Due to extreme rainfall in Lummen, Belgium, event organizers have been forced to cancel the planned Furusiyya Nations Cup CSIO5* this weekend. Local weather reports shows that the area of the event got over 6 inches of rain in three days with more to come, and Wednesday the decision was made to cancel the main event.
The CSI2* and the CSI1* were already underway, and organizers are doing everything in their power to complete those events safely and with good results.
The Lummen CSIO5* was to be the first Nations Cup Qualifier for Europe Division 1 competitors aspiring to attend the final in Barcelona, Spain later this year. That division encompasses some heavy hitters, including Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, France, Switzerland, and Sweden.
Riders and coaches were disappointed, but ultimately in no hurry to compete in the muck. Irish team manager Robert Splaine told Horse Sport Ireland, “The weather has been poor in Lummen and the forecast for the weekend is not good. I believe that they have made the right decision but it is disappointing as we have a strong team here and expected a good result.”
No word yet on how this will impact the qualification system, but we’ll be sure to update Jumper Nation as we learn more.