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Penelope and Topinambour have been picked to ride for France in La Baule. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.One team after the other is getting ready for the 2013 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup series Division 1 (Europe) that will kick off in La Baule next weekend. The home team has now been announced and it will consist of; Aymeric de Ponnat on Armitages Boy, Marc Dilasser on Obiwan de Pilière*JO, Olivier Guillon on Lord de Theizé, Pénélope Leprevost on Topinambour and Kevin Staut on Estoy Aqui de Muze*HDC .

Source: The French Equestrian Federation

The French team; Nicolas Delmotte, Mathieu Billot, Chef d´Equipe Philippe Guerdat, Francois Xavier Boudan and Timothee Anciaume. Photo by Roland Thunholm/FEI.Yesterday’s Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in Drammen, Norway, saw the French team ending on top of the podium yet again. It was a close call though, with the Dutch team breathing the French riders in the neck all the way to the end. It was the anchor rider for France Timothee Anciaume that secured the win; the 34 year old had already produced a great first clear on Quorioso Pre Noir – a 9 year old stallion by Kannan. Timothee had one of only two double clears in the Nations Cup, the other belonged to French first rider Nicolas Delmotte on Number One d'Iso Un Prince (Baloubet du Rouet x Si Tu Viens). Together with Mathieu Billo on Pardoes (0-(9)) and François Xavier Boudan and Amadeus Z’s ((4)-4) performances it was good enough for the win as the team ended on a total score of four penalties, three ahead of the Dutch team at seven faults. Sweden ended third ahead of the hosts Norway in fourth.  

Shane Carey and Ballymore Eustace will be going to La Baule. Photo by Hanne Christensen.Irish team manager Robert Splaine has announced his squad for the opener in the 2013 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup series in La Baule. The Irish squad of five, from whom Splaine will pick his team of four, is: Shane Breen with Balloon or Cos I Can, Shane Carey with  Ballymore Eustace, Capt. Michael Kelly with Annestown, Shane Sweetnam with Amaretto Darco and Billy Twomey with Tinka's Serenade.

Source: Press release from Horse Sport Ireland

Nick Skelton and Big Star will compete for Great Britain in La Baule. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Chef d’Equipes Rob Hoekstra and Rob Ehrens have picked their squads for the 5* Furisiyya Nations Cup in La Baule. The Nations Cup competition takes place next Friday. The British team will consist of; Scott Brash on Hello Sanctos, Tina Fletcher on Hello Sailor, Ben Maher on Cella, Nick Skelton on Big Star and Robert Smith on Voila. Frank Schuttert, Hendrik Jan Schuttert, Leon Thijssen, Albert Voorn and Albert Zoer have been picked to represent the Netherlands.

After the first two legs of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup division 2, Austria and Finland are in the lead with 75 points each. The two countries are followed by Sweden in third  and then Denmark and Belgium which are joint fourth.

Division 2 consists of sixteen teams. The teams can only count their scores from five out of the eleven legs. The next leg will take part in Drammen, Norway, the coming weekend. Italy, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Belarus, Finland and Turkey will battle it out for points in the third leg of the series.

Click here to see the overall standing.

Olivier Guillon with Lord de Theize - a part of the French winning team in Lummen. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.France won the Nations Cup in Lummen after two rounds on amazing zero faults. Both Marc Dilasser with Obiwan de Piliere Jo and Aymeric De Ponnat with Armitages Boy were double clear. France's fourth rider Olivier Guillon and Lord de Theize were clear in the first round and did not have to come to start in the second round as they had already secured the win with a clear round from Jerome Hurel and Ohm de Ponthual in the second round.

Christina Liebherr helped her team win the Nations Cup. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Switzerland took home the win in Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in Linz today after a first round counting only 5 faults and a second round with 12 faults. Christina Liebherr and L.B. Callas Sitte Z was the best combination for Switerland with a clear first round. The team also consisted of Theo Muff with Leszek, Pascal Bettschen with Milor Landais and Claudia Gisler with Touchable.

Australia was in the lead after the first round with two clears and one rider at one time penalty. Unfortunately they were not able to hold on to their lead with 20 faults in the second round and they had to settle for second place. Australia's team consisted of Alison Rowland with Bickley Brook Bella, William James Passy with Yirrkala Cortina, Phillip Lever with Da Vinci's Pride and Rory Hovell with Yalambi's Val d'Isere VDL.

The CSIO4* in Lummen, Belgium, kicks off tomorrow – with the highlight being the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup on Friday. Belgium, Finland, France, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and Sweden will all be present with teams in the Nations Cup, and you can click here to view the list of the teams.

A full riders list for the event can be found here.

In a press release from FEI it is announced that the Real Club de Polo of Barcelona (ESP), venue for the equestrian events at the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992, will play host to the inaugural Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final with a €2 million prize fund on offer, the largest ever in Nations Cup history. The event, which is open to the best 18 teams of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2013 season, will take place from 26 to 29 September.