By Susan Finnerty
Photography: Susan Finnerty
With the World Equestrian Games looming on the horizon and the Global Champions Tour in full swing, the ‘A teams’ were not in town for this year’s Dublin Horse Show. However, the Mexican team won over the Dublin crowds with a memorable first-time victory in the Longines Nations’ Cup competition, with the home team and reigning European champions tying for second place alongside France and Italy.By Susan Finnerty
Photography: Susan Finnerty
With the World Equestrian Games looming on the horizon and the Global Champions Tour in full swing, the ‘A teams’ were not in town for this year’s Dublin Horse Show. However, the Mexican team won over the Dublin crowds with a memorable first-time victory in the Longines Nations’ Cup competition, with the home team and reigning European champions tying for second place alongside France and Italy.
Led by their Belgian chef d’equipe: Stanny Van Paesschen, whose son Constant was in action at the Valkenswaard round of the Global Champions Tour the same week, it was 37 years since Mexico last competed at Dublin. It was interesting to see the variety of bloodlines on their victorious team, with 50% bred in Europe and two on the opposite side of the Atlantic, including the 16-year-old veteran Landpeter Do Feroleto (Landritter - Wynza x Wangmix) bred by Bia Nicotero and representing the Associação Brasileira de Criadores do Cavalo de Hipismo studbook.
Both ‘Peter’, who competed on home Olympic turf with Stephan De Freitas Barcha (BRA), and his current rider Federico Fernandez are true survivors, with each surviving horrific plane and lorry crashes. Despite the motorway crash that has left him with a visible wound, ‘Peter’ still travels the world to compete at CSI5* and CSIO5* level, including La Baule, Aachen and Spruce Meadows this year.
Flying the flag for the Criadores de Caballos Deportivos Mexiacanos was the 11-year-old gelding Babel (Billy Du Lys - Quimera x High Flyer), bred and ridden by Patricio Pasquel, while the two European-breds were the11-year-old Hanoverian mare Chacna (Chacco-Blue - Karewa x Narew, bred Paul Schockemöhle) with Enrique Gonzalez, and Victer Finn DH Z (Va Vite - Seagmull x Stakkato, bred by Hagen de Dwerse BVBA). That same 10-year-old gelding’s rider, Eugenio Garza Perez, is trained by Irish showjumping hero Eddie Macken, part of the ‘Dream Team’ that won three consecutive Nations- Cup (1977-1979) in Dublin...
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