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Thanks to Oliwia Chmielewska we can provide you with some photos from the CSI4* show in Poznan, Poland. Here Emanuele Gaudiano and Cocoshynsky, who won the Middle Round Final. All photos by Oliwia Chmielewska. 

Leslie Howard celebrates her win with Kevin Reinhart, CEO, Nexen Inc., and Mr. Fang Zhi, Executive Vice President, CNOOC. Photo © Spruce Meadows Media Services.The final day of the Spruce Meadows 'National' Tournament had two exciting competitions that featured speed and stamina. Leslie Howard (USA) and Lennox Lewis 2 took their second victory in the $175,000 Nexen Cup 1.60m Derby, equaling their 2011 finish. 

Since the course was re-designed by Leopoldo Palacios in 2007, there have only been three clear rounds in the history of the Nexen Cup Derby. Riders tackle the same course every year. Two of the clear rounds in the history of the class were tallied by Beezie Madden and Judgement, three-time winners of the competition. Pablo Barrios and G&C Sinatra were also clear in 2010. Last year's winners, Richard Spooner and Cristallo, had just one time fault.

Eric Lamaze and Wang Chung. Photo by Spruce Meadows Media Services.The $40,000 ATCO Structures & Logistics Cup 1.50m featured 21 entries going for speed over a faults converted format course. Going second to last, it was Eric Lamaze and Wang Chung M2S who would be able to take the lead with a time of 84.74 seconds. Three horses earlier, it was Reed Kessler (USA) and Ligist who set a time of 85.33 seconds, which would eventually finish second. Cameron Hanley (IRL) and Newton du Haut Bois were third with a time of 85.58 seconds.

Lamaze made the decision to watch most of the competition to see how he could be faster. Lamaze explained, "In these classes, it's so important to watch more than warm-up. In the class there are so many fences to jump, so I only jump six fences (in the warm-up). The best are at the end, so I glued myself to the TV for as long as I could to watch, watch, watch. I had my strategy. I knew I could do nine (strides) to the double vertical with him. He's very clever with that stuff."

Piergiorgio Bucci won in Poznan. Photo by Katarzyna Boryna.In Poznan the 4* Grand Prix went to Italy’s Piergiorgio Bucci on Casallo (Casall x Carthago Z). Bucci had the fastest of six double clear rounds in the class with the time of 35,84 seconds in the jump-off, leaving Abdullah Al Sharbatly to second on Henk van der Pol’s former rider Chesterfield with the time 36,44 seconds. Third was Holland’s Leon Thijssen on Tyson (Numero Uno x Voltaire), with a time of 36,67 seconds.

Click here for full results.

Eva Bitter won the German Championship for ladies. On Saturday Eva Bitter and Perigueux won the German Championship for female riders. Sunday it was time for the German Championship open for both men and women, and it was Daniel Deusser and Cornet d'Amour that ended as the winners!

The Championship couldn't have been more exiting; on Saturday Eva Bitter and Katrin Eckermann met in an unbelievable jump-off for the gold medal and on Sunday it was Daniel Deusser, Carsten-Otto Nagel, Patrick Stühlmeyer and Rolf Moormann that rode for the medals in a jump-off.

Daniel Deusser won in Balve! Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Daniel Deusser and Stephex Stables' Domingo (Thunder van de Zuuthoeve x Brownboy) topped the Championat of Balve on Saturday. The Grand Prix class had 56 riders in it, and only seven cleared the first round. The time was causing problems for several of the riders and as many as nine riders ended the course with one time penalty.

Here's how the top three in yesterday's GCT Grand Prix in London celebrated their amazing performances. Photos by Hanne Christensen.

Olivier Philippaerts and Cooper vd Heffinck. Photo by Oliwia Chmielewska.Olivier Philippaerts and Cooper van der Heffinck ended on top in Saturday's big class at the CSI4* show in Poznan, Poland. Out of 66 starters, nine made it to the jump-off where Olivier was fastest with his time of 41,37 seconds. Second place went to the Mexican rider Santiago Lambre with Zeus du Buisson Z, who was almost two seconds behind Olivier. Two Dutch riders got hold on place three and four - Michel Hendrix with Wait and See and Leon Thijssen with Haertthago Z.

Kent Farrington in his winning presentation with Stacey Nestruck, Director of Marketing for CN. Photo © Spruce Meadows Media Services.The biggest prize money purse on offer at the 'National' Tournament was in today's $400,000 CN Reliability Grand Prix, CSI-W 5*, and it was Kent Farrington (USA) who took home the winner's share for the second year in a row with Uceko. Reed Kessler (USA) Cylana finished second, while Charlie Jacobs (USA) and Flaming Star were third. Earlier in the day, Ashlee Bond (USA) sped to victory in the $60,000 TransCanada Parcours de Chasse 1.45m with Cadett 7. In the All Canada Ring, Katie Dinan and Sandro won the $10,000 ConocoPhillips Junior/Amateur Cup 1.40m.

There were 36 entries in the grand prix, but only four were able to clear the first round course set by Werner Deeg of Germany. Fifth place went to Kirsten Coe (USA) and Baronez, who had two time faults.

Ashlee Bond and Cadett 7. Photo © Spruce Meadows Media Services.Ashlee Bond and her veteran partner Cadett 7, a 16-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Cor de la Bryere x Capitol I owned by Little Valley Farm, flew through the 16 numbered obstacles on today's course for the $60,000 TransCanada Parcours de Chasse 1.45m to take the top prize in 100.059 seconds. John Perez (COL) and Utopia set the early winning pace and finished second in 103.505 seconds. Third place went to Francois Mathy (BEL) on Elvis van de Vrunte in 103.962 seconds. There were 18 entries in today's competition over a faults converted track that included the derby bank and grob.

Today's competition was a perfect warm-up for Bond and Cadett 7, who will also take a shot at tomorrow's $175,000 Nexen Cup 1.60m Derby. On today's ride, Bond said, "It worked out. That is his forte. This is not as big as he normally jumps, so it was a little bit easier on him, which was kind of the idea. He could go in and have a not so tough day. He felt super and he was on it."

