The 2018 edition of CSIO Rome Piazza di Siena was a triumph for the host nation with a second successive victory, and their 29th in the history of the event, for Team Italy in the Nations Cup Intesa Sanpaolo.

It was against all the odds as their star riders Lorenzo De Luca and Alberto Zorzi had to withdraw at the last moment, but in dream-team style Luca Marziani, Giulia Martinengo Marquet, Emanuele Gaudiano and Bruno Chimirri made it happen. The 2017 victory had been the first in 32 years, so backing that up with yet another success was the stuff of dreams, and a fly-past by the Italian air-force just after the prizegiving added extra excitement to the already electric atmosphere.

This year there will be nine nations in contention for the prestigious title they all want to win. The flags of Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland will all be flying along with the Italian colours, and the quality of the entry suggests that the hosts will have another mighty battle on their hands as they attempt to top the podium for the third time in a row.

When Lorenzo De Luca added the Rolex Grand Prix crown to last year’s Nations Cup victory it was almost too good to be true for the home side. It had been 24 years since the last Italian rider, Arnaldo Bologni, came out on top and the moment marked the twelfth time for Italy to win both the Nations Cup and Grand Prix of Rome. The previous time it happened was in 1976 when the team consisted of the legendary Piero and Raimondo d’Inzeo, Graziano Mancinelli and Vittorio Orlandi, and Piero d’Inzeo won the Grand Prix title with Easter Light.

De Luca will be taking on the best of the best as he attempts to make it a double this year with the same horse, Scuderia 1918 Halifax van het Kluizebos, but there will be plenty of others standing in his way…..