Team France take Gold for the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ | Poland. Verane Nicaud and Eau Vive de Brenne AA; Lucas Brun and Happy de Brion; Baptiste Salaun Hexcazel Duverie; Arthur Duffort and Gueule De Reve. Stragona Equestrian Center, Morawa, Strzegom, Poland. Sunday 28 June 2026. Copyright Photo: FEI / Libby Law Photography
At the halfway point of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ 2026 Series, it was Team France who stormed to victory in Strzegom (POL) this weekend. Host nation Poland secured second place in front of their home crowd, followed by Austria in third.
As the first teams to contest a second leg this Series, France and Austria were both making early attempts to bank those vital points to secure qualification for the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Final in Boekelo (NED) in October.
Claiming their third-ever victory at Strzegom, the French team consisting of Arthur Duffort and Gueule de Reve, Verane Nicaud with Eau Vive de Brenne AA, Baptiste Salaun riding Hexcazel Duverie, and Lucas Brun partnering Happy de Brion, finished with an unassailable lead to top the podium.
France has now won 20 FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ competitions in total – third on the all-time list behind Germany (40) and Great Britain (23). The French also now lead the standings after three of five FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ qualifiers, giving themselves an incredibly strong chance of finding themselves in the Boekelo Final later this year.
“We came to Strzegom with a clear objective and I am proud of the way our athletes executed the plan throughout all three phases of the competition,” Chef d’Équipe Cédric Lyard said of the team’s performance.
“Winning the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ is a great reward for the commitment and teamwork shown by the entire squad.
“Strzegom continues to be one of the most demanding and best-organised events on the international calendar, making this victory even more meaningful.”
Team Poland, represented by individual winner Katarzyna Brandys riding Sel Oscar, Pawel Warszawski with Cagliostro PKZ and Mariusz Klemiuk on board Monaco, finished as runners-up on home soil. This was their sixth podium finish at Strzegom, their most successful venue by far, as they posted their first points on the table for this Series.
“In a World Championship year, having two strong individual results and for Katarzyna to win the class is very positive for us,” said Gary Parsonage, Chef d’Équipe of the Polish team.
Third place went to the Austrian team of Harald Ambros and Vitorio du Montet, who also claimed individual second place in the competition, alongside Daniel Dunst with Chevalier 97 and Magdalena Zellhofer on board Highlight RZ. Matching their best-ever result at the venue back in 2022, the team reached the podium for the first time in this 2026 Series.
“We are very pleased with our team’s performance in Strzegom. Finishing third in the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ is a great reward for the hard work of our riders and support staff,” Thomas Tesch, Chef d’Équipe, said of their result.
“The level of competition was exceptionally high, making these results even more valuable. Congratulations to Team France on their outstanding performance.”
The Series now moves to Avenches (SUI) on 16–19 July for leg four, where teams will battle it out once more to claim victory and those all-important qualification points for the Final.
Strzegom CCI4*-L (POL): [Website] [Scoring] [Live Stream Replays]
