On behalf of the European Equestrian Federation, I am delighted to welcome you back to Budapest, for the second semi-final in the Longines EEF Series.
We have had 8 fantastic qualifier rounds to bring the teams to the semi-final here this week, and have been delighted to welcome many new nations to the Series for the first time this year. The Series is designed to offer riders, their horses, and our National Federations an opportunity to compete as a team and develop more top-level combinations for future championships. Gaining selection to represent your country in a Nations Cup team is a huge moment for any rider, and I wish all the combinations the very best of luck.
These shows could not take place without the support of the National Federations, organising committees, the officials and volunteers to name just a few of those involved. In Hungary we are very proud to have our Equestrian Young Leaders Europe (EYLE) programme in action, in which young people can work through a range of badges, learning key equestrian knowledge and building their confidence, communication and leadership skills. Some of these EYLE participants have had the chance to experience what goes into running such a prestigious event as this, and we thank our friends within the National Federation for making this possible and inspiring what could be the next set of equestrian industry leaders.
We wish everyone and enjoyable week here in Budapest and we look forward to see who will take a ticket to the Final!
Theo Ploegmakers
EEF President
Cover photo: CSIO Budapest / Hajdu Krisztina