 World number one Christian Ahlmann and the stunning Taloubet Z ended third. All photos by Hanne Christensen.

Ben Maher at the press conference after his great London win! Photo by Hanne Christensen.The winner Ben Maher on his unbelievable jump-off; “I had nothing to lose to make the podium, I was prepared for a risk – I trust my horse as she’s a very fast horse, although she is new. It was one of those jump-offs that paid off, every time I turned and rode away from the previous jump there was a distance there. I don’t think I could have ridden it quicker again even if I tried.”

Ben on Cella and the fact that they are a relatively new combination compared to the other two on the podium; “She’s a phenomenal horse. I have been competing her at Palm Beach and that set me up. She had amazing results there; winning the Grand Prix there. It set me up very well for the rest of the year. I had to take some time off myself after a back injury, and we had a bad round in Rome a couple of weeks ago – I think she was sick, she wasn’t very well so we were lacking a little confidence but she got back to herself today. She does it in her own style but she is a great horse and a trier!”

Luciana Diniz is in the lead after four GCT legs. Photo by Hanne Christensen.After the fourth leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour, Luciana Diniz has taken over the overall lead in the Longines Global Champions Tour. With 106 points, Luciana is one point ahead of rank two Laura Kraut at 105 points while rank three is Christian Ahlmann with 100 points. Then follows Alvaro de Miranda at 91 points and Edwina Tops-Alexander at 88 points.

Click here for the full ranking.

Ben Maher and Cella took home the win in London. Photos by Hanne Christensen. The Brits were strong in force in the jump-off in the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in London on Saturday, and best of them all was Ben Maher who delivered three outstanding rounds on the fantastic Cella (Cento x Chin Chin). With no less than five British riders out of ten overall in the jump-off it was a good chance that the win would end up with one of the home riders, and they all did their very best to please the London crowds – ending up with four riders in the top five; Nick Skelton was second on the power house Big Star (Quick Star x Nimmerdor), while William Funnel was fourth on Billy Congo (Vechta x Animo) and Scott Brash – another rider from the gold winning British Olympic team – ended fifth on Hello Sanctos (Quasimodo V. Molendreef x Nabab de Reve).

Beezie Madden and Derek Neldner, Managing Director, Global Investment Banking, RBC Capital Markets. Photo © Spruce Meadows Media Services. Beezie Madden led the victory gallop in both competitions in the International Ring today. In the $35,000 RBC Capital Markets Cup 1.50m, she and Amadora found the path to win. The $35,000 ATCO Energy Solutions Cup 1.45m had a field of 62 competitors, and it was Madden and Wrigley who were fastest in the jump-off.

The $35,000 RBC Capital Markets Cup 1.50m was the feature event and was held in the winning round format. The top 25 placed horses from the Enbridge Cup on Wednesday qualified for today's competition. From the top 25, the top eight returned to compete over a shortened course to determine the winner.

Beezie Madden and Wrigley. Photo © Spruce Meadows Media Services. The $35,000 ATCO Energy Solutions Cup 1.45m had the largest starting field of the day with 62 entries, and 10 qualified for the jump-off. Leading the pack with a time of 38.72 seconds was Olympic gold medalist and 2013 FEI World Cup Finals winner Beezie Madden on Wrigley, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare by Padinus x Burggaaf owned by John Madden Sales, Inc.

Second place went to Jonathan McCrea (USA) and Twisther, owned by Candy Tribble, who had a jump-off time of 39.27 seconds. Katie Dinan (USA) and Grant Road Partners' Glory Days were third in 39.61 seconds.

Belgium has taken over the lead of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe division 2 after the fifth leg in Lisbon. Sweden has been pushed down to second position and Norway to third. The top three teams have all collected points at three legs while Denmark is on fourth place and has only collected points from two legs so far.

Click here to see the total standing.

The Belgian Team. Photo by FEI/Nuno Pragana.By Louise Parkes / FEI.

The Belgian team cruised to victory at the tenth leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2013 series in Lisbon, Portugal tonight and grabbed the lead at the top of the Europe Division 2 league table. Helped by double-clears from both Pieter Devos and Judy Ann Melchior, they left the rest trailing in their wake when finishing with just four faults on the board, while second-placed Great Britain finished a full 18 faults behind with 22, and Brazil and Ireland shared third spot when posting 24 faults apiece.

The top showjumpers are back in London - competing for more fame and glory during the fourth leg of the Global Champions Tour. All photos by Hanne Christensen.

The winning pair; Patrice Delaveau and Lacrimoso HDC. Photos by Hanne Christensen.The biggest class of the day in London went to the super pair Patrice Delaveau and Lacrimoso HDC (Landjunge x Cascavelle). This super fast couple did two tremendous rounds under the evening sun in London, and their jump-off was as usual in a class of its own – around the shortened track of seven fences the French rider got the perfect turns to the London bus-wall and to the red mailbox-vertical as well as getting a great run to the final white gate crossing the finish line at 35.66 seconds. With his time Patrice pushed Steve Guerdat and Sidney VIII (Carry x Quidam de Revel) down to second. The Olympic champion had also produced two picture perfect rounds, and for a long time his jump-off looked like it couldn’t be beat but Patrice shaved off 0.13 seconds to take the win.

The starting order for tonight's Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup division 2 in Lisbon will be as follows: 1. Spain, 2. The Netherlands 3. Brasil 4. Ireland 5. Italy 6. Switzerland 7. Great Britain 8. Portugal 9. Australia 10. Belgium 11. France

Darragh Kerins and E Muze Yek. Photo © Spruce Meadows Media Services. The $35,000 Spectra Energy Cup 1.60m was the highlight of today's schedule at the Spruce Meadows 'National' Tournament. Darragh Kerins (IRL) and E Muze Yek found the key to a clear round and were fastest in the jump-off for Kerins' first victory in the International Ring. McLain Ward won for the second day in a row, this time on Zander in the $33,000 ATCO Pipelines Cup 1.45m. Another first-time International ring win came for Lauren Tisbo and Roundthorn Madios in the $33,000 Prairie Mines & Royalty Cup 1.50m.

