Boekelo, Netherlands – The Defender U.S. Eventing Team finished fourth at the FEI Eventing Nations Cup Boekelo CCIO4*-NC-L, completing the weekend on a final team total of 105.4. The team was led by Chef d’Equipe Leslie Law, High Performance Advisor Karyn Shuter, and Team Leader Christina Vaughn.
“We fielded a team of either up-and-coming horses, or athletes, at the event,” said Chef d’Equipe Leslie Law. “Although naturally we would of all been happier to have brought home a medal, there were certainly positives to take away most notably from the first few days.
“I was most impressed that every one of our athletes went out on the cross-country to be competitive; to not only jump the jumps but try to make the time to give the team a chance. The attitude and ability on cross-country was admirable by each.”
The competition opened with the U.S. team establishing itself amongst the top three teams. . Lauren Nicholson (The Plains, Va.) and Landmark’s Jungle Gold, a 2015 Holsteiner-Irish Sport Horse cross gelding (Diarado x Cougar) owned by Jacqueline Mars and cared for by Sally Robertson, were the first U.S combination to head down centerline, earning a score 30.5. Making their senior team debut, Jack Curtis (Beverly, Mass.) and Luska Candy Clover, a 2013 Irish Sport Horse gelding (Sligo Candy Boy x White Clover) owned by Betsy Curtis and cared for by Jason Wood, produced a personal best dressage test with a score of 29.5. Allie Knowles (Lexington, Ky.) and Montpellier Scais, a 2017 Anglo European gelding (Quasimodo van de Molendreef x Indoctro) owned by Katherine O’Brien and cared for by Alex Cain, led the American effort with a 27.0, placing them comfortably inside the top 10. Team anchor Hallie Coon (Ocala, Fla.) and Sirius SB, a 2014 Hanoverian gelding (Scuderia x Contendro I) owned by Katherine Coleman and cared for by Conor Comey, scored a 27.5 to help the team finish the first phase on a combined total of 84.0, for third place heading into cross-country.
The team continued their momentum, delivering strong results in the cross-country phase, where Nicholson and Landmark’s Jungle Gold were first on course and added 1.6-time penalties to conclude the day on a score of 32.1. Curtis and Luska Candy Clover delivered a clear jumping effort, incurring only 0.8 time faults to move forward on a score of 30.3. Knowles and Montpellier Scais continued to add to the team’s consistency of clear rounds, adding 2.4-time penalties to remain among the top 10 on 29.4 heading into the final phase. Coon and Sirius SB also completed the track successfully, galloping through the finish flags with 6.4 time penalties, bringing their score to a 33.9. The U.S. maintained its hold on third place entering the final show jumping phase.
Sunday’s show jumping saw Knowles finish the competition as the top-placed U.S. combination aboard her individual mount, LS Crown Royal, a 2018 Hanoverian gelding (Comte x Escudo 19) owned by Katherine O’Brien and cared for by Alex Cain. The pair finished eighth overall on a final score of 30.6. Nicholson and Landmark’s Jungle Gold delivered a solid round for the team, adding 0.8 in time penalties to finsh the week just outside of the top 10 on a 32.9. Curtis and Luska Candy Clover concluded their successful senior team debut with a final score of 35.1, after adding a rail and time in the final phase. The pair finished as the top-placed U25 combination, marking a memorable weekend for the duo. . Knowles and her Montpellier Scais added eight faults for a final score of 37.4, while Coon and Sirius SB rounded out the team scores on a 58.3.
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