About

The Crystal Cup European Cross Country Challenge brings together the finest international horses and riders to reward the most successful stable in cross country steeple chasing.

A thrilling 12 race series, with over €850,000 in prize money, hosted by many of Europe’s premier racecourses, over unique combinations of hedges, banks, ditches and timber, concluded at Lion d’Angers on May 14th where Patrice Quinton asserted his dominance of the French cross country scene through a second consecutive victory in this race for Mme Patrick Papot’s Gold Allen, not enough however to prevent Josef Vana reclaiming his Crystal Cup crown.

This year’s Challenge has been led from the start by Vana and his supportive Aichner family owners, ratcheting up winners and placed horses at the early season events. The adventurous Irish pulled back some ground, not least through Gavin Cromwell’s brave assault on the Velka Pardubicka and his superiority at Cheltenham.

So if you have a sense of adventure, and a curiosity to see the best of Europe’s racecourses, then this set of unique cross country races is for you. From experienced summer handicappers for Waregem, Craon and Lion d’Angers, to the middle rank of steeplechasers and cross country specialists in the winter, the programme offers a well-balanced series of opportunities not limited to out-and-out stayers, and a less traditional qualification route to our Spring staying races like the Grand National.

Follow the leaderboard for final standings from this year and our news pages for previews and reports of each race, and stand by for news of next autumn’s fixtures, coming soon.

“France is proud to be involved in this exciting, seven-nation initiative, that brings together Europe’s leading Cross Country racecourses to celebrate the most successful stable in the 12 chosen races”

Jean d’Indy, Vice Chairman of France Galop.