TENSIONS RISE FOR PENULTIMATE LONGINES LEAGUE OF NATIONS IN ROTTERDAM
The Chefs d'Équipe of the world's top ten showjumping nations have announced their teams for the third leg of the Longines League of Nations™ , which will take place in Rotterdam from the 19th till the 22nd of June, 2025.
Five of the current top 20 showjumping riders in the Longines World Rankings will compete for their country – among them Olympic, World and European champions. Team NL national coach Wout-Jan van der Schans has fielded a very strong team for this home competition with Kim Emmen (Imagine NOP), Willem Greve (Grandorado TN NOP), Harrie Smolders (Monaco) and Maikel van der Vleuten (Beauville Z NOP).
Wout-Jan van der Schans is of course enthusiastic about this line-up. “These riders have shown in recent weeks that they and their horses are in top form. Harrie, Maikel and Kim of course rode fantastically in Cannes, with the highlight being the victory of Harrie and Monaco in the Grand Prix. Grandorado has also shown with Willem that he is in very good form again after his rest period.
I have often ridden in Rotterdam myself and am looking forward to taking on my role as national coach for the first time. The CHIO Rotterdam is a fantastic competition and I hope that there will be a lot of spectators in orange to support us. In your own country you always want to perform extra well and a good result is also important for us with a view to qualifying for the final of the Longines League of Nations in Barcelona.”
These are all forty riders that we will see in action in the Rotterdam arena on June 20:
TEAM GERMANY
Team Germany made history last October by becoming the first to win the Longines League of Nations™ final, securing their place in the 2025 series. Olympic champion Christian Kukuk was part of that winning team and will be back in Rotterdam, along with Jörne Sprehe, Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann and Sophie Hinners. It will be Hinners’ third appearance in the series; she is still clear and impressed with double clear rounds in both Abu Dhabi and Ocala.
TEAM IRELAND
Team Ireland will send two riders from the team that finished fourth in Ocala: Cian O'Connor and Tom Wachman. They will be joined by Bertram Allen and Seamus Hughes Kennedy, who will make his Longines League of Nations™ debut in Rotterdam.
TEAM FRANCE
France returns to Rotterdam to defend their title as winners of the Rotterdam leg of the Longines League of Nations™. Exactly one year ago, the team achieved a convincing victory on Dutch soil. Kevin Staut, the team's veteran, delivered two clear rounds and was a key player in the victory. He is part of the team again this year, together with Marc Dilasser, Nina Mallevaey and Jeanne Sadran.
TEAM USA
Fresh from their win in Ocala in March, Laura Kraut and Aaron Vale are back in action for Team USA. They will be joined in the Kralingse Bos by Karl Cook and Alessandra Volpi.
TEAM BELGIUM
Belgium is counting on young star Thibeau Spits again, who is participating in the Longines League of Nations™ for the third time this season. He forms the team together with Emilie Conter, Jos Verlooy and Gregory Wathelet.
TEAM ITALY
Italy, which is participating in the Longines League of Nations™ for the first time this year, is sending three riders who also competed in Abu Dhabi and Ocala: Piergiorgio Bucci, Giulia Martinengo Marquet and Giacomo Casadei. In Rotterdam they will be reinforced by debutant Paolo Paini.
TEAM GREAT BRITAIN
Great Britain, third in Rotterdam last year, hopes to score valuable points again this time. To do so, they are calling on three-time Olympic champion Ben Maher. He forms the team together with two debutants in the Longines League of Nations™, Matthew Sampson and Sienna Charles, and experienced rider Donald Whitaker.
TEAM NETHERLANDS
Host country the Netherlands finished second in the very first Longines League of Nations™ final in Barcelona last year. To secure a place in the final again this year, they will have to perform in Rotterdam. With an experienced team consisting of Harrie Smolders, Willem Greve, Maikel van der Vleuten and Kim Emmen, the Dutch team will do everything they can – and is determined to shine in front of their home crowd.
TEAM SWEDEN
An all-women’s team will represent Sweden in Rotterdam, battling to secure some much-needed points and lift their country out of the danger zone and into the top eight – essential for qualification for the Longines League of Nations™ Final 2025. Sweden’s hopes are pinned on Petronella Andersson, Wilma Hellström, Amanda Landeblad and Erika Lickhammer-van Helmond.
TEAM SWITZERLAND
Switzerland will do everything in Rotterdam to qualify for the Longines League of Nations™ Final in Barcelona. The team consists of Romain Duguet, Adrian Schmid, Edouard Schmitz and Géraldine Straumann. For the Swiss, a podium finish in Rotterdam is crucial to have a chance of a place in the final this year.
WHAT HAPPENED SO FAR
In the Longines League of Nations™, teams of four riders from ten countries – the nine highest-ranked show jumping nations in the world (according to the official rankings) plus the reigning champion – compete in four qualifying competitions for a place in the prestigious final in Barcelona in October. The top eight countries qualify for the final.
The 2025 edition kicked off in February in Abu Dhabi (UAE), where Ireland took victory in a flawless performance and collected the maximum number of 100 points. In Ocala (USA), where the second leg was held, it was the turn of the host country to shine: the American team recorded a convincing victory in front of their home crowd and took home the majority of the coveted points. Two members of that winning team will also be in action again for Team USA in Rotterdam.
After two qualifying matches, Ireland and Germany lead the rankings with 170 points each. France follows in third place with 150 points, just ahead of the United States (140 points) and Belgium (130 points). Italy occupies sixth place with 120 points, just ahead of Great Britain (115 points). The Netherlands are currently eighth and occupy the last qualifying spot for the final in Barcelona. As host country and an established jumping nation, the Dutch will be keen to achieve a strong result on home soil to secure that spot.
Sweden and Switzerland finish the rankings in ninth and tenth place with 80 and 55 points respectively. Both countries, rich in medals, will have to do everything they can to still join the top eight and force qualification for the final in Barcelona.
The third leg of the series will take place in Rotterdam on Friday 20 June 2025 , where the world's best show jumpers, representing the top ten show jumping nations, will compete for victory and a coveted spot in the most prestigious team final of the year: the Longines League of Nations™ Final .
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