Press release from Jumping International de La Baule – Officiel de France, edited by World of Showjumping

The French team won Friday’s CSIO5* 1.60m Barrière Nations Cup, the highlight of the second day of the 2026-edition of Jumping International de La Baule – Officiel de France.

Sometimes, the images at the end of a round say more than words ever could – like Nina Mallevaey’s broad smile, Olivier Perreau and Julien Épaillard raising their fists in triumph, Antoine Ermann pointing a finger toward the sky, and the embraces shared by the entire French team staff. And then there was La Marseillaise, sung by the 7,500 spectators in a Stade François André seemingly floating on air at the conclusion of the Barrière Nations Cup. A tremendous outpouring of joy after suspense that lasted right to the very end.

On the course designed by French course designer Grégory Bodo, the French team had to wait until the penultimate fence of the day before they could celebrate victory, their first in this Nations Cup since 2017.

Leading after the first round without a single penalty on the scoreboard, Germany looked untouchable. In the second round, Andre Thieme on DSP Chakaria (Chap 47 x Askari 173) and Sophie Hinners with Iron Dames Singclair (Singular LS La Silla x Cardento 933) both delivered another clear round. With Daniel Deusser and Richard Vogel still to come, the Mannschaft had two “match points” in hand. Deusser, riding Otello de Guldenboom (Tobago Z x Caretino) – last year’s Rolex Grand Prix Ville de La Baule winner – was the first to falter, picking up four penalties. Meanwhile, the French team, who had finished the opening round on a score of just one penalty points – thanks to clear rounds from Julien Épaillard aboard Fringan de Vesquerie (Mylord Carthago x Diamant de Semilly) and Nina Mallevaey aboard Dynastie de Beaufour (Diamant de Semilly x Cassini II), a single time penalty for Antoine Ermann and Floyd des Prés (Vigo Cece x Papillon Rouge), and four penalties for Olivier Perreau and GL Events Dorai d’Aiguilly (Kannan x Toulon) at the final fence – produced an excellent second round, highlighted by clear rounds from Perreau and Ermann.

Last to go for France, Épaillard delivered a brilliant second clear round, putting Richard Vogel and his superstar United Touch S (Untouched x Lux Z) under intense pressure, with nothing less than a faultless performance needed. The mission seemed accomplished… until the penultimate obstacle, a plank coming out of the double combination. One mistake and four penalties later, victory belonged to France, while Germany had to settle for second place.

“Winning here, in front of this crowd, with such outstanding organisation and such a superb arena, is fantastic,” said French chef d’équipe Édouard Coupérie. “They all rode incredibly well. Julien produced a double clear with a horse that is returning to top form, Olivier delivered a magnificent round, and Antoine came very close to a double clear with just a single time penalty. With Nina, it’s always either zero or four penalties, and more often than not it’s a clear round. It’s extremely encouraging for the future. La Baule was a major test. This victory gives us a tremendous boost in confidence. But a lot can still happen over the next two months. We now need to manage this period carefully. We will work on an individual programme for each rider.”

Among the riders, the sense of joy was, of course, immense. “Winning the Nations Cup in La Baule is a dream come true,” said Nina Mallevaey. “Hearing the French crowd singing La Marseillaise was incredible. It gave me goosebumps all over. I felt like a little girl again, with stars in my eyes. It’s pure happiness. I’m trying to make the most of this period. In sport, there are highs and lows. Right now, I’m experiencing mostly highs, but it won’t always be like that, so I’m enjoying every moment without getting carried away.”

The same sense of wonder was shared by the other young member of the French team, Antoine Ermann. “I’ve been watching the La Baule show since I was a kid,” he said. “Just competing here one day was already a dream, so winning the Nations Cup… you can imagine what that feels like. It’s a lot to take in. I’m not even sure I fully realise it yet. I was worried that my time penalty in the first round might prove very costly. It was a mistake I could have avoided. Fortunately, in the end, it didn’t have any consequences.”

The more seasoned members of the team were equally eager to savour the occasion.“It’s a real privilege to have been part of this Coupe des Nations Barrière,” said Olivier Perreau, who has been riding a wave of success in recent years, including a team bronze medal at the Paris Olympic Games and a victory at the Lyon World Cup qualifier. “This crowd makes you want to give absolutely everything. I was a little disappointed with my mistake in the first round, but I’m very happy to be competing alongside riders of this calibre. I’m also delighted with my mare, who is in outstanding form.”

“The challenge was to bring Fringan here in top condition,” added Julien Épaillard. “Originally, I was supposed to be the reserve rider, but unfortunately Simon (Delestre) had an accident and was unable to be here. This Nations Cup allowed me to gather a great deal of valuable information to have Fringan ready on the day that really matters. I’m going to enter him in Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix to see how he performs on a course layout that is similar to what we can expect at the World Championships.”

France succeeds Ireland, last year’s winner of the Coupe des Nations Barrière. The Irish team finished third after an outstanding second round, featuring three clear rounds, which enabled them to recover from a difficult opening round, in which they had ranked eighth.

In the CSIO5* 1.45m Hus Reproduction Prize, Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet – the current world no. 28 – claimed victory aboard Romance van de Padenborre (Iron Man van de Padenborre x For Pleasure). Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann finished second with Glamour Girl (VDL Zirocco Blue x Caletto I), while Saudi Arabia’s Abdulrahman Alrajhi took third place aboard Kandide Chavannaise (Cicero Z x Graf Sponeck).