Jumping place up for grabs in Barcelona as Nations Cup final commences

The FEI Nations Cup 2022 has shown some of the best jumpers from each area battle against each other, but now they will fight on the global stage in the final at Barcelona, Spain.

With the added initiative of a spot at the Olympics for the winning team (alongside three individual places), there will be much at stake for those competing at the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona (Barcelona Royal Polo Club), a multi-sport club which among other things boasts the 2004 European champions in men's hockey and also hosted this event at the 1992 Olympics.

The final would be made up of seven teams from "Europe Division 1", two from North and Central America, South America, the Middle East, and Asia/Africa, with one from Africa and Eurasia, plus hosts Spain. There were six European qualifiers, with nine countries entering: the top seven would earn points. These countries were Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. Each entered four of the six qualifiers. France lead with 370 points after an impressive win in Hickstead, while the Netherlands were second on 350 with a win on home soil in Rotterdam. In third were the Germans on 330 points after they won in Sopot, while Ireland were in fourth on 310 after a win in the final event in Dublin. Switzerland were close on 305, winning the first event in St Gallen, while a win in Falsterbo gave Belgium sixth with 285 points. Great Britain won the final spot on 265 points, ahead of Norway and Sweden who were on 215 each. The qualifier for the Middle East would be in Abu Dhabi, with the UAE the highest-performing eligible team in second, qualifying alongside Saudi Arabia in fifth and beating out Jordan in sixth, Syria withdrew. However, neither the UAE, Saudi Arabia nor substitutes Jordan accepted the invitation to compete at the final, so Norway and Sweden took their place. In the North/Central American qualifier, the USA's elimination in Coapexpan cost them: Mexico topped the table with 190 points ahead of Canada on 160, the US missed out on sixty.

For South America, the qualifier was the 2022 World Championship. Brazil, in ninth place, were the highest performing South American team, while Argentina in 21st beat out Colombia in 22nd for the final spot. For Africa, it would be the highest ranked country in the July world rankings: 34th placed Nayel Nassar of Egypt earned them a place, but they rejected it. The substitutes South Africa (Oliver Lazarus was in joint 218th) and Morocco (with Abdelkabir Ouaddar in joint 626th) also rejected a place, meaning that the total teams dropped to seventeen. For the Asia/Australasia region, the same ranking would be used, with Australia's Rowan Willis in 64th and Japan's Mike Kawai in 205th earning a place. However, both rejected it, as did subs New Zealand (with Sharn Wordley in join 345th) and Chinese Taipei (with Jasmine Shao-Man Chen and Isheau Wong both in joint 2295th), meaning that the total dropped further to fifteen. Finally, the Eurasian qualifier took place with Uzbekistan on 270 points beating Kyrgyzstan on 240 and Kazakhstan on 210, but the Uzbeks also rejected their place. With Spain also taking part, fourteen teams would make the final.

France have already qualified for the Games as hosts, while Sweden, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Ireland, and Germany all qualified at the World Championships. As Spain did not qualify outright but only as hosts, they are also ineligible to get a place. Thus, seven teams are eligible: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Norway, and Switzerland. Belgium, in seventh, were the highest-performing of these teams at the World Championships in Herning and three of the four team members from that championships return. Switzerland, Brazil, and Canada took the next three places, with Mexico eighteenth, Norway nineteenth, and Argentina 21st.

The event takes place from 29 September to 1 October, with the top eight in the first competition making the final. The top team eligible will make the Olympics in Paris.