LA BAULE, France--France won the CSIO5* 1.60m Nations Cup in La Baule, beating Germany and Ireland on Friday, June 12.

McLain Ward on High Star Hero was second in the Prix Saur (This is an earlier photo by  Shannon Brinkman)The U.S. team of Laura Kraut on Baloutinue, Lillie Keenan on Kick On, Natalie Dean on Mr. Bombastic and McLain Ward on Lestro VD Valckenborg finished the first round with 12 faults to place ninth, not qualifying for the second round.

 Kraut went first for the U.S., and had four faults, Keenan had an uncharacteristic eight faults, and Dean was clean, so Ward, last to go, could have had four faults and the team would have qualified fifth for round two,

But Lestro stopped at an early fence, a wall, and with time faults Ward finished with 24 faults and the team was out of round two.

That's how close it was - one stop and the team went from fifth to ninth.

"Lestro is a relatively new ride for McLain, and he's still getting know him," said chef d'equipe Robert Ridland. "McLain just over corrected on the turn too the wall and Lestro stopped."

 

WARD RODE High Star Hero in the !!0,000 euro Prix Saur on Saturday, and placed second in a 15 horse jump-off from a starting field of 67.

Ward was leading with a clean round in 37.40 until the final rider, Steve Guerdat of Switzerland on Lancelotta used the advantage of knowing what he had to beat amd finished in 36.57 to win.

Nayal Nasser of Eqypt on Orphea HQ was third, clean in 38.03.

The U.S. is using the five observation sites of Aachen, Rome, St,, Gallen, Switzerland, La Baule and Rotterdam to determine the best team of riders and horses for the World Championships to be held in Aachen in August.

So the results of those Nations Cup competitions have not always been what had been hoped for as the U.S. tries different combinations of riders and riders on different horses to get the best final results for the World Championships.

The French team of Nina Mallevaey on Dynastie de Beaufour, Olivier Perreau on GLEvents Dorai D'Aiguilly, Antoine Eermann on Floyd des Prea and Julien Epaillard on Fringan de Vesquerie won on 1 fault, Germany was second with four faults and Ireland was third on nine faults. 

Over a course designed by French course designer Grégory Bodo, the French team had to wait until the penultimate fence of the day before they could celebrate victory, their first in this Nations Cup since 2017.

Leading after the first round without a single penalty on the scoreboard, Germany looked untouchable.

Last to go for France, Épaillard delivered a brilliant second clear round, putting Richard Vogel on United Touch S under pressure, with nothing less than a clean round needed.

The mission seemed accomplished… until the penultimate obstacle, a plank coming out of the double combination.

One mistake and four penalties later, victory belonged to France, while Germany had to settle for second place.

Ireland, with nine faults was about to be the team that didn't make the second round until Ward had the stop, but from going eighth in round two the Irish delivered three clean rounds and stayed on nine faults while the other teams accumulated faults, so Ireland finished third.

Great Britain was fourth with 12 faults, Belgium sixth with 13, Switzerland sixth on 17, Sweden seventh on 20 and Saudi Arabia eighth on 19.