10th Wellington Nations Cup win for Team USA
Robert Ridland’s recently-announced term as the ongoing Chef D’Equipe of the U.S show jumping team started strong with a home ground win last night in the FEI Nations Cup Wellington CSIO4*.
It was win number 10 in the Wellington Nations Cup for the host nation and Natalie Dean and Acota M; Carly Anthony and Heavenly W; Charlotte Jacobs with Playboy JT Z and Laura Kraut with Trés Bien Z got the call-up.
Finishing on a team total of five faults, the U.S team topped the Wellington podium, ahead of the Ireland (12 faults) and Belgium (17).
On a score of zero after the first round, Anthony and Heavenly W had a dream Nations Cup debut appearance, delivering two clear rounds.
Playboy JT Z, previously campaigned by young Irish rider Rhys Williams and Jacobs added just one time fault in the second round while pathfinder Dean and Acota M had one fence down over U.S course designers Nicholas Granat and Steve Stephens’ track.
Which all meant that veteran Kraut, making her 90th Nations Cup team appearance, had an earlier finish.
“It’s very rare the anchor rider on any team gets to sit out the second round. It’s even more rare for us and we were able to do that for Laura tonight,” said Ridland.
“We obviously put together a team we thought would be very competitive here, but this Nations Cup, in particular, is an opportunity for athletes and/or horses coming up who need this level of experience in a competitive team environment.”
“Tonight, we had three of our younger riders, and Laura with a younger horse, which was what we intentionally set out to do and it worked out. There was really great riding out there tonight.”
“This was incredible. From the beginning, when Robert told me who the team was, I was really pumped. These are three amazing riders who have been on fire now, not just recently, but working for years to get here. The way they rode the first round was textbook and just so impressive,” said Kraut.
“To come back the second round and do the same - I’m grateful to them for being the great riders and tough competitors they are and that they let my horse have the night off. I’m really proud of each of them.”
Ireland’s Daniel Coyle matched Carly Anthony’s result, when also posting a zero score with Incredible.
Bertram Allen and Cian O’Connor had a fence down apiece in the second round with new additions to their respective strings: Qonquest De Rigo and Belvedere.
Michael Duffy and Cantano 32 were the Irish discard score in the first round of the $150,000 Florida Coast Equipment Nations Cup.
Sisters Zoe Conter and Emilie Conter with Trixie Z produced the two Belgian clears of the second round.
Zoe’s horse Tombola Z was the third Toulon offspring seen in the Wellington Nations Cup podium results.
Qnokke De Muze and Nicola Philippaerts (8 faults in the second round) and Pieter de Brabandere completed Belgium’s team at Wellington.
Next Nations Cup stop in Florida? Ocala CSIO5* (March 18th-23rd) for the Longines League of Nations CSIO5*.
