The WEG, the Superleague and a dinner-date for Jessica

Apart from the exciting competition going on the main arena, the forthcoming Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky and the Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ series were hot topics of discussion amongst riders during CSI5* San Patrignano today. And dinner was on the menu as well...

Italian manager Markus Fuchs is thinking ahead. He knows his team will make the cut into the 2011 Meydan series, and while he is looking forward to bringing the country which he has taken under his wing back onto the centre-stage of international team competition he also recognises that this will create big challenges. "We are in the lead in the Promotional League right now and Belgium are in second place so its looking likely that we will be the two teams to go up to the higher level. But its not qualifying for the top league that is difficult - its staying in there that is the tricky thing. We are missing some of our best riders and especially some of our best horses. Seldana was sold a few weeks ago to Saudi Arabia and she is a huge loss to us" he pointed out. He was of course referring to the great mare which, ridden by Italian star Natale Chiaudani, helped claimed European team silver for Italy in Windsor, England last summer. "To loss of a horse of that calibre is huge" he added.

He said the decision to accept a place in the 2011 Meydan FEI series lies in the hands of FISE, the Italian Equestrian Federation, "but I think it will happen and I hope we can find a way to supply enough horses and riders of a high enough standard to be able to not just compete in the series, but to stay in it for the following year" he explained. On the subject of Italy's participation in the World Equestrian Games (WEG) he said he intends to put together "the best team possible and to go out there thinking positive".

Australia's James Paterson-Robinson was already in a positive frame of mind after winning today's opening Tamoil Young Horse class in fine style. Asked if the Aussies could in fact be the "Dark Horse" squad in Kentucky he laughed, but said with some confidence "we've got the makings of really good side and we might just surprise you!". He says there are seven Australian riders in the pool "and of course Edwina (Alexander) is an automatic choice but the rest of us are keen to take our places and we will know who is going by early September". Selection trials will take place at Hochenburg, Germany at the end of August and at Paderborne, Germany in September and the chosen team will then go into a training camp together for five days. "We know each other quite well already but that will give us an opportunity to do some more team-building" he pointed out. Stephen Lamb is the Australian Chef d'Equipe but there is a separate panel of three selectors who will make the final choice "They normally watch our performances on video or TV but they will be travelling over to see us in the selection trials" he explained.

Sweden's Helena Lundback was reflecting on the fluctuating fortunes of the Swedish team which is in grave danger of relegation from the Meydan FEI Nations Cup series despite a great win on their home turf a few weeks ago. "Falsterbo was a great day for us, but we are a small country and we've been having a rough time this season. For the World Championships all we can do is hope to have a team of horses in good shape. Having Hans Hoorn with us has been really great and I'm really looking forward to working with him more and getting to know him better - we need to establish a good programme and a good plan for the future. We don't have too many on our WEG longlist but whoever goes we will be giving it our best shot!" she insisted. Right now she sees her own short-term future being taken up with producing some new horses to "fill the gap" left by her older ones and she has found a nice model in the seven year old Bukowskis Casi Honey Bay who finished fifth in the Tamoil Young Horse competition, giving a wonderful display of calm, balanced and scopey jumping. "She's a very sweet and happy person" Helena said.

Richard Spooner says the acute pressure on the US riders to put up a top-class result on their home ground in Kentucky will be "inconsequential" to the experienced riders who will line out at the WEG. "I can guarantee it will be an experienced team with at least three or four riders who have competed at Championships level before and we have a good chance of doing really well". As far as the Meydan FEI Nations Cup season was concerned he said "all the US riders have been happy with the team performances - we've had a combination of super-star performances and tremendously consistent performances and the Meydan series has been a great place to prepare for the WEG" he pointed out.

There is no doubting the pressure that is mounting as the Meydan series draws to a close in Dublin, Ireland next week and the WEG is now only two months away. But at shows like CSI5* San Patrignano and elsewhere there are also delightful little moments when you are reminded that life is not always such a serious business and that there are all sorts of friends out there on the international show jumping circuit.

This evening when asked if the Jack Russell terrier that was faithfully following her through the crowd of spectators actually belonged to her, Ireland's Jessica Kuerten looked down at the little brown-and-white bundle and said "him? no, he belongs to Kati Offel, but he likes his food and he knows I'm going to dinner so he's decided he's going to come along" - and she marched on with her dinner-companion sticking closely to her heels.