Kronenberg, Netherlands – Ten U.S. athletes represented U.S. Jumping this week at the 2026 FEI Youth Jumping Nations Cup™? Final hosted at Peelbergen Equestrian Centre in Kronenberg, the Netherlands. Throughout the two qualifying competitions for each category, five athletes competed as members of the U.S. Junior Jumping Team, while five represented the U.S. Young Rider Jumping Team. The U.S. Young Rider Jumping Team secured a fourth-place finish, concluding their week on a combined total of eight faults. Both teams were led by Chef d’Equipe Anne Kursinski and Team Leader Erin Keating.
“I’m so proud of our Young Rider and Junior Teams,” said Kursinski. “All our combinations jumped solid rounds, and each gained invaluable experience that you cannot get showing at home. I have no doubt they will grow from what they learned here. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for them!”
The Junior Team contested courses set to 1.40m in height, while the Young Rider Team navigated 1.45m courses, all designed by Belgium’s Bart Vonck.
The U.S. Young Rider Team performed consistently throughout the week, finishing third- and sixth in the first and second qualifying competitions. The squad consisted of Campbell Brown (Fayetteville, Ark.), Isabelle Ehman (Milton, Ga.), Kait Meggenhofen (Noblesville, Ind.), Eleanor Rudnicki (Conroe, Texas), and JJ Torano (Wellington, Fla.).
Torano and Lyon 50, a 2014 Hanoverian stallion (Lord Argentinus x Lex Lugar) owned by Kadley Farms LLC and North Run, cared for by Eva Fisherman and Carlos Maldonado, stopped the timers at 75.97 seconds with four faults after having previously jumped clear all week. Meggenhofen was second in rotation with Diva de Talma, a 2013 Selle Francais mare (Kannan x Quick Star) owned by Windara Farm Inc, cared for by Emmanuelle Werner, and added four faults to the team’s total, stopping the timers at 77.61. Brown and Booster 13, a 2016 Holsteiner gelding (Barcley x Quinar Z) owned by MMK Equestrian LLC, Eva Fisherman and Carlos Maldonado, delivered a standout performance, jumping clear and stopping the timers at 77.01 seconds. Rudnicki and Little Dance W, a 2016 KWPN mare (Stakkato Gold x Carolus H) owned by Roberto Teran Tafur, cared for by Shauna Carbin, served as the anchor of the team and added eight faults and a time of 73.86 seconds. Ehman and Darra du Soleil, a 2013 Selle Francais mare (Kannan x Bouton d’Or Iv*HN) owned by Double E, LLC and cared for by Alyx Bell-Swope, competed in the first and second qualifying competitions with scores of four and twelve faults. The team finished on a total of eight faults, and a combined time of 230.59 seconds to take fourth behind Sweden, France, and Ireland. Second through fourth placings were determined by the combined time of the three best combinations, as all three finished on eight faults.
The U.S. Junior Jumping Squad, consisting of Rylynn Conway (Fair Haven, N.J.), Alice Goodwin (Richmond, Va.), Lauren Padilla (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.), Scarlett Samuels (New York, N.Y.), and Violet Tatum (Los Angeles, Calif.), gained valuable experience throughout the week in the first and second qualifying competitions. The team was one rail off from competing in the Final but concluded their week by contesting the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Youth Final Juniors Challenge Cup, and they finished on the podium in second place.
Samuels and Confidence, a 2016 Swedish Warmblood gelding (Kannan x Careme 1153) owned by Channel Equestrian LLC, cared for by Barbara Calabro, delivered a strong first performance for the team, stopping the timers at 68.99 seconds with four faults. The second U.S. combination in the ring was Conway and Bonhomme Richard, a 2011 Selle Francais stallion (Catoki x Quaprice Bois Margot) owned by Conway Equestrian LLC, cared for by Abby Jorgensen, making their mark with a clear round to keep the team on four heading into the third rotation. Goodwin and Rockefeller G, her own 2017 Belgian Warmblood gelding (Le Blue Diamond V’T Ruytershof x Classe VDL), cared for by Shauna Carbin, jumped third in the order and added only four faults, securing the team’s podium placing, and relieving the pressure for anchor combination, Tatum and BP Swifty, a 2013 Irish Sport Horse mare (Amaretto D Arco x Cruising) owned by Roman Equine, Eva Fisherman and Carlos Maldonado. Padilla and Nkh Vittorio S, a 2014 Holsteiner gelding (Verdi TN x Rheinsberg) owned by Brigeport Farms LLC and McDannold Sport Horse LLC and cared for by Klas Kudlinski, competed in the first and second qualifying competitions with four and eight faults respectively. The team finished the Challenge Cup on eight faults behind Finland.
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