Rotterdam, The Netherlands – The Icon Global U.S. Jumping Team showcased their determination and grit in a tightly contested competition in Rotterdam, ultimately securing their first Longines League of Nations podium finish of the 2026 season. The team produced a stellar second round to keep them in the hunt, and with a three-way tie for first, a jump-off between the Great Britain, the U.S., and Switzerland would ultimately determine the final standings.

“I’m very pleased with today’s performances, particularly with the consistency we saw from several of our combinations. We were knocking on the door in the first round with two clears, but what was most impressive was how we climbed back up the ladder in the second round,” said Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland. “Karl, Katie and Marilyn putting three zeros on the board under pressure was the coup de grâce! The star of the day of course was Marilyn and her three clear rounds, narrowly missing the win by seven one-hundredths of a second! Bottom line, it’s always our aim to be on the podium in these major team events, and this is a result we can be very proud of.”

Two U.S. combinations finished with a double clear effort at the conclusion of the competition, as Karl Cook (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) aboard Caracole de la Roque, and Marilyn Little (West Palm Beach, Fla.) with La Contessa, helped secure the podium finish for the U.S., two of the four double clear efforts across the class.

Cook and Caracole de la Roque, a 2012 Selle Français mare (Zandor Z x Pocahontas d’Amaury) owned by Signe Ostby and cared for by Tessa Falanga, were the lead-off combination for the team, and opened the class as the first pairing on course. The duo clocked a speedy clear round to start the day to start the team off on zero faults. Callie Schott (Wellington, Fla.) and Garant, a 2011 KWPN gelding (Warrant x Verdi TN) owned by Southern Arches, LLC, and cared for by Valdo Prado, followed, adding eight faults to the U.S. total tally with two team combinations remaining.

As rails fell throughout the first round, team scores remained close and competitive right up to the final rotation of horse-and-athlete combinations. Katie Dinan (New York, N.Y.) and Out of the Blue SCF, a 2014 Belgian Warmblood mare (Verdi TN x San Patrignano Cassini) owned by Grant Road Partners LLC and cared for by Lou Beudin, added eight faults in their tour of the course, putting the U.S. on a minimum score of eight, while needed to finish inside of the top eight teams to move forward to the second round. Little and La Contessa, a 2015 Mecklenburger mare (License x Cornet’s Prinz) owned by Marilyn Little LLC, and cared for by Raven Alfieri, performed under pressure and as the anchors, laid down a fast clear round to keep the team in the hunt for the second round of competition.

With the format calling for only three returning combinations in the second round, Cook, Dinan, and Little each rose to the occasion to finish with three consecutive clears to push the U.S. into a head-to-head jump-off battle with Great Britain and Switzerland, who also each finished on eight faults after two rounds. Ultimately, Little and La Contessa jumped off for the team to finalize their second-place podium placing, finishing just .07 seconds behind Great Britain’s Harry Charles and LT Holst Freda in a nail-biting jump-off.

Their second place today earns the Icon Global U.S. Jumping Team 90 points towards the overall standings in Longines League of Nations competition, where they currently sit inside of the top eight teams who qualify for the FEI Longines League of Nations Final to be hosted in Barcelona, Spain, later this fall.

Results

Competition Information
Competition in Rotterdam will conclude with the Longines Grand Prix of Rotterdam CSIO5* on Sunday, June 21, starting at 2:30 p.m. GMT+2/8:30 a.m. ET.

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The USEF International High Performance Programs and the USEF High Performance Pathway Programs are generously supported by the USET Foundation, the philanthropic partner to USEF. High Performance Program support is also provided by the USOPC and USEF sponsors and members.