Warsaw, Poland – Italy Claims Third Longines EEF Series Nations Cup Victory in Four Years

Italy has triumphed once again at the Longines EEF Series Nations Cup Final in Warsaw, securing their third victory in four years. The Italian team outperformed Ireland, which took second place, while Germany completed the podium in third.

Team Italy’s chef d’equipe, Marco Porro, expressed his pride, stating: “I am very proud of the team. They really worked together and delivered some excellent rounds. Three clear rounds in the first round, then a jump-off, and we are thrilled to win here in Warsaw for the third time.”

The battle between Italy and Ireland was intense from the beginning, with both teams finishing the first round tied on zero penalties. The showdown continued into the second round, where Alberto Zorzi on Cortez van’t Klein Asdonk Z, a 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding (by Cornet Obolensky), emerged as the only Italian rider to complete both rounds without penalties, clocking 70.75 seconds in the first round and 70.26 in the second. His flawless performance was pivotal in securing Italy’s victory.

“I felt good this morning, we had a strong team with excellent horses, so I trusted the process, and luck was on our side today, so it went well,” Zorzi commented after his impeccable rounds.

Emanuele Camilli, riding Chacco’s Girlstar (by Chacco-Blue), started with a clear first round, finishing in 68.88 seconds. However, eight penalties in the second round reopened the door for Ireland to stay competitive.

Giulia Martinengo Marquet, on Scuderia 1918 Calle Deluxe (by Cesano), put in a strong performance, finishing the first round clear in 69.90 seconds and adding just one penalty in the second round with a time of 69.73 seconds. Despite the penalty, her contribution was crucial to the team’s success.

“It’s always nice to win, especially with these fantastic teammates. I’ve ridden this horse in a final before, and being here again shows how strong our bond is,” said Martinengo Marquet.

In the final jump-off, Piergiorgio Bucci, riding Hantano (by Quasimodo Z), faced the pressure of securing Italy’s victory after narrowly missing the last fence in the previous round. Despite that slip, Bucci delivered an impeccable performance in the jump-off, beating Seamus Hughes Kennedy of Ireland by less than a second, ensuring Italy’s third title.

Kennedy was the key man for Ireland in the jump-off, completing it clear in 42.42 seconds but failing to surpass Bucci’s time. In the previous two rounds, Kennedy had made an error in the first round, while finishing clear in the second with a time of 73.03 seconds, keeping Ireland in the fight for the title.

Jessica Burke, riding Express Trend (by Future Trend), finished her first round clear in 71.51 seconds but had one fault in the second, with a time of 70.28 seconds. Her 14-year-old Irish gelding gave everything, keeping Ireland competitive until the very end.

Jenny Rankin, on Ibiza (by Inshallah de Muze), delivered a clear first round in 69.91 seconds, followed by four penalties and a time of 71.47 seconds in the second round. Francis Derwin, riding Flexi K (by Flex A Bill), had a solid first round, finishing clear in 68.66 seconds, but an unfortunate knockdown in the second round left him with four penalties, finishing in 70.63 seconds.

Germany finished third with a total of 12 penalties. Their best result came from Michael Viehweg and Contario, who delivered a clear first round but couldn’t maintain the same level in the second. Philip Rüping, on Baloutaire PS, collected four penalties in both rounds, while Mario Stevens and Maximilian Weishaupt struggled, making errors that dashed their hopes for the top spot.

Sweden and Great Britain completed the top five. Austria, the defending champions, had a disappointing finish in ninth, while the Netherlands, winners of the semifinals, ended in a surprising 11th place after opting not to jump in the second round.

Full results here: https://www.longinestiming.com/equestrian/2024/longines-eef-nations-cup-warsaw-warsaw/resultlist_10.html

Press release Longines EEF Series

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