, also with four faults but taking more time over the course. Spain was in a discrete third with eight faults. Italy (eight faults), Belgium (eight faults), Ireland (nine faults), France (twelve faults) and Sweden (thirteen faults) also went through to round two pushing Portugal and Germany out.

After round two, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands were tied and in the need for a jump-off. Eduardo Álvarez Aznar was chosen to represent Team Spain; Lucía Le Jeune Vizzini for Italy and Leon Thijssen performed for the Netherlands. It was Team Spain ́s rider who brilliantly produced the best result to take home the win for the hosts