The $35,000 Spectra Energy Cup 1.60m had 28 entries that contested a course set by Werner Deeg of Germany. Nine were clear through to the jump-off. The winning time of 40.165 seconds was set early in the jump-off by Kerins and E Muze Yek, a nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by For Pleasure x Carthago owned by Kerins and Maarten Huygens. They went second in the jump-off and no one was able to catch their speedy time and keep the jumps up.

Pius Schwizer and Coolgirl won the 1.45 class in London. Photo by Stefano Grasso/Longines Global Champions Tour.The two 5* classes at the opening day in London yesterday went to Pius Schwizer and Lauren Hough. Pius took home the 1.45 class on the 9 year old mare Coolgirl, while home rider Mark Armstrong on Thesaura (Darco x Lys de Darmen) was second – with only 0,04 seconds separating the two in the jump-off. Third place went to Maikel van der Vleuten on the wonderful VDL Groep Sapphire B (Darco x Lys de Darmen).

The biggest class of the day – the Massimo Dutti Prix – was won by US rider Lauren Hough, on the very quick Ohlala (Orlando x Cardento). This 9 year old mare keeps on producing top results, and yesterday was no exception – Ohlala was almost two seconds faster than runner-up Labors Wonderboy (Darco x Lys de Darmen) with Jur Vrieling in the saddle. Then followed another notoriously fast rider, Roger Yves Bost on the Ideal de la Loge-son Qoud'Coeur de la Loge.

McLain Ward raises the trophy with Brendan Dolan. Photo © Spruce Meadows Media Services. McLain Ward is starting off his Spruce Meadows Summer Tournament in his usual fashion: winning. After a win yesterday with Super Trooper de Ness, he led the victory gallop again today in the $33,000 ATCO Pipelines Cup 1.45m with his own Zander, a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Cantos x Saygon, owned by Ward and Grant Road Partners LLC. There were 65 entries in the competition, and 20 advanced to the jump-off.

The schedule for jumping contains the detailed planning for the European Championships and the CSI3* competition including over 30 officials and their respective roles.

The horse inspections are scheduled for Monday 19 August at 13:00-15:00 in the afternoon but the stables open already Sunday, welcoming all guests whether it is the four-legged athletes or riders and grooms. The championship athletes are invited to try out the arena already Monday before the first serious session starts with the speed competition Tuesday 20 August.

Kent Farrington lifts the trophy for the third year in a row after winning the $33,000 ATB Financial Cup, here with Dave Mowat, President & CEO, ATB Financial. Photo © Spruce Meadows Media Services.The 2013 Spruce Meadows Summer Tournaments began yesterday, and riding on new turf footing, riders contested four FEI-level competitions. For the third year in a row, Kent Farrington (USA) captured victory in the $33,000 ATB Financial Cup 1.50m, this year with Blue Angel. In the $33,000 Enbridge Cup 1.45m, McLain Ward (USA) was victorious with Super Trooper de Ness. Christine McCrea (USA) and Romantovich Take One won the $33,000 Bantrel Cup 1.45m, while Francois Mathy (BEL) on Polinska des Isles won the opening competition of the day, the $33,000 Friends of the Meadows Cup 1.60m.

To celebrate the Longines Global Chamions Tour coming to London for the first time a series of hidden cameras were set-up in Canary Wharf to catch Londoners’ reactions as we replaced Boris Bikes with Boris Horses. The Longines Global Champions Tour will be taking over the Capital from the 6-9th June and will be the first international sporting event to be held at the Olympic Park since the London 2012 Games. Tickets are available online at www.globalchampionstour.com

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Agatha D'Ambra and Udiana. Photo by ©ESI Photography.Agatha D'Ambra couldn't wipe an excited smile off her face Sunday as she waited patiently to take a victory gallop aboard Trade Winds Farm's Udiana. The Rexford, New York professional and her 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare jumped to a $22,500 payday in the $75,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, at HITS Saugerties this weekend.

 Below you can watch yesterday's jump-off from the Grand Prix at Outdoor Gelderland.

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The fourth leg of the Global Champions Tour is taking place in London the coming weekend. The prestigious event will have top riders attending it; Steve Guerdat, Alvaro de Miranda, Edwina Tops-Alexander, Christian Ahlmann, Ludger Beerbaum, Sergio Alvarez Moya and all the top British riders will be present.

Click here for the full riders list for London.

Jeroen Dubbeldam and Utascha Sfn won at Outdoor Gelderland. Here seen during their winning round in Wiesbaden two weeks ago. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson. Michel Robert took home the 4* Grand Prix in Bourg en Bress Sunday, riding Oh d’Eole (Kannan x Papillon Rouge). Robert was 1.58 seconds faster than runner-up Lorenzo de Luca from Italy aboard Zoe II (Kannon x Goes without Saying). Luca and Zoe came third in the 1.55 class on Saturday and have definately had a good weekend in France. The young British rider Daniel Neilson cam third with Varo M (Perrot x Weinfurst).

Patrice keeps on winning. here seen at the price giving with Lacrimoso in Amsterdam earlier this year. Photo by Jenny Abrhamsson.Patrice Delaveau has shown an impressiv form the past months and Saturday he took another win as he won the Prix Dalkia France with Lacrimoso 3 Hdc (Landjunge x Cascavelle) in Bourge en Bresse. Patrice won ahead of Santiago Lambre from Mexico riding Wasabi (Chronic Jmen x Polydor)and Lorenzo de Luca from Italy and Zoe II (Kannon x Goes without Saying).

Todd Minikus and Quality Girl. Photo by ©ESI Photography.After two in-the-money finishes last week at HITS Saugerties, Todd Minikus and Quality Girl kicked off Week II grand prix action by topping a ten-horse jump-off in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis.

Minikus won the Week I $10,000 Brook Ledge Open Welcome at HITS Saugerties and picked up sixth and eighth-place ribbons in last week's grand prix classes, but his spring circuit reached its pinnacle on Friday when he cashed a $7,500 check.

