Equestrian Sports New Zealand has named its team for the 86th Rome CSIO5* nations Cup Intesa San Paolo.
The star of the history-making Abu Dhabi Nations Cup victory Sam McIntosh leads the team, with Daniel Meech, Bruce Goodin and new-comer Lisa Cubitt. Lisa will compete in the early classes at Rome and if all is going well will line up in the Nations Cup competition.
New Zealand will be looking to back up its last victory as it takes on some strong teams from Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United States, Sweden, Switzerland and Italy.
Cubitt has not long moved to the United Kingdom with husband Sean. She has ridden many times for New Zealand as a young rider and in tri nations and Trans-Tasman teams, but this is her first silver fern in Europe. “I feel very humble to be named,” she said. “But I am ready and excited for the challenge.”
Cubitt will ride RLE Legoland, a 10-year-old Irish sport horse by Ustinov, out of DG Talivie. Meech lines up on Fine, who he competed aboard at Abu Dhabi. The 10-year-old Swedish-bred mare is by Corlensky G, out of Cicilia (by Ciceron). Goodin is in on his Abu Dhabi horse Bäckatorps Danny V, a 10-year-old by Quasimodo Z, out of Zepper (by Lupicor).
For the Nations Cup, McIntosh will be aboard Check In 2 – the horse on whom she led the team to victory at Abu Dhabi. The German-bred 15-year-old stallion is by Bockmann’s Cordalme Z, out of Ilonka (by Lord Pezi). Meech and McIntosh will also compete on other horses at the show.
The Nations Cup class is scheduled for Friday (May 25), with the 1.60m Rolex Grand Prix on Saturday. There is record prize money on offer too, with 835,000 Euros across the show, making it one of the highest on the international showjumping circuit. Prize money for the Nations Cup is 250,000 Euros, with 350,000 on offer for the Rolex Grand Prix.
Rome has hosted a Nations Cup event at its annual CSIO show every year since 1926 bar one in 1936. Perhaps unsurprisingly, hosts Italy lay claim to the most victories with 28 to their credit. Their win in 2017 broke a winning drought that lasted decades – their previous victory had been in 1985.
France is the second most crowned Nations Cup winner at the Rome event with 19 victories, followed by Great Britain with 12 and Germany with 11.
THE HORSE DETAILS:
Check In 2 – owned by Takapoto Equestrian
Estina – owned by Takapoto Equestrian
Alaid De Chez Nous – owned by Takapoto Equestrian
Fine – owned by AB Kastanjegärden and Daniel Meech
RLE Legoland – owned by River Lodge Equestrian
Bäckatorps Danny V – owned by Bäckatorp Ryder AB
WHAT: 86th Rome CSIO5* including the Nations Cup Intesa San Paolo
WHEN: May 24-27, 2018
WHERE: Piazza di Siena, Rome, Italy
MORE INFO: https://www.piazzadisiena.it/it/
By Diana Dobson – HP Media Liaison