The prestigious FEI Eventing Nations Cup series 2023 is underway. The fifth phase of the series just concluded at Haras de Jardy, Normandy, France. Interestingly, the home team claimed the honors with an impressive display by its athletes.

The event, which continued for three days, had ten nations participating in it, with nine being from Europe and one being Australia. At the picturesque backdrop of Haras de Jardy, the athletes showed remarkable competitive spirit showcasing their talent and skills. But, the athletes of the fourth most successful equestrian nation claimed the podium.

France claims the title on home turf

In the fifth phase of the series, France entered the competition with an experienced team. They had veterans like Maxime Livio and Gwendolyn Fer and young rising talent like Julie Simone and Camille Lejeune. All four riders performed well individually, giving the team a good score. Maxime Livio, with his grey horse Api Du Libaire, got the first position in the individual category, scoring 31.10.

Camille Lejeune claimed the second spot with her horse Dame Decoeur Tardonne scoring 34.50. The other two Julie Simonet with Sursumcord’or and Gwendolen Fer with Romantic Love were in seventh and ninth position, scoring 35.90 and 36.20. The overall score of the team France was 101.50, thus claiming the podium position. Belgium came second, with a 142.8 score, and Great Britain on third, with a score of 149.90.

The French team is happy with the result and has boosted their confidence for the next phase. Speaking on the win the veteran Maxime Livio said, “It’s always a great feeling to have such a win, especially when we are in France for the French team“. He further said that he is happy for his horse it was his first show at a major event and had concluded it win a win. The horse rose to the top level a few weeks back and connected with the rider which was appreciated by Livio.

Clinching victory by crossing all the hurdles

The sixth phase of the nation’s cup will be held in Avenches, Switzerland from 20-23 July. There are still three more phases after the sixth to conclude the series.

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The cross-country course was designed by a world-famous designer Pierre Michelet. He was the one who designed the course at the Rio Olympics and the 2014 FEI World Championships. The French team knew that the challenge will be tough. Therefore, they were up for the task and performed since the beginning. With the win, the French have cemented their position as a probable winning contender in the series. It also changed the order of the series with Germany slipping further down to twelfth position after finishing last in this competition. Currently, Belgium leads followed by the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, and France at sixth.

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