Vejer de la Frontera, Spain – The U.S. Jumping Team delivered an outstanding third place finish out of 18 teams at the 2024 FEI Jumping Nations Cup Vejer de la Frontera CSIO3* at the Andalucía Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain. The team, led by Chef d’Equipe Anne Kursinski, alongside Team Leader Erin Keating, included Raleigh Hiler and Obora’s Chloe, Taylor Kain and Jirenze, Vani Khosla and Cream Couleur Z, as well as Zayna Rizvi and Exquise du Pachis.
©Mackenzie Clark
The top finisher was Ireland with nine faults andin second place was Belgium with 15 faults. The U.S. team finished with 17 faults.
Anne Kursinski, Chef d’Equipe for U.S. Jumping Team, expressed immense pride in her team, highlighting the significance of their debut at such a prestigious event and their ability to return and produce strong results in the second round. “For three of them [Hiler, Kain, and Khosla] it was their very first Nations Cup,” she noted, emphasizing the determination each rider displayed. Kursinski praised the team for all their efforts: Kain for her impressive start, Khosla's strong comeback in the second round, Hiler’s clear round, and Rizvi’s role as anchor.
It was the second Nations Cup appearance at Vejer de la Frontera for Rizvi (Wellington, Fla.) and Exquise Du Pachis (Vagabond de la Pomme x Toska Hero), a 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Optimus Agro NV and cared for by Hector Garay. The pair have continued to gain experience in team competition over the past year and were chosen to serve as the anchor combination for the team in the rotation. Going into round two as the squad’s anchor, the pair leaned into their previous experience, completing a much-needed clear to secure the podium finish for the team. Kain (Ommen, Netherlands) and Jirenze (Baltic VDL x Zirence), her own 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare who is cared for by Patryk Rupniewski, were the first to jump for the team in round one, laying down a clear round with just a singular time fault.
Khosla (Portola Valley, Calif.) and Cream Couleur Z (Cream On Top x C’est Le Vie), a 13-year-old Zangersheide gelding owned by Van Shadow Stables, LLC and cared for by Manny Sedano, bounced back from a challenging first round to finish on just four faults in round two, with the final oxer nudged from the cups. With Obora’s Chloe (Chacco Blue x Alina), a 13-year-old Austrian Warmblood mare owned by Kurt Hiler and cared for by Sydney North, Hiler (Boston, Mass.) jumped a clear second round to further solidify the team’s third place finish.
“They were really impressive here and a lot of the other teams were impressed with our riders,” Kursinski continued. “The experience was particularly special given the team’s all-female lineup, contrasting with the all-male teams that preceded them.”
Kursinski reflected on the broader look towards the future of the U.S. Jumping Team, saying, “Using the U.S. Jumping Pathway and starting with our Young Riders and Junior athletes creates the important steppingstones to get to Nations Cup, and then hopefully five-star teams, championships, and Olympic teams. This is just the beginning for them.”
The U.S. Jumping Pathways program plays a significant role in developing top jumping athletes by encouraging Junior and Young Riders to develop the skills that lay the groundwork for future international successes.
