The 2007 Samsung Super League with FEI final at Barcelona in Spain lived up to expectations today when, in a nail-biting thriller, Germany
registered a second successive series title along with victory on the day.

But for France, champions over the first two seasons of this hugely popular and high-profile Nations Cup series, it was a case of so near and
yet so far and luck played a big part as they were forced into relegation. A single fence separated them from the Swedish team who slotted into joint-second place with The Netherlands at the end of the day, and the Swedes owe a great deal to Holland´s Gerco Schroder. Without his single second-round error they would not have shared runner-up spot and gained the extra two points that made all the difference in the final standings.

For the winning side it was a bit of a walk in the park. Christian Ahlmann and Lorenzo produced one of three double-clear performances - the
other two coming from The Netherlands´ Albert Zoer and Okidoki and Spain´s Gonzalo Testa Ornat with Mme Pompadour. And Ahlmann could proudly say that he had not made a single mistake throughout the 2007 Samsung Super League FEI this summer . The Netherlands, Sweden, Spain and the USA shared second spot, each carrying eight faults at the halfway stage,
while France was next in line with 12, Belgium and Switzerland each carried 20 and the British - having yet another of their topsy turvy afternoon´s already had 28 on the board.

The French made the perfect start with Florian Angot and First de Launay keeping a clean sheet, but Aymeric de Ponnat was fortunate not to collect even more than 16 faults, helped by some luck on his way around the track, and when Kevin Staut´s Kraque Boom Bois Margot hit the middle
element of the treble and Olivier Guillon and Ionesco de Brekka did the same having already lowered the second element of the double at fence nine they began to slip.

The Swedes were under no illusions about the fact that they were the underdogs and had a big job ahead of them. Lying last on the series leaderboard going into the competition they were gritting their teeth and hoping for the best.

For Belgium both Philippe Le Jeune (Vigo d´Arsouilles) and Marc Van Dijck (Verelst Goliath) registered only single errors while both Niels
Bruynseels (Item de Quintin) and Jos Lansink (Al Kaheel Turbo R) picked up 12 but the non-Super League Spanish were impressive when, following
Ornat´s opening clear and just single mistakes from Sergio Alvarez Moya (Le Reve du Nabab) and Manuel Fernandez Saro (Jakomo 2), the 12 recorded by Ricardo Jurado (Procasa Julia des Brumes) could be dropped.

One down for both Theo Muff with Con Spirito R and Markus Fuchs with Nirmette was somewhat negated by 12 from Christina Liebherr and LB Robin Hood and 16 from Jane Richard with Jalla de Gaverie but the Americans enjoyed a well-balanced afternoon when Laura Kraut (Anthem), Christine McCrea (Vegas) and Todd Minikus(Olinda) all faulted just once while Beezie Madden and Judgement produced a very nice opening clear.

The British didn´t get much better as the second round began, Fletcher retiring after putting another five on the floor and another 20 added to
their tally to eventually finish last with a total of 49, while the Swiss added another 16 and had to settle for second-last place. Four fences down for Van Dijck forced the Belgians to count single-errors from his team-mates so they slotted into seventh in the final analysis while the Spanish secured sixth spot. The Germans had it all sewn up when Ahlmann produced his second clear and Muhlbauer and Kutscher faulted just once, but it was the Dutch result that played a huge role in the relegation battle. Not that they were in any danger themselves when Dubbeldam hit the second and Ben Schroder stood far too far off the water-tray oxer at six - a mistake made by many as the second round evolved. It was just that if they could produce two clears now, then they would finish second giving them 14 points to add to their tally. Zoer did go clear but Berlin and Gerco Schroder hit the middle element of the dreaded triple combination and this left them on level pegging with the Swedes.

