The Nations Cup at Dublin on Friday represents the last chance for Great Britain to avoid relegation from the global super league.
A year after finishing second overall, Britain have had a dismal season, languishing in the bottom half of four of the seven-team contests so far, and a win in Ireland will not be enough if Belgium finish third.
At this stage, selectors should have been able to save the best combinations for the European Championships at Windsor on Aug 25.
Instead, the top three home in the King George V Gold Cup at Hickstead last week — Peter Charles (with either Murkas Pall Mall or Pom’d’Ami), Tim Stockdale (First Direct Corlato) and Ben Maher (Robin Hood W) — and Geoff Billington (Rosinus) make the Dublin trip.
The 10-nation super league was introduced in 2003, prior to which the official team series was relatively unstructured.
If Britain are demoted to the ‘promotional league’, it could be even harder to ask owners to provide top horses for ‘national service’ when €90,000 grands prix beckon at such glamorous, individual-rider orientated shows in Cannes and Monte Carlo.
According to John Roche, jumping director at the International Equestrian Federation, Hickstead remains safe as a super league venue but a demoted Britain could not field a team at their ‘own’ event. He added: “It is possible, however, that some individual riders may be invited.”
Will Connell, GB performance manager, said that horsepower had been a significant issue earlier in the season, both through sales abroad of such superstars as Maher’s Olympic ride, Rolette, and injury or illness setbacks to John Whitaker’s Peppermill, Tim Gredley’s Omelli – who aggravated a recent injury during the Hickstead Nations Cup – and Corlato.
“It’s wholly wrong for anyone to point the finger at the six or seven riders who are seen to be ‘the team’,” he said. “The problems are part of a bigger picture which involves staff, riders, grooms and the federation. We are short of venues able to provide the young with top-class experience at home.
“But it also goes right down to the show jumping community. It saddens me that ticket sales for the Windsor show jumping [the European championships] are lagging way behind dressage.”
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