BOEKELO, Netherlands---The U.S. Eventing Team finished fourth at the FEI Eventing Nations Cup Boekelo CCIO4*-NC-L, completing the weekend on a final team total of 105.4.
Lauren Nicholson on Landmarks Jungle Gold (Photo by Libby Law Photography)Great Britain won the inaugural Nations Cup Final at Boekelo, finishing on 84.4 ahead of Germany on 87.0.
With all teams starting the Final on zero series points, the podium places were decided during the closing rounds of the final day’s jumping phase.
The USA and Ireland contested third place, with the advantage changing hands throughout the final afternoon of show jumping.
After a costly final round for the USA, Ireland claimed third place on the podium with a score of 97.5, ahead of the USA’s final team score of 105.4.
The U.S. team consisted of Lauren Nicholson on Landmark's Jungle Gold, Jack Curtis on Luska Candy Clover, Allie Knowles on Montpellier Scais and Hallie Coon on Sirius SB and was led by Chef d’Equipe Leslie Law, High Performance Advisor Karyn Shuter, and Team Leader Christina Vaughn.
Knowles also competed as an individual on LS Crown Royal.
“WE FIELDED a team of either up-and-coming horses, or riders, at the event,” said Law. “Although naturally we would of all been happier to have brought home a medal, there were certainly positives to take away most notably from the first few days."
“I was most impressed that every one of our riders went out on the cross-country to be competitive; to not only jump the jumps but try to make the time to give the team a chance. The attitude and ability on cross-country was admirable by each.”
The competition opened with the U.S. team finishing in the top three teams.
Nicholson of The Plains, Va., was the first U.S rider in dressage, earning a score 30.5.
Making his senior team debut, Curtis of Beverly, Mass., bhad a personal best dressage test with a score of 29.5.
Knowles of Lexington, Ky., led the American effort with a 27.0, placing them comfortably inside the top 10, and team anchor Coon of Ocala, Fla., scored a 27.5 to help the team finish the first phase on a combined total of 84.0, for third place heading into cross-country.
in the cross-country phase, Nicholson had just 1.6-time penalties to finish on a score of 32.1 while Curtis incurred only 0.8 time faults to move forward on a score of 30.3.
Knowles added 2.4 time penalties to remain among the top 10 on 29.4 heading into the final phase, and Coon had 6.4 time penalties, taking her score to a 33.9.
The U.S. maintained its hold on third place entering the final show jumping phase.
Sunday’s show jumping saw Knowles finish the competition as the top placed U.S. rider her individual mount, LS Crown Royal, finishing eighth overall on a final score of 30.6.
In the team competition, Ireland had climbed the leaderboard throughout the competition, moving from fifth after dressage to fourth after cross-country before finishing third after jumping, overtaking the USA in the closing rounds.
With less than a rail between the two nations, Ireland needed clear jumping rounds to have a chance of reaching the podium, which its riders did, while the U.S. had rails down to drop to fourth.
Nicholson added .8 in time penalties to finish the week just outside of the top 10 on a 32.9.
Curtis had a rail down and time penalties to end on a score of 35.1, finishing as the top placed U25 rider and Knowles on Montpellier Scais added eight faults for a final score of 37.4, while Coon and Sirius SB had six fences down to finish on 58.3.
The winning team of Great Britain included Katie Magee with Cushlas Indigo, Gemma Stevens with Cooley Park Muze, Yasmin Ingham with Kinda Corvette and Kirsty Chabert with Classic VI.
Nine teams competed, with Belgium fifth on 158.9, Netherlands sixth on 164.3, Switzerland seventh on 189.8, France eighth on 311.4 and Sweden ninth on 345,5,
Chabert was eliminated during the cross-country phase, leaving Great Britain’s three remaining combinations to provide the counting scores.
