Swiss team triumphs in the Nations' Cup at the CSIO St. Gallen

The team with the veterans Steve Guerdat on Iashin Sitte and Martin Fuchs with Lorde as well as the World Championship aspirants Jason Smith in the saddle of Picobello and Alain Jufer on the back of Dante had to accept 9 penalty points and thus clearly kept nine nations at bay. Second place went to Austria with 16 points, while Great Britain came third with 17 points. This is the third Swiss victory in the recent past after 2022 and 2023.

The man of the day was Jason Smith, who finally put his name down for the WEG ticket in Aachen with two clear rounds. The Scottish-born rider, who has been allowed to ride for Switzerland since 2024 and competed in the Nations' Cup in St. Gallen for the first time, is currently under scrutiny as a candidate for the WEG alongside the seeded Guerdat and Fuchs. The 35-year-old and his stallion Picobello completed the task brilliantly with two clear rounds. Only one other pair managed this on the Gründenmoos.

A dream come true

"It was my goal to show myself in the best light here. I still can't believe that it went so well," said the rider, who runs a training stable near Lucerne with his wife. "Double clear and winning, it's a dream."

The selection pressure will now be slightly higher on the shoulders of Alain Jufer. The man from Jura qualified for the World Cup Final with Dante in the winter half of the year, but decided not to travel to the USA in order to give the gelding a rest. In the first round, there was a knockdown shortly before the end, and in the reprise he failed the final line with three faults. "I wanted to do better in the second round, but it got even worse. I am disappointed with my riding," emphasized Jufer. This feeling prevailed, although he also contributed to the victory.

A fourth pair is being sought

Jufer and Smith rode their top horses Dante and Picobello and wanted to put in a strong performance to recommend themselves for the WEG team in Aachen, where the first tranche of the 2028 Olympic tickets for Los Angeles will be awarded in August. Four pairs form a team. Fuchs and Guerdat, who are already seeded for the top events thanks to their ability and riding, left their top horses Leone Jei and Dynamix in the stables for St. Gallen this weekend. Fuchs finished with 8 and 0 penalty points, Guerdat with 4 and 1.

Jufer and Smith will have to assert their place in the World Championship team primarily against Nadja Peter Steiner with Mila, Barbara Schnieper on Canice or Edouard Schmitz with Gamin. However, the team manager Peter van der Waaij still has a good month to do so. With the five-star events in La Baule, Rotterdam and Falsterbo, he has three more top-class test weekends at his disposal. Provided Smith and Picobello remain fit, Van der Waaij already has a third name on the list with the duo.

World Championship ticket secured

The Dutchman also confirmed this to Keystone-SDA. "Jason Smith and Picobello rode in a different league today," said the head of the team, praising the Scotsman, who has lived in Switzerland for almost two decades. "He delivered under pressure." His colleagues also saw it that way: Guerdat, Fuchs and Jufer let Smith ride ahead on the lap of honor at a suitable distance. And when the hero of the day arrived late for the media conference, Martin Fuchs chanted: "Jason, Jason, Jason."