Richard Vogel during the Rolex Grand Prix Ville de La Baule ©PSV

The Jumping International de La Baule – Official de France (June 11–14) will welcome an exceptional field, including 11 of the world’s top 15 riders. Most of the world’s best riders and horses will be present for a competition that is crucial just two months before the World Championships.

The event has become a premium fixture in the riders’ season. With the Aachen World Championships (August 19–23 for show jumping) only two months away and with the first Olympic qualification quotas for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games at stake for the leading nations the Jumping International de La Baule – Official de France is considered by riders and team managers alike to be a key milestone.

Held on grass, just like Aix-la-Chapelle, the major competitions over the four days will provide valuable preparation and benchmarks.“The Jumping International de La Baule has always been a very important event,” French team selector Edouard Coupérie has emphasized in recent months. “It will be even more important this year with the World Championships on the horizon. We can enter a large number of horse-and-rider combinations and carry out a comprehensive review of our squad. There will still be two months to go before the Championships. Of course, many things can happen with horses in that time, but I should have a very good idea of my French team after La Baule.”This view is shared by all the team managers coming to La Baule this year with highly competitive squads.

Teams entered in the Barrière Nations Cup

GERMANY

7 victories in the La Baule Nations Cup: 1974, 1977, 1998, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2024.

Defending champions from 2024, Otto Becker’s German team returns to La Baule with a world-class squad led by Richard Vogel (World No. 2) (*), recent winner of the last two Rolex Grand Slam Grand Prix events in Aachen and at the Dutch Masters (also winner in Geneva in 2023), and reigning European Champion. He will be joined by Daniel Deusser (World No. 20), winner of the latest Rolex Grand Prix of La Baule, Andre Thieme, 2023 European Champion, Sophie Hinners (World No. 21) (runner-up in Aachen), and Stefan Engbers.

SAUDI ARABIA

The Saudi Arabian team will field its four highest-ranked riders at La Baule: Abdullah Alsharbatly, 2010 World Championship silver medalist and team bronze medalist at the 2012 Olympic Games,Ramzy Al Duhami, who was also part of the team in London, Abdulrahman Alrajhi and Khaled Almobty.

BELGIUM

4 victories in the La Baule Nations Cup: 1999, 2008, 2012 and 2022.

At only 28 years old, World Top-5 rider and individual bronze medalist at the latest European Championships, Gilles Thomas will lead the Belgian team, reigning European Champions, who won the Nations Cup in La Baule in 2022 and finished second in 2023 and 2025 (third in 2024). Nicola Philippaerts (World No. 13), winner of the Rolex Grand Prix of La Baule in 2023, will also be present, along with Grégory Wathelet (World No. 28), third in the 2024 Rolex Grand Prix of La Baule, Pieter Devos (World No. 34), and Emilie Conter.

UNITED STATES

1 victory in the La Baule Nations Cup: 2005.

McLain Ward (World No. 14), winner of the La Baule Grand Prix in 2010, and Laura Kraut (World No. 9), who was part of the only American team to win the Nations Cup here, will bring all their experience. Both were team Olympic silver medalists at Paris 2024 and have won multiple Olympic and World Championship medals. Lillie Keenan, Nathalie Dean, and Jessica Springsteen (team Olympic silver medalist in 2021) will also compete.

FRANCE

10 victories in the La Baule Nations Cup: 1987, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2010, 2014 and 2017.

Team bronze medalists at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the grounds of the Palace of Versailles, Simon Delestre (World No. 15), Julien Épaillard (World No. 11), winner of the 2025 World Cup Final, and Olivier Perreau will wear the French team jacket. Team manager Edouard Couperie will also rely on the world’s highest-ranked female rider, Nina Mallevaey, World No. 7 at just 26 years old, and Antoine Ermann, World No. 2 in the Under-25 rankings. Runners-up in the 2024 Barrière Nations Cup, the French team will be eager to return to the top step of the podium for the first time since 2017.

GREAT BRITAIN

1 victory in the La Baule Nations Cup: 2015.

The British team will field Scott Brash, World No. 3, double Olympic team champion (2012 and 2024), reigning European silver medalist, and winner of numerous five-star Grand Prix events in recent months. Alongside him, Di Lampard has selected Jessica Mendoza, Harry Charles (team Olympic gold medalist in 2024) and Joseph Stockdale.

IRELAND

3 victories in the La Baule Nations Cup: 1994, 2011 and 2025.

Defending champions of the Barrière Nations Cup, Ireland returns aiming for back-to-back victories, including three members of the winning 2025 team: Cian O’Connor (World No. 32), Bertram Allen, and Tom Wachman. Shane Sweetnam, World No. 6 and Ireland’s highest-ranked rider, winner of the Derby in 2024 and the Prix Saur in 2025, will also compete alongside Darragh Kenny.

ITALY

Italy’s highest-ranked rider, Piergiorgio Bucci (World No. 22), winner of last weekend’s Rolex Grand Prix of Rome, will lead the Italian squad, which also includes Riccardo Pisani, Giampiero Garofalo, Paolo Paini, and Fabio Brotto.

SWEDEN

Seeking their first-ever victory in La Baule, reigning World Champions Sweden will count on Henrik von Eckermann, World No. 1 for 33 consecutive months after winning Olympic team gold (2021), World Championship team gold (2022), European team gold (2023), and the 2023 and 2024 World Cup Finals. Petronella Andersson, Thomas Ryan, Amanda Landeblad, and Linda Heed have also been selected. 

SWITZERLAND

3 victories in the La Baule Nations Cup: 2009, 2019 and 2021.

Olympic Champion in 2012, three-time World Cup winner, winner of numerous Rolex Grand Slam and Rolex Series events, Steve Guerdat (World No. 10), who won the Derby Demeures de Campagne last year, will return to La Baule. Alongside him in a Swiss team that achieved back-to-back victories in 2019 and 2021 (there was no edition in 2020), are Martin Fuchs (No.27), 2019 Individual European Champion, Barbara Schnieper, Gaëtan Joliat, and Adrian Schmid.

Nina Mallevaey & Dynastie de Beaufour ©PSV

18 french Riders in the starting list

Several riders competing as individuals will also be among the leading contenders.In addition to the riders selected for the Barrière Nations Cup team, France will present a strong contingent including: Roger-Yves Bost (2016 Olympic team champion, 1990 World team champion, 2013 Individual European Champion), François-Xavier Boudant, Marie Demonte, Marc Dilasser, Cédric Hurel, Nicolas Layec (runner-up in last year’s Derby Demeures de Campagne), Robin Le Squeren, Charlotte Léoni, Edward Levy, Mégane Moissonnier, Kevin Staut (2016 Olympic team champion, 2009 Individual European Champion), Nicolas Sers, Lara Tryba .

Among the international riders, René Lopez of Colombia, runner-up in last year’s Rolex Grand Prix of La Baule, will return.Brazilian stars Rodrigo Pessoa, 2004 Olympic Champion, 1998 World Champion, three-time World Cup winner, and winner of the La Baule Derby in 1999, as well as Pedro Muylaert Junqueira, who triumphed at Stade François André in 2017 with MFS Prince Royal Z, will also compete. Also worth following are Mexico’s Federico Fernandez and Patricio Pasquel, Canada’s Kyle Timm, Spain’s top-ranked rider Armando Trapote, Egypt’s No. 1 Nayel Nassar, and South Africa’s Oliver Lazarus.

(*) : World ranking June 26