Gorla Minora, Italy – April 24, 2023 – Back again for its third consecutive year, the prestigious Longines EEF Series is set to spring into action in sunny Italy for its first leg before bouncing across 10 European countries for an action-packed 5 months of sport. Returning to many of the same top venues as last season, 2023 sees the circuit revisit 2021 hosts Peelbergen (NED) in May and new to the Series this year is Ebreichsdorf (AUT) host of the South & Central Regions Semi-final. The West & North Regions Semi-final will be back in Deauville once more, before the top five teams from each Semi-final head to Warsaw (POL) for the hotly contested Final in September.
The launch of the 2023 Series sees a return to Gorla Minora for the first of seven Regional Qualifiers, hosted by the Equieffe Equestrian Centre between the 26th & 30th April, with the Longines EEF Series class taking place on Friday 28th.
The class will see eleven nations contesting for the top spot, with teams representing Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine, plus Switzerland. Egypt will compete at the event with individual riders.
Being a South Regional Qualifier, the nations battling it out for qualification points in this event will be Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine, with the host nation looking to set up a hattrick of victories in the Series.
President and Show Director of this Italian leg of the circuit, Emanuele Fiorelli is all set to welcome the Series into a busy schedule for the Centre, “It’s another very important event for the 2023 international show season of the Equieffe, after numerous CSIs and the CSIO Youth held here just 15 days ago, but looking also at the European Youth Championships (FEI European Championships YR/J/CH, 10-16 July 2023). The only Italian leg of the Longines EEF Series is once again a source of pride.”
The Longines EEF Series is proudly supported by Longines, a long-term supporter of the EEF and our events, and KEP Italia who join as the series Partner for Safety. We thank both companies for their commitment and dedication to the Series.
You can catch all of the action on ClipMyHorse.TV and download the FEI Approved Schedule here. Check out the running orders and results with Longines Timing.
Longines EEF Series: Format & Rules
The Longines EEF Series is a Nations Cup competition. The competition is in drawn order, with the first team rider for each nation jumping successively, followed by the second, and so on. Round two is repeated over the same course but in order of team standings, with the highest-placed nations starting last. There is a maximum of four riders per team, with a drop score in each round. Teams of only 3 riders must count all their rider’s efforts.
Should two rounds of jumping not be enough to secure a clear victory and teams finish on the same top score, a thrilling jump-off round will take place with a nominated rider for each nation.
The Longines EEF Series builds through three rounds. During the regional qualifiers, eligible nations will score points to earn progression to the semi-finals. Europe is spilt into four regional groups, with two regional qualifiers for each group (NB in 2023, Region West will have only one qualifier). The regions are composed as follows:
Region South consists of the following NFs: ALB; BIH; BUL; CYP; GRE; ITA; MKD; MLT; ROU; SMR; SRB; TUR; UKR
Region Central consists of the following NFs: AUT; CRO; CZE; GER; HUN; LIE; NED; SLO; SUI; SVK
Region North consists of the following NFs: DEN; EST; FIN; ISL; ISR; LAT; LTU; NOR; POL; SWE
Region West consists of the following NFs: AND; BEL; ESP; FRA; GBR; IRL; LUX; MON; POR
A team must participate in the Nations Cup competitions at both RQs in its Region to earn points. Teams earn points according to their result in the respective RQs in their Region, using the following point scale:
Placing
1st 100 6th 55
2nd 90 7th 50
3rd 80 8th 45
4th 70 9th 40
5th 60 10th 35
The points for each team are added together to establish the Region standings and the top 5 teams from each regional group will move forward to the semi-final.
At the semi-finals, it’s all to play for as the top 5 from each semi-final gain progression to the Final.
Full rules for the Longines EEF Series are available here.
Longines; Based in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, since 1832, Longines watchmakers enjoy an expertise steeped in tradition, elegance and performance. With generations of experience as the official timekeeper for world championships and as partner of international sports federations, Longines has created a strong and long-lasting relationship in the world of sports, over the years. Known for the elegance of its timepieces, Longines is a member of Swatch group Ltd., the world’s leading watchmaker. The Longines brand, with its winged hourglass emblem, is established in over 150 countries.
KEP Italia is a producer of riding helmets and was established in 2007, building on the passion of its founders, Lelia Polini and Bianca Collet-Serret. They aimed to research and produce more comfortable, safer and more innovative helmets than the ones currently available on the market, a goal that led them to explore and combine the best solutions in terms of design, technology, materials and safety.
The European Equestrian Federation (EEF) is the representative body for the European based National equestrian Federations. Working closely with the Federation Internationale Equestre (FEI) and the National Federations, the EEF works to maximize the potential and development of equestrianism throughout the continent. The EEF is committed to promoting the sport of equestrianism and its good practices, developing the sport across Europe, and providing leadership for a collective European voice in the sport.
The Longines EEF Series is a Nations Cup Competition that is designed to develop horses and riders through consistent exposure to quality events and team format competition, replacing the previously known Division 2 Nations Cup series. Run across 3* and 4*, the events focus on growing the breadth and depth of talent to bring more combinations to the highest level, from all nations in Europe. The EEF strongly believes that we can help safeguard the future of the sport by providing continuous development, which the Longines EEF Series works to provide.
Source: Press Release from EEF – European Equestrian Federation
Photos: © Sasso fotografie / Lukasz Kowalski
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