BRITS PREPARE FOR LA BAULE

World Class Showjumping Performance Manager, Rob Hoekstra has selected his squad that will represent Great Britain at the opening leg of the 2010 Meydan FEI Nations Cup, taking place in La Baule, France from the 13 – 16 May 2010.

 

Michael Whitaker from Whatton, Nottinghamshire will partner Beatrice Mertens’ ten year-old dark bay gelding, GIG Amai. This combination was Britain’s sole representative at this year’s World Cup Final held in Geneva last month.

 

Peter Charles from Alton in Hampshire will ride the eleven year-old bay gelding Murka’s Pom d’Ami, owned by Olga White and Team Murka. Peter and Pom d’Ami featured in last year’s British Team who contested the European Championships held at Windsor Castle and have recently enjoyed a successful trip to Wellington in Florida where they were consistently placed in several Grand Prix’s.

 

Scott Brash, 25, from Peebles in Scotland will make his Meydan FEI Nations Cup debut aboard Intertoy Z, an eleven year-old black gelding owned by Scott’s father, Stanley Brash. Scott and Intertoy Z have had an extremely successful start for their 2010 campaign, winning a Grand Prix on the recent Spanish Sunshine Tour. Scott is a member of the World Class Development Squad which is lottery funded through UK Sport and provides support across a wide range of support services as well as direct funding support.

 

Mark Armstrong from Bordon in Hampshire will ride Thesaura, a fourteen year old bay mare which Mark jointly owns with his wife Emma. Mark and Thesaura enjoyed tremendous success on the recent Spanish Sunshine Tour, taking victory in one of the Grand Prix’s, and recently appeared on the British Nations Cup Team in Lummen where they finished both rounds with just a single time penalty.

 

David McPherson from Maidstone in Kent will ride Naomi 152, a twelve year-old chestnut mare, owned by the Quail Run Partnership LLC. This combination enjoyed success on the Spanish Sunshine Tour earlier this year and were recently placed in the top ten in the Mannheim Grand Prix.

 

The British squad will be accompanied by World Class Showjumping Performance Manager and Chef d’Equipe Rob Hoekstra, and Team Vet Robrecht Cnockaert MRCVS. 

 

The seaside resort of La Baule is situated in the Pays de la Loire region in South Brittany, held its first Nations Cup competition in 1970 in conjunction with the World Championships. Since 1993 La Baule has been the annual French CSIO. In 2004 a new and larger stadium, known as the Francois Andre Stadium, with a new grass surface was built and has a seating capacity of 4,500. La Baule’s proximity to the sea and the largest sand beach in Europe (used by the riders for exercising their horses during the show) and its extensive facilities are unparalleled. The town is situated approximately 450km from Paris. Nantes is the closest International airport to the showground.

 

The French round of the 2010 Meydan FEI Nations Cup boasts a whopping 545,000€ in prize money with over 25,000 spectators expected over the four days of competition. There will be ten competitions in total held during the show, the main classes as follows:

 

 

 

The British Show Jumping Teams are strongly supported by the UK Sport lottery funded BEF World Class programme.