Dutch domination at the Longines EEF Series Mannheim

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08/05/2023

A faultless performance from the Netherlands saw them take the top spot in the Longines EEF Nations Cup Mannheim, with the home nation Germany taking second after an exciting afternoon of sport.
The dominant Dutch team of Willem Greve (Highway M TN), Kevin Jochems (Flying Jackie), Loewie openn (Havel van de Wolfsakker Z) and Frank Schuttert (Hawaii-S) finished with three double clears to cement their place on the top of the podium today at the Longines EEF Series Mannheim.
The first round saw strong performances from the Dutch, Spanish and Swiss teams who all finished on 0, while Germany just trailed behind on 2, leaving it all to play for in round two. However, as the clouds emerged, and the weather turned, so did the luck of some of the nations. Switzerland were unable to match their clean sheet and finished with 13 leaving them down in 5th place.
Meanwhile, the Dutch showed complete consistency to put another 3 clears on the table, which put the pressure on Spain. With 8 faults already on the board, the final two Spanish riders needed to jump clear to stay in the game. A clear from Eduardo Alvarez Aznar kept their hopes alive but 10 faults in their final round opened the door to Germany.
The German team had rallied in front of their home crowd and delivered 3 clears in round 2 to secure a strong result, with 2-time faults from the first round being the only thing separating them from the Netherlands.
Dutch chef d’équipe Vincent Voorn said “It’s one the best shows, and I myself have great memories here from a long time ago, so it’s even better to stand on the podium in a different way. To work with these guys towards this show, we were two months ahead planning and I think it paid off today, they were fantastic”
Kevin Jochems’ ride Flying Jackie was making her Nations Cup debut which made for “a very very good day for us!”. “My horse jumped fantastic, two great rounds, one very sunny round and one in the rain but I think we all four had a very good day.
Course designer Christa Jung (GER) built a strong test for the nations, with faults coming across the course and the time proving to be a particular issue for many combinations. Willem Greve from the winning Dutch team commented “It was technical, and the time was short, you had to ride the lines good and the quality of the class was high. So with 7 double clears I think Christa did a super job and we saw great sport”.
From a points perspective, today’s class was a Central Regional Qualifier. The Netherlands rightfully took the maximum 100points, with Germany 90, Switzerland 80 and Austria 70. Strong performances in round 2, including a clear from young rider Vince Jarmy, saw Hungary move up the rankings and take 60 points, while Slovakia 55 and the Czech Republic picked up 50. These nations will meet again in Bratislava where only 5 will make it through to the semi-finals.
Show President Peter Hofmann commented on the “incredible and exciting sport today in the Longines EEF Nations Cup Mannheim” and thanked Longines and the EEF for bringing the Series to Mannheim, with the class being a “highlight of the show”.
The next round of the Longines EEF Series crosses over the border to the Netherlands for the single Region West qualifier, which will take place at the Peelbergen equestrian centre on May 21.
Longines EEF Series Mannheim: Central Regional Qualifier 1/2
Netherlands    100
Germany    90
Switzerland    80
Austria    70
Hungary    60
Slovakia    55
Czech Republic    50
The second qualifier for the central region will take place in Bratislava on June 9.
Full results: https://www.longinestiming.com/equestrian/2023/longines-eef-nations-cup-mannheim-mannheim/resultlist_04.html