Team GB won the Hickstead leg of the Meydan Nations Cup series yesterday but France has done enough to win the Meydan Top League title overall before the eighth leg in Dublin.
 William Funnell and his home-bred Billy Congo. 
Daniel Deusser and Cabreado. © Lulu Kyriacou
William Funnell, Tina Fletcher, Peter Charles, and Michael Whitaker flank chef d'equipe Rob Hoekstra at the prizegiving. © Kit Houghton.
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The British team of Tina Fletcher, William Funnell, Peter Charles and Michael Whitaker led from start to finish, carrying only a handful of time faults to beat Germany with the USA third and France fourth.
This result means that if the British win in Dublin they will be on equal points with France but the latter will retain the honour they won last year, even if they score no points in Ireland, because of having better overall results as clarified by the FEI after last year's relegation fiasco.
These four teams will also be safe for next year's Top League but the battle to see which other two teams will join them remains close. Only Poland are definitely relegated for sure although Sweden would need to win in Dublin and have at least one of their immediate rivals not score at all to stay up.
Bob Ellis's track was nothing less than formidable and Kevin Staut's pathfinding 12-fault first-round score for France gave an early indication of just how difficult it would turn out to be. But the British had covered all the angles.
"When we walked the course we all took the decision to take a longer line from the first fence to the second and to get ourselves into a good rhythm and not worry too much about the time - and it paid off in bucket loads," said team-leader Peter Charles afterwards.
During the first round of the class, only the British seemed to be able to get to grips with the course. They got three out of four clear over the fences but all of those with time faults. Jur Vreiling of Holland was the only other person to leave all the rails intact but also fell victim to the clock. The time was tight, even though it had been adjusted to 84 seconds, but the time penalties were the least of the visiting team's problems. Tricky distances and difficult turns made cricket scores more common than single figures and by the end of the round the home side were ten penalties clear.
Only Switzerland did not make it to the second round (just nine teams started and eight go through) and the British proceeded to add just three more time penalties to their four from the first round to finish on seven so Michael Whitaker did not even need to jump.
However the other teams had cottoned on to the tricks of the course and performed much better although the leaders were gone beyond all hope of catching them. The battle for second was fierce!
There were nine completely clear rounds in this session, amongst them two for Spain, two for France and two for Germany. Ireland scored a completely clear from Denis Lynch (Naba's Son) and were denied a second from Billy Twomey and J'taime Flamenco by the clock. The Dutch also had one clear and one with a time fault.
However, all chance of a second place for the winners of the Aachen leg vanished when Dermot Lennon and Hallmark Elite had a horror fall at the water which eliminated them. Both got up unhurt.
All the USA riders improved their scores and McLain Ward's clear on Rothschild clinched third spot. The Dutch blew their chances, though, when only Harrie Smolders kept a clean sheet on Equis Walnut de Muze.
The French secured the title when Kevin Staut (Silvana) and Julien Epailard (Mister Davier) jumped clear but those good deeds could only raise them to fourth on the day.
Sweden's hopes faded when both Peder Fredricsson and Rolf Goran Bengsston both had three rails down on Aurora Borealis and Quintero La Silla which left last year's Hickstead winners, Germany, to capitalise on the other's misfortune.
Daniel Deusser began their team total with a clear on Cabreado and Lars Neiberg, the very last to go on Lord Luis, finished it in the same manner so they just added Phillip Weishaupt's eight on Catoki to the fourteen they picked up in the first round and second place was theirs. The British were ecstatic, particularly as Tina Fletcher had a fall in the morning class which could have been nasty, and also as this year is Hickstead's 50th anniversary.
French celebration was much more muted as they did not at first realise they were assured of the title for quite a few minutes until a copy of the official FEI standings after seven rounds was produced. Then there was suitable leaping in the air from European Champion and unofficial team captain Kevin Staut!
And Kevin will still be leading a very strong side out in Dublin as they intend to finish in style with a clear margin of victory. They will not have it all their own way, though, as the winning British side, with the addition of Nick Skelton, will also be jumping in Ireland. Peter Charles' Murka's Pom D'ami is worthy of a special mention as the horse has not had a rail in any of the last eight Nations Cups in which he has jumped and in the words of his rider is a "banker for Cup competitions."
The British will be deciding about who will go to WEG, if anyone does, after Dublin because, once again, team manager Rob Hoekstra reiterated that WEG was not a priority for the British and avoided confirming that a team would definitely travel at all.
The terms 'probably' and 'likely' were used. When pushed he said: "We always wanted to win here in front of the home crowd and the conditions were perfect for it, so I was not happy when I saw Tina limp out of the arena this morning! We cannot catch the French in the League but our aim was to be in the top six overall and we have achieved that despite operated with a very small team of horses. If I have a problem choosing a team, it is a good problem to have, because it means I do have a choice.
"When the team selects itself, you know you are short of horsepower! In the past selecting the British team has often been a case of the last man standing goes, but we are trying to build a squad for next year's European Championships and then 2012. Some of our horses and riders are young and WEG might come a bit too soon for them but if we have the riders and horses ready we will probably send a team to WEG."
Another especially worthy mention must go to William Funnell who not only rode Billy Congo but bred him with partner Donal Bardwell as part of their Billy Stud operation.
"Yes, it was lovely to even get selected on a home bred, let alone win, I am a bit overcome. We have 70 foals on the ground this year and I jumped Billy Congo's mother and father in nations cups so it is really satisfying," said a beaming Will later.
On this winning occasion at Hickstead, unlike after his Derby victory in 2008, William's wife Pippa, was on hand to share the celebration. "It has been a really amazing day," she said, "it will be a bit of a comedown going eventing at Wilton this weekend and not so much champagne there, either!"
In other news, Hickstead had begun with a sense of deja vu after yesterday's winners won both the openers. Shane Breen scored in the Old Lodge Young Horse Breeding Championship with Warrior and then McLain Ward collected his second prize of the weekend with Pjotter van de Zonnehoeve. The horse has been with McLain only since January but speed round in the Bunn Leisure International Stakes to beat Holland's Jur Vreiling (VDL Emmerton) by over a second.
McLain explained that this was the seventh big prize that the horse has won since his wife suggested he bring him on the European Tour just before La Baule. "He had only been jumping 1.20 until then, and when it was apparent I did not have a third horse to take to France, she said bring this one and I said 'but he has never jumped big fences before' but as usual, my wife was right!"
The horse, who is described as super careful and a possible Grand Prix ride, has won seven classes so far. The two Hickstead wins are just as well because on his last visit here five years ago, McLain broke his collarbone in a fall during the Nations Cup. "But I love it here. It is a traditional arena, beautifully maintained and a very special place to come."
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