Lexington, Ky. - The U.S. Show Jumping Development Team culminated their tour in Europe at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ CSIO3* Lisbon. Following solid performances at CSI2* Madrid, Spain, two weeks ago, Chef d'Equipe Anne Kursinski guided the team of Taylor Alexander and Ryanair de Riverland, Zazou Hoffman and Samson II, Alise Oken and Hitchcock VD Broekkant, and Andrew Ramsay and California 62 to a bronze medal. All athletes, aside from Oken, were competing in their first senior Nations Cup. The U.S. team impressed by claiming bronze on a score of 28 faults. Ireland earned gold on a score of 16 faults, while Belgium finished with silver on a score of 21 faults.
In the first round, Ramsay (Wellington, Fla.) and California 62 began the competition for the U.S. with a 24-fault round over Alan Wade’s tough track in an electric atmosphere. Oken (Charlotte, N.C.) and Hitchcock VD Broekkant had an excellent clear round to get the team on track. Alexander (Castle Rock, Colo.) and Ryanair de Riverland and Hoffman (Santa Monica, Calif.) and Samson II kept their cool under the pressure to deliver four-fault rounds, putting the U.S. team in a tie for second after the first round.
Ramsay and The California Group’s 14-year-old Holsteiner mare delivered an improved eight-fault round in the second round under the lights. Oken and Hi Hopes Farm, LLC’s 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding had an unlucky rail for four faults. Alexander and Alexander LLC’s 13-year-old Selle Français stallion had some trouble but finished the round well, tallying 17 faults. Hoffman and Woodacres Stables LLC’s 14-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding knocked two rails early but kept their composure to finish on eight faults.
“I thought they did a wonderful job. The first round was great, and they all got tremendous experience. One of the biggest challenges was to come back under the lights for the second round,” Kursinski explained of the different times of day for the two rounds. “You could see that the horses were a little different under the lights and [the riders] had to adjust to that. They did very well, and to get a podium finish, I am so proud of them.”
The strong Madrid results and the bronze-medal finish speak to the value of helping developing riders for the future. “That is what the whole program experience is about. Madrid was terrific as a warm-up event for the riders to be together as a team and for me to see them compete. It was great to come back [tied for] second after the first round, then under the lights for the second round was a whole different ballgame. It is a learning experience to ride in a Nations Cup. It might be the first Nations Cup, but it is really just the beginning for them.”
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