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Great Britain could celebrate a wet Nations Cup win in St. Gallen on Friday - and here's how it looked. All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson. 

The Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in St. Gallen was all about the ground and the footing. The horses sunk on the grass footing and got quite stuck. All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson. 

Well; no surprise - the weather in St. Gallen yesterday was not very good! Here's how to dress to impress while walking the course under these conditions. All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson. 

Laura Renwich. Photo by Katja Stuppia. The Furusiyya Rider of the Day award is presented to the horse & rider combination that is judged to have best displayed qualities such as harmony, partnership, balance and skill throughout their two rounds; values represented and embodied by Furusiyya. Laura Renwick, riding Oz de Breve, was judged to have ridden beautifully after her clear in round A, followed by her clear in the jump-off, which ultimately earned her team a place on the winner's podium.

John Roche at the press conference in St. Gallen. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Most of the press conference after today's Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in St. Gallen was about the German team, and what happens to them now. But first the press got to hear about the rounds and the class.

Laura Renwick, who secured the win for the British team said this about her ride and tactic in the jump-off; "My horse jumped very well. I was lucky and was the first to go for our team. I didn't see Steve in the jump-off, but I knew that he wanted to win and would be fast so I had to be quick - but also jump the jumps. I had a moment in the double where I thought I made a mistake, but actually he just lost a shoe and the shoe hit the fence and the pole fell. So I thought we had a mistake there, but I kept going and as it turned out it was good enough."

Thanks to their second place today Switzerland took over the lead in the first division in Europe. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Switzerland tops the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe division 1 after the leg in St. Gallen. With their 180 points Switzerland has left France behind them in second with 157,67 points and third place to Ireland with 150,67 points. Today's winner Great Britain didn't get any points for their win and is in fourth position with 143,67 points.

Ukraine, who won the last leg in Rome, is rank five with 100 points and the Netherlands is rank six after getting 65 points today. Spain is in seventh position with 64 points. Germany is still on the list but on a zero score.

The winning British team in St. Gallen. Photos by Jenny Abrahamsson.Great Britain won the dramatic Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in St. Gallen on Friday. The British team consisted of Laura Renwich on Oz de Breve (Dollar du Murier x Grand Veneur), Scott Brash on Hello Whisky Mac IV (Emilion x Burggraf), Joe Clee on Utamaro D Ecaussines (Diamant de Semilly x Quidam de Revel) and Guy William on Titus II (Kanjer x Topas). Second place went to Switzerland and third place to Belgium. 

Unfortunately the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in St. Gallen was not so much about the horses, riders or the nations - in stead it was all about the footing. Germany withdrew before the class started and the Netherlands, who was supposed to start with their entire Olympic team, changed horses and Leon Thijssen went in instead of Maikel van der Vleuten. Swiss rider Janika Sprunger and British rider Scott Brash changed their horses as well.

The German team made the decision not to start, despite of the consequences. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The German team decided not to compete in today's leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in St. Gallen, even though this was one of the four legs where the country could collect points.

Chef d'Equipe Otto Becker explains this about the decision to WoSJ; "We chose to withdraw because of the welfare of our horses, we didn't want to take any risks with this footing. The rules say that it needs to be special circumstances to withdraw, and before the class the FEI didn't think there were any special circumstances. So we knew already when we made the decision that we wouldn't get any points in the other legs we are supposed to ride and that we as a consequence won't be able to start in the final. That also means that we probably will fall down to the second division next year and we were totally aware of all that when we took the decision not to start."

It's wet, wet, wet in St. Gallen on Friday! Photos by Jenny Abrahamsson. 

Steve Guerdat and Sidney VIII were best in the rain. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Steve Guerdat won Friday's speed class with Sidney VIII (Cary x Quidam de Revel) in pouring rain at the CSI5* show in St. Gallen. Second place went to Guy Williams on Bijou van de Vijfheide (Darco x Laudanum xx) and third place to Luca Maria Moneta riding Quo van de Vains (Robin II Z x Narcos II).

The organizers are doing their very best to keep the grass footing in order, and have cancelled several classes. Still half of the field of riders in today's speed class chose not to start, and in the end only 41 of the 76 riders on the list went in the ring. Out of them 16 were clear and nine retired or got eliminated.

The starting order for tomorrow's Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in St.Gallen will be as follows: 1. Switzerland, 2. Germany, 3. Holland, 4. France, 5. Great Britain, 6. Belgium, 7. Ireland and 8. Italy 

Four teams – Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Switzerland – will be competing for Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping points in Europe Division 1. The standings after two event in that division are available here.

Tomorrow’s competition will begin at 15.00 CEST (local time in Switzerland, GMT+2 hours) and will be broadcast live on FEI TV, FEI’s official online video platform. There will be a 40-minute break between the first and the second round.

Here you can see the jump-off from the CSI3* show in Nörten-Hardenberg last weekend.

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Ian Millar with Dixson. Photo by Angelstone. The stage was set this past Saturday at the Angelstone Equestrian Park for a classic showdown between two of the biggest names in equestrian show jumping, Conor Swail and ten–time Olympian, Ian Millar.

The pair of riders had started off their week at Angelstone with a one-two placing in Thursday's $33,000 FEI Open Welcome and Saturday brought them back into the ring for the $50,000 FEI Grand Prix, presented by System Stall Rentals.

Christine McCrea with Avenir. Photo by ©ESI Photography.Christine McCrea finished the first week of spring competition at HITS Saugerties with a hot hand. After piloting Candy Tribble & Windsor Show Stables' Avenir to the blue in Friday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, McCrea rose to the occasion again for Sunday's $50,000 EMO Grand Prix and cashed another winner's check.

McCrea was the only rider to end the day with a double-clear effort. "I think I have found my new favorite course designer," said McCrea with a smile after the class. Marina Azevedo of Campinas, Brazil set the courses in the Strongid© C 2X Grand Prix Stadium this week, and admits that she attempted to make the tracks welcoming in the beginning of the season, but included some testing elements. "She uses the ground so well," added McCrea.