Locked in mortal combat and with everything to lose the Swedes had gained a one-fence advantage over the French by the halfway stage but a clear from Guillon and de Brekka put a gun to their heads when ensuring de Ponnat´s second-round eight faults could be discarded leaving only four each from Angot and Staut to be added to the French total. Baryard-Johnsson hit the second element of the double at fence nine second time
out, Lundback hit the middle of the treble and Zetterman hit both the final element there and the vertical at five for eight faults so you could hear a pin drop when Bengtsson came into the ring with Ninja. The neat little 12 year old gelding had not looked entirely convincing first
time out when clipping both the second and the final fences but Bengtsson produced a dream round, measuring each stride to perfection to return clear and this was enough to ensure joint-second - and therefore a half-share of 24 points - for the Swedish team. Third place would have only given them only 10 which would have left them trailing the French by 0.5 points. It was a cruel defeat for the French who finished level with the Americans in fourth, but one team was always going to lose their place and fate decided it would be them.....


Life will go on for the French too. No doubt they will re-group and return to the world´s premier Nations Cup series in the near future. But for now they must say farewell to the elite group of nations who will soon by joined by the winners of the FEI Nations Cup.....

RESULT NATIONS CUP
1. GERMANY - 8 faults:
Lorenzo (Christian Ahlmann) 0/0
Asti Spumante (Thomas Muhlbauer) 8/4
Comet Obolensky (Marco Kutscher) 0/4
Sandro Boy (Marcus Ehning) 0/DNS.

EQUAL 2. THE NETHERLANDS - 16 faults
BMC Up and Down (Jeroen Dubbeldam) 0/4
BMC Rupert R (Ben Schroder) 8/4
Okidoki (Albert Zoer) 0/0
Eurocommerce Berlin (Gerco Schroder) 8/4

EQUAL 2. SWEDEN - 16 faults
H&M Esprit (Malin Baryard-Johnsson) 8/4
Madick (Helena Lundback) 0/4
Isaac (Royne Zetterman) 0/8
Ninja la Silla (Rolf-Goran Bengtsson) 8/0

EQUAL 4. FRANCE - 20 faults
First de Launay (Florian Angot) 0/4
Jubilee d´Ouilly (Aymeric de Ponnat) 16/8
Kraque Boom Bois Margot (Kevin Staut) 4/4
Ionesco de Brekka (Olivier Guillon) 8/0

EQUAL 4. USA - 20 faults
Anthem (Laura Kraut) 4/8
Vegas (Christine McCrea) 4/4
Olinda (Todd Minikus) 4/4
Judgement (Beezie Madden) 0/4

6. SPAIN - 24 faults
Procasa Julia des Brumes (Ricardo Jurado) 12/8
Le Reve du Nabab (Sergio Alvarez Moya) 4/8
Mme Pompadour (Gonzalo Testa Ornat) 0/0
Jakomo (Manuel Fernandez Saro) 4/8

7. BELGIUM - 32 faults
Vigo d´Arsouilles (Philippe Le Jeune) 4/4
Item de Quintin (Niels Bruynseels) 12/4
Verelst Goliath (Marc Van Djick) 4/16
Al Kaheel Turbo R (Jos Lansink) 12/4

8. SWITZERLAND - 36 faults
LB Robin Hood (Christina Liebherr) 12/12
Jalla de Gaverie (Jane Richard) 16/8
Con Spirito R (Theo Muff) 4/4
Nirmette (Markus Fuchs) 4/4

9. GREAT BRITAIN - 49 faults
Ronaldo (Robert Smith) 12/8
Pilgrim (David McPherson) 8/4
Overa (Tina Fletcher) 28/Ret
Cortaflex Utah Van Erpekom (John Whitaker) 8/9


SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE WITH FEI - FINAL STANDINGS AFTER BARCELONA:
1. Germany - 67.75
2. The Netherlands - 37.50
3. Switzerland - 34.75
4. USA - 33.50
5. Belgium - 31.75
6. Great Britain - 31.50
7. Sweden - 28.50
8. France - 27.25.

Photo : Philippe Lejeune & Vigo d'Arsouilles - best belgian combination in the Samsung Super League