Stage set for second act as Longines League of Nations™ returns to Ocala

Set in the heart of central Florida (USA), the second leg of the Longines League of Nations™ will take place at the World Equestrian Center – Ocala on Saturday 21 March 2026. One of North America’s flagship equestrian destinations, Ocala provides a spectacular stage for elite sport as the series rolls into the USA.

With the world’s top-10 ranked countries back in action, the race to the Longines League of Nations™ Final 2026 in Barcelona (ESP) is already beginning to take shape. France banked the maximum 100 points at last month’s season opener in Abu Dhabi (UAE), but Ocala has a reputation for rewriting the script.

Maintaining top billing is rarely straightforward, yet Chef d’Equipe Edouard Coupérie has the depth to keep France in the starring role. Olympic Team gold medallist Kevin Staut (Rio 2016) leads the French challenge alongside Olivier Robert and Nina Mallevaey, while Marie Demonte steps into the spotlight as she makes her Longines League of Nations™ debut.

France may arrive with momentum, but in Ocala the home side knows exactly how to steal the show. Robert Ridland has selected the same experienced quartet that thrilled the crowd 12 months ago, with Lillie Keenan, Laura Kraut, Aaron Vale and McLain Ward all returning to the team. On home soil, expectations are always high, and Team USA will be looking to turn that resounding support into another statement performance.

Ireland, too, know that Florida can be fruitful, and they will be aiming to tap into that same energy after winning the Ocala leg in 2024. While the ‘luck of the Irish’ is a familiar phrase, Ireland have something more tangible on their side. Newly appointed Chef d’Equipe Jessica Kürten has selected Bertram Allen, Cian O’Connor and Shane Sweetnam, while Tom Wachman, winner of the Longines FEI Rising Star Award in 2025, adds a next-generation edge to a seasoned squad. But if Ireland have history to repeat, Germany arrive with a point to prove having come so close in Abu Dhabi.

Second in leg one, Germany will have kept that near miss front of mind, and Otto Becker’s team looks built to go one better in Ocala. Reigning Olympic champion Christian Kukuk lines up with the current FEI Jumping European champion Richard Vogel and former title-holder André Thieme (2021), with René Dittmer completing the four-strong selection.

With the early pace set, Brazil are well positioned to stay in the mix. After a third-place finish three weeks ago, they will be fighting to keep the pressure on. Pedro Junqueira Muylaert is joined by series first-timers Stephanie Macieira and Eduardo Pereira de Menezes, with Rodrigo Pessoa bringing incomparable experience to a line-up reworked by Chef d’Equipe Pedro Paulo Lacerda.

A similar theme runs through the Dutch camp after missing out on Round 2 in Abu Dhabi. Under Wout-Jan van der Schans, Longines League of Nations™ debutants Michael Greeve and Jelmer Hoekstra get the call-up to don the orange jacket, supported by Kevin Jochems and Sanne Thijssen, as the Netherlands target a cleaner first round and a route back into the business end of the competition.

Just off the podium in the opening leg, Switzerland head to the USA with 70 points already on the board and plenty of incentive to push on. Chef d’Equipe Peter van der Waaij has called up Dominik Fuhrer and Beat Mändli for their first appearance, with Edouard Schmitz and Barbara Schnieper also selected, as the Swiss look to turn solidity into another strong finish.

With early season points already proving their value, the defending series champions, Great Britain, will be keen to firm up their position in the standings after finishing sixth in leg one. Long-time Chef d’Equipe Di Lampard has opted for experience, naming two members of the Whitaker Jumping dynasty, Donald and Jack Whitaker, alongside 2025 FEI Jumping European Championship team rider Jessica Mendoza and Joseph Stockdale.

Experience also underpins the Italian charge, with a team of familiar faces. Piergiorgio Bucci has featured in every Longines League of Nations™ start for the Azzurri since Italy joined the series in 2025, while Chef d’Equipe Marco Bergomi also fields Emanuele Camilli, Riccardo Pisani and Giacomo Casadei. Eighth in the standings heading into Ocala, points are firmly on the agenda.

Belgium know exactly how to put points on the board after finishing third in the USA leg last year, and they return with credentials to match. Peter Weinberg sends out European gold medallist Nicola Philippaerts, part of Belgium’s 2025 title-winning team in A Coruña (ESP), joined by Emilie Conter, Roy Van Beek and Annelies Vorsselmans, a blend of big-match experience and emerging firepower built for the pressure cooker of Ocala.

With the cast assembled and the stage set, the standings tell their own story heading into the second leg of the series.

France leads with 100 points, followed by Germany on 90 points and Brazil on 80 points, with Switzerland (70), Ireland (60), Great Britain (55), USA (50), Italy (45), Belgium (40) and the Netherlands (35) close enough behind to ensure every clear round matters.