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Scandinavian countries top the overall standing of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe division 2. After the leg in Copenhagen the past weekend Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland can be found on the top four places.

Top ten nations:

1. Sweden - 220 points, 2. Norway - 198 points, 3. Denmark - 148 points, 4. Finland - 141 points, 5. Belgium - 131 points, 6. Belarus - 123 points, 7. Austria - 75 points, 8. Italy - 70 points, 9. Poland - 68 points, 10. Russia - 65 points

Ludger Beerbaum will compete in St. Gallen this weekend. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Belgium, France, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland will all send teams to St. Gallen the coming weekend. The show hosts the third leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe division 1. Top riders are going to St. Gallen, and the Netherlands has their entire Olympic team present. Other Olympic riders present are Steve Guerdat, Paul Estermann, Cian O'Connor, Christian Ahlmann, Marcus Ehning and Philippe Le Jeune.

Alison Rowland and Bickley Brook Bella. Photo provided by Peter Cooke.Alison Rowland won the Grand Prix at the CSI3* show in La Boissière on Bickley Brook Bella (Premier des Hayettes x And Behold). Rowland and second placed Samuel Hutton on Heidi du Ruisseau Z (Heartbreaker x Darco) were the only double clears out of the six that went on to the jump-off. Omer Karaevli aboard Dadjak ter Puttenen (Toulon x Vanitas) was the fastest rider in the jump-off, but with one down he had to settle for third place ahead of Eric Navet with Volare van de Bunte.

Click here for all the results.

The perfect combination; Nick Skelton and Big Star. Photo by piazzadisiena.com.London 2012 Olympic team gold medallist, Nick Skelton, claimed the Rome Grand Prix title for Great Britain for just the sixth time in the 81-year history of the prestigious Italian event this afternoon.  Riding his Olympic horse, Big Star, he set a super-fast target in the thrilling 16-horse jump-off and, although his time was bettered, the rest could not match the clean jumping of his 10-year-old stallion.

Jur Vrieling and Zirocco Blue Vdl took a great win in Copenhagen. Photo from Odense last year, by Jenny Abrahamsson. Jur Vrieling and Zirocco Blue Vdl (Mr Blue x Voltaire) were victorious in the Grand Prix in Copenhagen Sunday after two clear rounds. Zirocco Blue made his first Nations Cup appearance on Friday where he was double clear and today the nine year old stallion once again proved his quality. Thomas Ryan and Cruise on Clover (Cruising x Clover Hill) was the other clear combination in Bernstorffsparken with Willem Greve and Carambole (Cassini I x Concerto II) in third place with one time penalty.

Lars Nieberg and Leonie W were the winners in Nörten-Hardenberg. Here seen in Dortmund earlier this year. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson. The Grosser Preis in Nörten-Hardenberg saw seven German riders amongst the top ten, with Lars Nieberg and Leonie W (Larenco x Grandeur) taking the victory. The young talent Betram Allen from Ireland kept impressing, and was the only non-German rider who managed to secure a spot in the top as he guided Romanov into second place.

©ESI Photography Christine McCrea and Avenir jump their way to a blue in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, Friday at HITS Saugerties.Excitement surrounding Week I of the HITS Saugerties Spring and Summer Circuit reached a climax Friday afternoon when 26 riders took to the Strongid® C 2X Grand Prix Stadium to get grand prix competition underway at HITS-on-the-Hudson with the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis. Christine McCrea and Avenir, owned by Candy Tribble & Windsor Show Stables, Inc., pocketed the first high-performance blue of the 2013 season.

Mario with Little Pezi. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Mario Stevens and Little Pezi (Lord Pezi x Aldatus) won the prestigious the Championat of Nörten-Hardenberg and this was Mario's third win this weekend. Mario was almost one second faster than second placed David Will and Juvina (Cassini x Grannus) in the jump-off. Third place went to Marcus Ehning with Cornado NRW (Cornet Obolensky x Acobat), who's back after a longer breeding break. Shane Sweetnam ended fouth aboard Eregast van't Kiezelhof (Thunder van de Zuuthoeve x Latano), and Werner Muff with Neverlast (Napels x Ramiro) fifth.

Oleg Krasyuk was a part of the wining Ukrainian team in Rome Friday. Photo presented by Revolution Sports. Oleg Krasyuk (UKR), was the winner of the Furusiyya Round of the Day  award in Rome yesterday. The Furusiyya Round of the Day award is presented to the horse & rider combination who is judged to have best displayed qualities such as harmony, partnership, balance and skill throughout their two rounds; values represented and embodied by Furusiyya. Oleg Krasyuk, riding Nobylis, was judged to have ridden beautifully to produce two double-clear rounds on the day, which helped his team into the jump-off and ultimately the winner's podium.

A good start for France this year. Here we see Penelope Leprevost after the French victory in the Nations Cup in Aachen last year. After two legs France is in the lead of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 1. The French have picked up a total of 157.76 points at two legs, while rank two is Great Britain at 143.67 points. Both countries have picked up points in La Baule and Rome, where they were eligible for points. Rank three is the winning team from Rome – Ukraine – at 100 points. Then follows Switzerland at 90 as rank four.

The winning team in Rome! Cassio Rivetti, Oleg Krasyuk, Ulrich Kirchoff and Kathi Offel. Ukraine’s Cassio Rivetti, Oleg Krasyuk, Ulrich Kirchoff and Katharina Offel took home the win in the second leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 1 in Rome. It took two exciting rounds and a jump-off to get a winner, and in the end it was Germany, France and Ukraine that battled it out in the beautiful ring at Piazza di Siena. As last to go Cassio Rivetti and Temple Road did it for Ukraine, as Ludger Beerbaum and Patrice Delaveau left the door open with one fence down each. With the best time of the two, Ludger secured second for Germany leaving France at third.

Jur Vrieling and Zirocco Blue VDL had the only double clear in Copenhagen. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Friday afternoon it was time for yet another leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 2 - this time in Copenhagen. The Dutch team was in the lead after the first round, and managed to hold on to their lead. Jur Vrieling with Zirocco Blue VDL had the only double clear in the class, while the other team riders Hendrik-Jan Schuttert on Up to date HS, Suzanne Tepper on Km Wish and Willem Greve on Carambole did one clear round each.

