Simon in the clear as Britain face lack of power

Hugo Simon proved that he has lost none of his competitive edge at the age of 58 when he defeated Brazil's world champion, Rodrigo Pessoa, to win yesterday's Preis der Elsa on the opening day of the Aachen Nations Cup in Germany.

The durable Simon is the only Austrian rider competing here, following an injury to his compatriot Anton Martin Bauer. With no Austrian team in contention, Simon has little interest in Friday's Nations Cup which is uppermost in the thoughts of the British quartet, all of whom are aiming for a place in the European Show Jumping Championships which begin in Arnhem on 27 June.

There should have been a squad of five here, but William Funnell had to pull out as a result of the black stallion Vechta banging a splint bone in a fall at Modena last week. With Michael Whitaker's World Cup partner Handel II also out with respiratory problems, good British horses are looking thin on the ground. Chef d'équipe Michael Bullman is hoping for some encouragement from the horses who are still in contention ­ John Whitaker's mount Virtual Village Calvaro, Michael Whitaker's Olympic partner Prince of Wales, Tim Stockdale's Traxdata Parcival and Mark Armstrong's Elise.

Armstrong proved that the nine-year-old Elise has both courage and scope yesterday. The mare had left a scattering of poles on the ground at the middle element of the treble, but she nevertheless managed to clear the final part. Armstrong knows that a good performance in the Nations Cup could earn him a coveted place in the championships.

"We're outgunned on horsepower, but I never give up hope," Bullman said. "We have riders who are good enough but the four who are here will all have to prove that their horses are in form for the European Championships."