Swiss steal the show at St Gallen

Led by reigning individual European champion Martin Fuchs with Leone Jei, who produced one of just three double-clear performances in the competition, Team Switzerland clinched the win in the opening leg of the 2022 Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Europe Division 1 series on home soil in St Gallen this afternoon.

The British side of Harry Charles (Casquo Blue), Joseph Stockdale (Equine America Cacharel), Jack Whitaker (Equine America Valmy de la Lande) and John Whitaker (Equine America Unick du Francport) had the edge when carrying just four faults into the second round while Switzerland, The Netherlands and Norway were next in line with eight apiece.

However only the Swiss stood their ground, adding nothing more with brilliant clears from Edouard Schmitz (Quno) and Pius Schwizer (Vancouver de Lanlore) backing up Fuchs’ unblemished scoreline so that anchorman Steve Guerdat (Venard de Cerisy) didn’t have to jump a second time.

Last to go, British veteran John Whitaker could force a jump-off if he could leave the course intact, but when the final element of the triple combination hit the ground the Swiss posted their first win in St Gallen for 26 years.

Result here