The FEI Nations Cup, called Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup since 2013 because of

sponsorship Sponsoring something (or someone) is the act of supporting an event, activity, person, or organization financially or through the provision of products or services. The individual or group that provides the support, similar to a benefactor, is k ...

reasons, is the most prestigious Show Jumping series for national teams in the world. It is organized by the

Fédération Équestre Internationale The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (, FEI) is the international governing body of equestrian sports. The FEI headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland. An FEI code of conduct protects the welfare of the horses from physical abu ...

(FEI).

History

The Nations Cup has been held since 1909 and it has been under

supervision since 1930. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

it changed names several times: ''Queen’s Trophy'', '' President’s Cup'' and ''Prince Philip Trophy''. In 1987 the tournament established its first

commercial sponsor Sponsoring something (or someone) is the act of supporting an event, activity, person, or organization financially or through the provision of products or services. The individual or group that provides the support, similar to a benefactor, is k ...

and was named ''Gucci Trophy'' after Italian fashion and leather goods brand

Gucci Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragran ...

. It was followed by the Dutch technological brand HCS in 1990, and changed again in 1997 when

Samsung The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...

overtook sponsorship. The Cup was named ''

Samsung Nations Cup The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ' ...

'' from 1997 to 2002 and '' Samsung Super League'' between 2003 and 2008. In 2009 and 2010 the Nations Cup series was sponsored by the Meydan Group (the builder of the

Meydan Racecourse Meydan Racecourse is a racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The grandstand is over a mile in length, and can accommodate over 60,000 spectators. Meydan opened on 27 March 2010, replacing Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, which formerly occupi ...

in Dubai) and called ''Meydan FEI Nations Cup''.MEYDAN FEI NATIONS CUP - FEI announces major new sponsorship
, www.meydan.ae In 2011 and 2012 commercial sponsorship was dropped and it was called only ''FEI Nations Cup'', to retake a commercial name in 2013 as ''Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup''.

2009–2012

Between 2009 and 2012 it consisted of the Top League and the Promotional League. In the Top League, each of the ten participating teams consisted of four riders who rode the first course. The riders of the eight best-placed participating teams (after the first round) rode the second course. Each team's lowest score for each round was dropped. Teams scored points for their placings in each event. There was no Final event, and the two teams with the lowest score at the end of the series were to be relegated to the Promotional League, while the two best-placed teams in the Promotional League Final would start in the Meydan FEI Nations Cup of the next season. After the 2009 season, Belgium and Great Britain were both tied for eighth place in the final ranking. The rule book had no answer for this situation. The FEI decided that Belgium, Great Britain and the tenth-placed team, Italy, had to be relegated to the

2010 FEI Nations Cup Promotional League The 2010 FEI Nations Cup Promotional League was the 2010 edition of the secondary international team Grand Prix show jumping competition run by the FEI. Italy and Belgium having been relegated from the 2009 Meydan FEI Nations Cup. After the 200 ...

. The British Equestrian Federation went to court because of this decision and the

Court of Arbitration for Sport The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS; french: Tribunal arbitral du sport, ''TAS'') is an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland and its c ...

(CAS) allowed the appeal of the British Equestrian Federation and, after all, only Belgium and Italy were relegated. After the 2009 season the rule book was changed: in 2010 teams from ten nations (projected: nine nations, see CAS decision) competing in the Meydan FEI Nations Cup; starting with the 2011 season eight teams would compete in the Meydan FEI Nations Cup. So at the end of the 2010 season, four teams were relegated to the

2011 FEI Nations Cup Promotional League The 2011 FEI Nations Cup Promotional League is the 2011 edition of the secondary international team Grand Prix show jumping competition run by the FEI. European Promotional League Standings A team of a country that belongs to one of the 2011 ...

.MEYDAN FEI NATIONS CUP™ 2010
www.meydanfeinationscup.org, May 13, 2010 *

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

was not relegated, see CAS decision

2013–present

The ''Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup'' no longer has a Top League and a Promotional League. Instead, there are seven groups: Europe I, Europe II, North and Central America, South America, Near East, Asia/Australasia, and Africa. The best 18 teams compete in a final event in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

, Spain.

Notes

External links

website of the FEI Nations Cup
{{Samsung Super League / Meydan FEI Nations Cup Show jumping events