Scott Brash with Bon Ami. Photo by Piazza di Siena.Britain's Scott Brash and Bon Ami rode to a win in the opening international speed class at Piazza di Siena Thursday. Going in at the halfway stage in a starting field of 56, he cut all the corners in this 1.50 class to set the target at 61.96 seconds, and, despite their best efforts, the rest just couldn't catch him.

Eight teams will compete in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in Rome. France, Great Britain, Spain and Ukraine are the nations that can collect point at this leg.

The staring order tomorrow will be as follows:

1. Italy, 2. Sweden, 3. Great Britain, 4. Germany, 5. France, 6. Switzerland, 7. Spain, 8. Ukraine

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Kent Farrington with Venus. Photo by: Rebecca Walton/PMG.Kent Farrington has taken over the lead in the 2013 Hagyard Challenge Series after winning the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic during the Kentucky Spring Classic. The talented rider showed Raylyn Farm's Venus to the victory by overtaking the jump-off with two seconds to spare and a clear effort.

Richie Moloney maintains the second place position in the standings after earning second with Slieveanorra during the first event, and then going on to place seventh, eighth and ninth with Equinimity LLC's Carrabis Z, Call Me Number One, and Slieveanorra. Venezuela's Pablo Barrios is currently ranked third in the standings after winning the first event aboard Zara Leandra with the fastest double clear effort.

All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson. 

Jur Vrieling and Bubalu VDL will compete for the Netherlands. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.This weekend the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 2 will take place in Copenhagen. Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Finland, Hungary, Poland and Sweden will all have teams present in the hope of collecting some points for the overall standings. France, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland on the other hand can not collect points at this leg.

Gert-Jan Bruggink is on the list for Nörten-Hardenberg. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The riders list for the CSI3* Hardenberg Burgturnier is ready, and lots of good riders can be seen in action at the event this weekend. Marcus and Johannes Ehning will both be there, as will Jeroen Dubbeldam who comes fresh from a win in Wiesbaden. Gerco Schröder, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, Cian O’Connor and Laura Kraut are other strong names on the list.

Heading for Rome again; Scott Brash and Hello Sanctos. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The coming weekend the beautiful CSIO5*-NC event takes place at Piazza di Siena in Rome. The show hosts the second leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 1, and France, Great Britain, Ukraine and Spain will be able to pick up points here. These teams send some top riders to Rome; Patrice Delaveau, Roger Yves Bost, Kevin Staut, Nick Skelton, Scott Brash, Ben Maher, Sergio Alvarez Moya and Kathi Offel are all on the list – in addition to lots of other strong names such as Philippe Le Jeune, Daniel Deusser, Carsten-Otto Nagel, David Will, Richard Spooner, Kent Farrington and Pius Schwizer to mention some.

Jeanne Engela. Photo by TB Images.This past weekend in Johannesburg, the first leg of the South African World Cup qualifier series took place. It was the 22 year old Jeanne Engela that rode to victory in the Knowles Husain Lindsay Attorneys Inc FEI World Cup Qualifier on her 10 year old mare, Cloof Wine’s Chanel (Canturo x Accord II). The pair were the only combination to jump a double clear round over a track built by Portuguese course designer, Bernardo Costa Cabral.

Katie Dinan ended up on top. Photo by The Book LLC.Three teenagers and a veteran rounded out the jump-off in the $100,000 Empire State Grand Prix presented by The Kincade Group, and the first to go in was the one to return to the winner's circle. Nineteen-year-old Katie Dinan of New York, NY, and her energetic partner Nougat du Vallet were double clear to win the biggest class of the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows, which ran May 7-12 and 14-19. The competition concluded two great weeks of equestrian sport in North Salem with incredible entries and top horses and riders.

The $100,000 Empire State Grand Prix had 37 competitors, and they rode over a course designed by Anthony D'Ambrosio of Red Hook, NY. Riding second in the order, Dinan and “Nougat,” a 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding by Scherif D'elle, made it look easy as they bounded through the course for the first clear round. They returned first for the jump-off and set a quick pace and the only clear round in 39.898 seconds.

Nr.1; Cameron and Antello Z. All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson.

Snapshots of horses, grooms and the winner waiting for the prize giving after the Grand Prix in Wiesbaden. Here's Madeleine with Sterrehof's Tamino. All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson. 

Kathi with her new watch. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Katharina Offel and Hans-Dieter Dreher were the two best riders overall in Wiesbaden. Kathi was the best female rider during the show, while Hans-Dieter Dreher was the best male rider. Both of them were honored with a watch from Longines during the prize giving after the Grand Prix. Both riders have had a terrific weekend, pikcing up one ribbon after the other.

Cameron Hanley with Antello Z. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.After a two year break due to an injury, Cameron Hanley is back stronger than ever which he proved by winning the Grand Prix in Wiesbaden with Antello Z after two amazing rounds. 46 riders came to start in the first round and the 12 best went to the second round - all of them clear. Two combinations, Rolf-Göran Bengtsson with Quintero Ask and Jeroen Dubbeldam with Quality Time, were just outside the time and had one time fault which prevented them for taking part of the second round.  The faults came spread throughout the entire course, and the open water caused some surprising problem for several riders. Some horses landed in the middle of it while both Janne-Friedrike Meyer and Alberto Michan were eliminated as their horses refused to jump.

The winners; Cameron Hanley and Antello Z. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The winner Cameron Hanley has been out of the sport for two years, and recently made his comeback. Hanley had an accident where he injured his leg, and had to undergo several operations. Now he is back in top form, but still has some difficulties walking. "Luckily for me riding is better than walking, but it was always like that," Cameron said after his win.

