Friday in Falsterbo is traditionally set for the big crowd favorite Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ presented by Longines. In this international team competition 45 nations world wide participate with the goal to reach the grand finale in Barcelona. Eight nations arrived at Falsterbo where five collected Nations Cup points.
The rules state that the teams ride the same course twice and the total number of errors ad up. The lowest score in each round will not count and the team with the least number of errors after two rounds win. After the first round both Germany and the Netherlands had zero errors just ahead of Sweden and Switzerland with four each. But when it comes to team competition it is rarely settled until the last rider has finished. The Netherland riders continued to ride faultlessly. In fact their fourth rider; Gerco Schröder, did not have to jump at all. The first time we saw him on his horse was at the price giving ceremony and the lap of honour. Germany on the other hand ended on four faults whilst Sweden managed to score a zero on the second round leaving the two teams on a shared second place.
Switzerland who got eight more faults in the second round ended up in fourth place. The Netherlands were in great need of points to be able to reach the finale in Barcelona, but the team´s third rider, Leopold van Asten, was not nervous.
-Harrie (Smolders) and Maikel (van der Vleuten) rode clear rounds before me and I knew Gerco (Schröder), who was starting after me, also is a great rider which made me feel calm, Leopold van Asten explained. Rob Ehrens, coach for the Netherland team, was happy to establish that he is a very happy man.
The Swedish team did a nice uprising in the second round. Peder Fredricson scored a double clear round, while the other team mates scored a clear round each on the demanding 1,60 metres obstacle course.
-Everyone contributed to our second place, Sylve Söderstrand, coach of the Swedish team explained: Hopefully our place in the finale should be set now. That has been one of our goals this year. The Swedish team consisted of: Peder Fredricson with H&M All in; Douglas Lindelöw with Casello; Helena Persson with Bonzai and Henrik von Eckermann with Cantinero.