THE 2015 Nations Cup champions The Netherlands were back to take the title once again at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona on Saturday night, where a fused floodlight delayed the start time by almost two hours.

Just eight teams – Canada, The Netherlands, USA, France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden and Switzerland – made it through Thursday’s first round qualifier to contest the world final under the floodlights.

Major problems occurred when a floodlight in one corner of the arena stopped working, forcing Spanish course designer Santiago Varela to rebuild a large portion of the track, followed by a second course walk. Almost two hour later the action got underway, and it was worth waiting for.

Finishing with just a single time fault, the new champions pinned team USA into runner-up spot while Belgium, who also finished on a four-fault score line, lined up third when combined times were taken into account.

The Dutch team of Jur Vreiling (VDL Glasgow V Merelsnest), Michel Hendrix (Baileys), Marc Houtzager (Sterrehof’s Calimero) and Harrie Smolders (Don VHP Z), led by chef d’equipe Rob Ehrens, only knocked a single pole between them on Saturday night to claim victory in spectacular fashion.

Varela’s tracked ensured that it came down to the last-line riders to decide the result of this 2017 title-decider, and it was a cliffhanger until Smolders sealed it with a copybook round.

Vrieling set the stage with a similarly impressive run with the fabulous stallion VDL Glasgow V Merelsnest and the only fault they would count would come from Michel Hendrix and Baileys who went just over the time-allowed of 81 seconds.

Third-line rider Houtzager was the only one to post a single error at the first element of the double at fence five for the discount score.

When Smolders entered the ring as fifth last rider to go, he knew a clear would seal it for his team. The European silver medallist, who was crowned winner of the Global Champions Tour the week previous in Rome, keep a cool head and produced a foot perfect round with the incredible 13-year-old Diamant de Semilly stallion.

Speaking at the press conference afterwards, Smolders gave huge credit to the horse who has had a fantastic season. “I felt he (Don VHP) started to get a little tired and that I had to carry him around a bit in the second round today, but he gave everything.

“He gets a rest now that he really deserves. I’m super confident this season because he jumps clear after clear, but still you have to do it, and it was a big track today, a big challenge, the time was really tight so I couldn’t afford to leave it somewhere. I had to be really on it, but my horse was incredible!”

THRILLING

Rob Eherns added: “Barcelona is wonderful and the final of the Nations Cup is always thrilling. It’s very difficult already on the first day, you start with 15 countries and separating the teams is very hard.

“We saw that by what happened to Ireland who were the gold medal winners at Gothenburg (Longines FEI European Championships staged in August), but that is the jumping sport and that is what makes it exciting.”

Team USA, with three of the riders that won the Aga Khan trophy in August, were one of the favourites going to the final round. Lauren Hough was one of six riders to pick up a share of the €100,000 bonus for jumping a double clear when the wonder-mare Ohlala did what she does best when first to go for the team.

Laura Kraut (Confu) and Beezie Madden (Darry Lou) both picked up four faults before reigning world cup champion McLain Ward posted a clear with HH Azur to leave USA on four faults. Ward also got a share of the bonus prize.

The Belgian team of Pieter Devos (Espoir), Niels Bruynseels (Cas de Liberte), Jérome Guery (Grand Cru van de Rozenberg) and Gregory Wathelet (Coree) also completed with four faults but in a slower time to finish third on the podium.

The only chef d’equipe that used the option to bring on a replacement rider in Saturday’s competition was Sweden’s Henrik Ancarcrona who called up Evelina Tovek with Castello. Unfortunately, the 24-year-old, who won the GCT Grand Prix in Rome the week previous, ran into trouble on the course, coming home with 32 penalities. Sweden finished in fifth place.

Winners of Thursday’s first round, things also fell apart for the strong Canada team who completed on 13 faults in eighth place.

Six riders shared the €100,000 bonus on offer for a clear round on Thursday night and another on Saturday. They were Lauren Hough (USA), Gregory Wathelet (BEL), Jur Vrieling (NED), McLain Ward (USA), Harrie Smolders (NED) and Eric Lamaze (CAN).