Team Belgium, defending champions in the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ series, clinched victory in a cliff-hanger of a competition at the second leg of the 2023 Europe Division 1 league in Sopot, Poland this afternoon.
Double-clear rounds from both Koen Vereecke (Lector vd Bisschop) and Gudrun Patteet (Sea Coast Enjoy Z) were backed up by Niels Bruynseels (Matador) and Wilm Vermeir (Crescendo MBZ) to finish on a final eight-fault tally which pinned the first-round leaders from Argentina into runner-spot by a narrow one-point margin.
Germany and Switzerland finished third and fourth, separated by time only when each completing with 12 faults on the board, Ireland lined up in fifth (13 faults), Poland in sixth (25 faults), Italy in seventh (26 faults) and Hungary in eighth and last place (52 faults).
Today’s result leaves Belgium in third on the league table ahead of the next qualifier which will take place in Rotterdam (NED) next Friday, 23 June. The first-leg winners from Switzerland continue to head the standings with Germany in second.