LAST LEG DRAW IS TOUGH ON ITALIANS
Thursday 06 August 2009
It could hardly have been unkinder to the relegation-destined Italians to find themselves drawn first to go in tomorrow's final leg of the 2009 Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ series in Dublin. The draw took place this morning, and the order of go is as follows: 1, Italy; 2, Great Britain; 3, The Netherlands; 4, Sweden; 5, Switzerland; 6, Ireland; 7, France; 8, Belgium; 9, USA; 10, Germany.
Italy's new trainer, and acting Chef d'Equipe at the Irish fixture Markus Fuchs, said today however that he has the strongest possible team available to him, and that he is therefore expecting a much better result than they produced at the last two outings. "The four riders we have here will be on our team for Windsor, and I don't expect them to come last tomorrow" he pointed out.
It has certainly been a difficult year for the country which was once such a powerful force in the sport of international jumping. But Fuchs has been employed by the Italian Federation, FISE, in an effort to restore this once great nation to its rightful place at the top end of the game. "I'm not optimistic about the immediate future but in the long-term I'm confident we can come back strong" he said.
American team manager George Morris was in nostalgic mood. "I love Dublin" he said, "its such a great show. I rode here for the very first time back in 1958 and I remember it well because I won the Grand Prix that year riding Night Owl". It is extraordinary that, 51 years later, he continues to wield such influence in the sport, not just in the USA, but worldwide.
There was nothing nostalgic about Great Britain's Derek Ricketts however. His team is facing a desperate battle for survival tomorrow. If they fail to produce a really good result they will be joining the Italians in the second division next season. "My boys are very focused, they know what they have to do, and if we go down, then we'll go down fighting" he said determinedly - adding, with a hint of hope, "and Dublin has been good to us over the years".
He's right about that because Great Britain holds the record for the greatest number of victories at the Irish venue - they have won 23 of the 76 Nations Cup challenges in the 136-year history of the show - and they claimed the Aga Khan Cup in 2008 when they pipped the home side for the coveted trophy.
Dublin is all about tradition, but massive investment in recent years has ensured the great old showground is looking better than ever. "It is 83 years since the first Nations Cup was staged in Dublin" said the FEI's Jumping Director, John Roche. "It is one of the oldest and most prestigious CSIOs in the world and it is a wonderful showcase for the horse. On behalf of the FEI I'd like to express our appreciation to Dublin for its contribution to equestrian sport down the years, and I think it is interesting to see one of the oldest venues on the international circuit now linked with a brand new city dedicated especially to the horse - Meydan City in Dubai - through the Meydan FEI Nations Cup series" he pointed out.
The curtain will close on the 2009 series tomorrow evening. It has been a thriller all the way, and you can watch the final moments played out LIVE on FEI TV. The first round begins at 13.20 local time and the second round commences at 17.30. It's going to be right royal battle to the end....