Squads from France, Britain and Ireland lined up to contest the inaugural Nations Cup, while individual riders from America, South Africa and Sweden joined a strong home side in a further range of classes.

Much to the relief of all, even the weather came to order. In racing parlance, the ground was good to soft and soft in places, with only the heavy usage areas in show jumping and dressage arenas taking their toll. In the country however, conditions were near on perfect and horses came home well within themselves.