REYBRIDGE rider David Doel will travel to France with the Great Britain team as they launch the defence of their Nations Cup title next month.

Doel, 20, and Lucy Wiegersma will compete as individuals at Fontainebleu in the first leg of the 2014 FEI Nations Cup Series on March 20-23, while providing back-up to the British team, which is made up of Nick Gauntlett, Emily Llewellyn, Gemma Tattersall and Izzy Taylor.

Doel, who has been out in Portugal with his horses in recent weeks, will be riding Koyuna Sun Magic, jointly owned with his mum Maggie and Jane James.

In consultation with the Selection Committee and Yogi Breisner the Eventing Performance Manager, the Team Manager Philip Surl has selected the four riders named below to represent Team GBR.

Team boss Philip Surl said: “We are heading to France with a potentially very strong contingent of British riders to defend our 2013 Nations Cup title.”

“The result of any Nations Cup competition depends very much on the preparations going to plan early in the season but we will keep our fingers crossed for a smooth run up to the competition at Fontainebleau.”

Eventing Performance Manager Yogi Breisner added: “In addition to the selected CICO team, Britain will be very well represented in Fontainebleau with many established as well as exciting new combinations heading there as part of their early season campaign.”

“The primary purpose of campaigning the CICO Nations Cup series is to give riders who have not been regular members of Senior Championship teams experience of working and competing within a team environment and to get them out competing against the best continental riders.''

Lower Stanton St Quintin rider Kitty King, Badgerstown youngster Tom McEwen and West Littleton's Harry Meade, as well as Laura Collett, who recently moved from the Membury Estate to Windy Hollow Stables in Lambourn, are also part of Great Britain's Nations Cup squad this year, but have not been selected for the opening event.

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