On his winning ride Antello Z, Cameron explained that the gelding was found as a seven year old by his brother Carl Hanley; "We bought him together. I rode him in the beginning when he was eight before I was injured, and then we sold half of him to Michael Whitaker. Then I got injured and my brother's rider Alex Duffy rode him for almost one year. He won the U25 Grand Prix in Paris, and Michael was there and saw him jumping and said that he wanted to ride that horse. So we send him to Michael and he competed him last year. I was very fortunate this year when I was back riding; I got a new sponsor and they said that we needed a Grand Prix horse. I told them that I knew a very special horse and that was Antello. Luckily we were able to buy him back. To win a Grand Prix like this so quickly - this is just my third of fourth show with him - is really unbelievable!"

Luciana Diniz leads the DKB-Riders Tour. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Luciana Diniz is in the lead on the DKB-Riders Tour standing after the third leg in Wiesbaden. Joint rank two is the Hamburg Derby winner Gilbert Tillmann, the winner of Hagen Grand Prix John Whitaker and the winner of Wiesbaden Grand Prix Cameron Hanley. Three riders are joint fifth; Carsten-Otto Nagel, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Hans-Dieter Dreher.

Youngsters, riders and grooms waiting for the jump-off. All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson. 

The rain start to pour down when Denis Lynch and Anyway entered the ring to ride the jump-off. They ended third in the final after winning the youngster class yesterday. All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson. 

Gregory Wathelet won the Youngster Tour Final in Wiesbaden. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Sunday’s Youngster Tour Final in Wiesbaden went to Gregory Wathelet and Citizenguard Million Dreams (Diamant de Semilly x Concetto). The Belgian rider and the beautiful eight year old were the best in this 1.40 class that had 32 riders in it. A slippy and wet grass ring gave the horses some difficult conditions, but still seventeen made it to the jump-off where Gregory had the fastest time at 39.40 – producing yet another clear round. Closest to him came Philipp Weishaupt on the lovely Chico (Cordalme Z x Sandro) with a time of 40.55 seconds, while Denis Lynch was third on Anyway II (No Limit x Farmer). Katharina Offel ended fourth on the well jumping Luke Skywalker (Lord Pezi x Sandro Song).

Click here for full results.

Jeroen Dubbeldam and Utascha SFN. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Jeroen Dubbeldam was asked if it is normal for Utascha SFN to take a break and eat some grass on her way out of the ring, as she did so both after the first round and after the jump-off; "It looks like it. She likes to eat a little grass after her rounds, it is like a small treat for her."

He also explained what he liked the most with Utascha; "She has a fantastic attitude. She is a quality horse, but that can also become a problem. She has so much quality that she can get afraid, and we had that problem with the triple combinations - but we have tried to solve it through working on her trust and she really took that to her. I will ride Quality Time tomorrow as this is the first outdoor show for Utascha and we ended our indoor season so bad with the problem in the triple combinations so I want to let her jump in some smaller classes for the first shows.

Patrice Delaveau and Orient Express took a home win in La Baule. Here seen in Rotterdam. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Patrice Delaveau took home the Grand Prix in La Baule Sunday aboard Orient Express (Quick Star x Le Tot de Semilly). Following him in second place was the Dutch talent Frank Schuttert and Winchester H S (Numero Uno x Nimmerdor) while Nick Skelton secured third place with Big Star (Quick Star x Nimmerdor). The top three riders were the only ones to produce two clear rounds as Sunday’s course in La Baule caused difficulties for several riders. After the first round only four out of 48 riders were clear, but the twelve best riders went on to the second round. This was Patrice’s second big win for the weekend as he also won the Derby Saturday with Ornella Mail *Hdc (Lando x Alligator Fontaine).

Utascha SFN is eating some well deserved grass on her way out. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Jeroen Dubbeldam and Utascha SFN (Lux Z x Indoctro) returned to their winning ways today in Wiesbaden, taking home the 1.50 class Sunday afternoon. The class was a qualifier for yesterday's DKB Riders Tour, and had 51 riders in it. Ten of these went clear over the first round thirteen fence track which included an early triple combination with a vertical-vertical-oxer and a combination at 10a and b. It was the white and burgundy triple combination that caught out most riders, and plenty got faults here.

The first clear came from America's Saer Coulter on the lovely Don VHP (Diamant de Semilly x Voltaire), before Maurice Tebbel followed with a clear for Germany. Laura Renwick and John Whitaker both produced clears for Britain, while Katharina Offel rode a super round on B-Once Z (Baloubet du Rouet x Lavaletto).

 Three very happy winners in Wiesbaden yesterday; nr. 1 Laura Kraut, nr. 2 Edwina Tops-Alexander and nr. 3 Hans-Dieter Dreher. All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson.

The winning combination - Margie Engle and Royce. Scope and stride proved to be the key to the win for Margie Engle and Royce during the $75,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix, presented by Audi of Lexington, during the Kentucky Spring Classic. The pair out jumped 12 other horse and rider combinations during the tiebreaker to claim the winning prize with a double clear effort. Charlie Jayne captured the second place award with Chill R Z, while Venezuela's Pablo Barrios galloped into third aboard Zara Leandra.

Laura Kraut is in the lead after her great win in Wiesbaden. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.After the third leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour, Laura Kraut has taken over the leading position on the overall ranking. With 77 points Laura is two points ahead of Luciana Diniz in second place with 75 points. Alvaro de Miranda is next at 66 points while the winner from Hamburg, Christian Ahlmann is currently rank four together with Hansi Dreher on 65 points.

"Cedric won his 4th GCT today and I'm so proud of him." Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Laura Kraut on the question whether this was the perfect course for Cedric; “You never know with him, sometimes he is afraid of break-away jumps so I was really happy when he jumped the first round. It was a good second course to give confidence. I'm just so pleased. And I was surprised that i beat Edwina and Hansi, because I just didn't feel that I was that efficient in the jump-off. It is different with grass and sand and we can't go as fast on grass.”

The top three in Wiesbaden; Laura, Edwina and Hansi. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in Wiesbaden went to Laura Kraut and Cedric (Chambertin x Carolus I). The pair produced one of four triple clear rounds, shaving off 0.23 seconds on runner-up Edwina Tops-Alexander’s time – the Australian riding her faithful Cevo Itot du Chateau (Le Tot de Semilly x Galoubet A). Third was home rider Hans-Dieter Dreher on Magnus Romeo (Royal Feu x Hans Anders Z).

