On behalf of the European Equestrian Federation, I am delighted to welcome you to Aalborg, home of the North regional group Longines EEF Series qualifier. 

Last season saw domination from the Italians who picked up their second Series title and we look forward to seeing which Nations will challenge for the honours 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. 

The EEF believes in our role to ensure the sport is sustainable, which means ensuring talent continues to progress through the ranks and horses are given the opportunity to develop carefully over time. The Longines EEF Series plays a key role in this, and we thank our organisers and the officials here today for creating such a quality competition to support these aims.  

We wish all the competitors the best of luck and an enjoyable week here in Aalborg,