THEY’D been waiting a long time – a full 26 years since last topping the line-up on home ground so last Sunday’s Swiss victory in the first leg of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup 2022 Europe Division 1 series at St Gallen was extra-sweet.

Lying equal-second with The Netherlands and Norway, each carrying eight faults at the halfway stage of the eight-nation contest, Michel Sorg’s side were full of confidence. In the end, three second-round clears wrapped it up.

Britain had the whip hand at the halfway stage when, with only the best three scores counting for each team, they could drop one of the four-fault efforts posted by Joseph Stockdale (Equine America Caaharel) and Jack Whitaker (Equine America Valmy de la Lane) because pathfinder Harry Charles (Casquo Blue) and anchorman John Whitaker (Equine America Unick du Francport) were both foot-perfect.

Stockdale was the only member of Di Lampard’s side to keep a clean sheet second time out when they were forced to add eight faults to their scoreline for a final tally of 12. And The Netherlands’ Jack Ansems (Fliere Fluiter), Sanne Thijssen (Con Quidam RB), Jur Vrieling (Long John Silver) and Marc Houtzager (Sterehof’s Dante) overtook them for runner-up spot when finishing on the same score but in a quicker time.

Team Germany finished fourth on 16 faults, Belgium finished fifth ahead of Brazil with a faster 20-fault result while Norway racked up 24 for seventh and Austria finished eighth and last on 28. It came right down to the last rider into the ring - all pressure piling onto the legendary John Whitaker who could force a jump-off with the eventual winners if he could steer a second clear course over Gerard Lachat’s 12-fence track.

Harry Charles and his nephew Jack Whitaker had collected four faults apiece this time out, but if ‘Uncle’ John could add another zero to Stockdale’s clear then it would go to a third-round head-to-head to decide the result. It was looking good until Unick du Francport clipped the middle element of the triple combination, leaving the cool, calm Swiss clear winners after adding nothing more to their first-round scoreline.

Favourites from the outset, the double-clear posted by pathfinders Martin Fuchs (Leone Jei) proved pivotal. The Swiss world number one recently added the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup title to his individual European gold medal, produced two spectacular rounds while team-mate Edouard Schmitz (20), followed a first-round mistake with Quon at the first element of the double at fence four with a brilliant run at their second attempt. Pius Schwizer was looking foot-perfect until lowering the final two fences in round one but produced a copybook second effort with Vancouver de Lanlore. Swiss anchor Steve Guerdat made it all the way to the last with Venard du Cerisy in round one only for that to fall but didn’t need to jump again as the job was done and dusted.