Patrice Delaveau and Ornella Mail - here at the Falsterbo Derby two years ago. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The Derby in La Baule Saturday saw a home win from Patrice Delaveau and Ornella Mail HDC (Lando x Alligator Fontaine). Patrice was on of two riders who managed to clear the course consisting of 21 fences. The course had several water trays, natural fences and two combinations - a double at 5a and b and a triple combination as fence 12.

Also second place went to France with Michel Hecart and Nokia de Bekka (Quick Star x Apache d'Adriers) who finished on a clean sheet, but 1.90 seconds slower than Patrice and Ornella. Third place went to a derby expert, Shane Breen on Ominerale Courcelle (Kannan x Caprice d'Elle). Shane produced the fastest time of the day, but with four faults he could not threaten the home win. Steve Guerdat and Sidney VIII secured fourth place, also on four faults, before the following riders had collected 12 faults or more around the demanding Derby course.

Daniel and Mouse won again! Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Daniel Deusser continued his winning ways in Wiesbaden today aboard Stephex Stables' Mouse (Limbus x Grundyman). After showing great form in Hamburg last weekend, the pair continued their super form to take home the 1.45 speed class at the CSI5* event today. With the time of 58.73 seconds this super fast combination were way faster than the rest of their competitors – leaving Maikel van der Vleuten and VDL Groep Eureka (Chin Chin x Quidam de Revel) to second at 61.82 seconds and Emanuele Gaudiano and Chicago (Chambertin x Quinar) to third in 62 seconds.

After the first leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 1 in La Baule, Switzerland has taken the lead of the series with 90 points. France, Ireland and Great Britain follows as joint rank two in the series with 75.67 points. Under the new rules of the Furusiyya series, just four of the teams starting in yesterday’s competition – France, Ireland, Great Britain and Switzerland – could earn points towards the final in September. In yesterday's Nations Cup Switzerland finished 2nd and France, Ireland, Great Britain joint 3rd.

Christine McCrea and Zerly. Photo by © The Book LLC.North Salem, NY – May 17, 2013 – For the second week in a row, Christine McCrea of East Windsor, CT, won the Friday grand prix event at the Old Salem Spring Horse Show. She and Zerly were fastest to win the $25,000 Grand Prix of North Salem presented by The Hakim Family over World Cup champion Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo and last week's Sunday grand prix winners, Todd Minikus and Uraguay.

The winning Dutch team in La Baule. Photo by © Dirk Caremans/FEI.It was the Dutch team that won the opening leg of the Europe Division 1 of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in La Baule on Friday. Switzerland ended second while Ireland, Great Britain and France shared third place. Dutch Chef d'Equipe Rob Ehrens’ crew consisted of Albert Voorn on Tobalio, Hendrik Jan Schuttert on Cerona HS, Frank Schuttert on Winchester and Leon Thijssen on Tyson. After the first round Holland was in fifth position with Spain – both teams carrying seven faults. Germany and Belgium were in joint with six penalties, the French were in second with five faults and the Swiss in the lead with a single time penalty.

Kent Farrington and Venus. Photo by Phelps Media Group, Inc. International.Although thunderstorms disrupted competition throughout the day at the Kentucky Horse Park, the clouds parted as the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic got underway during the Kentucky Spring Classic. Sixteen horse and rider combinations advanced to the tiebreaker, creating a speed duel for the winning prize. Kent Farrington proved to have all the answers with Venus, blazing an uncatchable clear track that was almost two seconds faster than second place finisher Andrew Bourns of Ireland. Reed Kessler and Mika were the pathfinders to take home the third place honors.

Rob Ehrens' team will be first to go in La Baule. The starting order for tomorrow’s Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in La Baule is as follows;

1.    The Netherlands
2.    Spain
3.    Ireland
4.    Great Britain
5.    Belgium
6.    Germany
7.    Switzerland
8.    France

Abigail McArdle and Cosma 20. Photo by Phelps Media Group, Inc. International.The heat was on as the Kentucky Spring Classic got underway today at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. Five riders produced double clear rounds during the 1.45m Open Jumpers, but it was the last do so that proved to be the fastest. Abigail McArdle and Cosma 20 broke the beam at 30.378 seconds for the win by 3/10ths of a second over Reed Kessler and Soraya De L'Obstination. Earlier in the day, Pablo Barrios took home his second blue ribbon in a row during the 1.40m Open Jumpers speed class with Colgate.

A full list of the riders and teams that will compete in La Baule this coming weekend is ready. The CSIO5* event in France includes the opener of the 2013 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Division 1 in Europe which takes place on Friday, and the prestigious Grand Prix on Sunday. Top riders are heading for La Baule, and the full entry list can be seen here.

There were a lot of emotions in Hamburg this weekend! Here's the happy top three in the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix. Although Bosty didn't seem to enjoy the champagne that much... All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson. 

Olivier Philippaerts will be going to La Baule. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The German, Belgian and Spanish teams for La Baule have been announced. The German riders entered for the opener of the 2013 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup series are Katrin Eckermann, Lars Nieberg, Patrick Stühlmeyer, Holger Wulschner and Tim Rieskamp-Goedeking. Belgium will have a strong team present with Dirk Demeersman, Judy-Ann Melchior, Ludo Philippaerts, François Mathy Jr and Olivier Philippaerts – while Spain send Manuel Fernandez Saro, Pilar Cordon Muro, Julio Arias Cueva, Manuel Anon and Paola Amilibia Puig.

Christian Ahlmann will compete in Wiesbaden. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.A strong field of riders is heading for the Longines Global Champions Tour in Wiesbaden the coming weekend. The third leg of the tour welcomes top home riders such as Christian Ahlmann, Ludger Beerbaum, Marco Kutscher, Marcus Ehning – not to forget other strong names like Edwina Tops-Alexander, Alvaro de Miranda, Ben Maher, Michael Whitaker, Marc Houtzager, Gerco Schröder and Luciana Diniz.

Click here for the full riders list.