Are riders turning their backs on the Nations Cup?

Is the new-look Nations Cup circuit in danger of falling flat? Global horse sport’s governing body, the FEI, restructured the Nations Cup series last year, backed with massive funding from the Saudi Federation, under the “Furusiyya” banner.

But with Germany, bizarrely, unlikely to qualify for the Barcelona final (26-29 September), jumping legend Ludger Beerbaum launched a broadside about the series at Hickstead last week (2 August).

And as the Global Champions Tour circuit expands, luring the world’s best combinations to compete for mammoth prize money, some top riders are querying whether the sport’s traditional leading annual international team contest can thrive alongside it.

Read the full story, including German riders’ thoughts and a guest comment from Graham Fletcher, in the current issue of H&H magazine (8 August), on sale now.

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