WELLINGTON,  Fla.--The U.S. finished second in both Nations Cup competitions held on March 17 and 18, losing to Germany in the Nations Cup and to Canada in the Nations Cup U25 while U.S. riders won won the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix U25.

Team USA. left to right, AGDF Director of Sport Thomas Baur, Chef d’Equipe Debbie McDonald, Benjamin Ebeling, Jennifer Williams, Adrienne Lyle, Katherine Bateson Chandler, Tuny Full Page and judge Christoph Umbach. (Photo by Susan Stickle)The team from Germany took home their first ever gold medal at the Wellington Nations Cup with 448.568 percent on Thursday, March 18.

A hairsbreadth behind for the silver medal was the team from the United States, that earned 448.381 percent, and Canada won the bronze medal with 437.071 percent..

First in the ring for the Germans was Michael Klimke on Domino 957, scoring 68.000 percent in the Intermediaire I CDIO3*, which ultimately became the drop score for the team.

“First I want to say thank you to the organizers,” said Klimke. “It’s a very difficult time with the pandemic and the outbreaks, and the show has gone on perfectly organized. We all come from Germany and there is [no competition] going on there, so a big thanks from the German riders, the German team, and the German federation to the organizers. We are very, very happy to be sitting here.”

 

“WE HAVE three top riders here," said Klimke, who was also chef d'equipe. "My mare was a little tired but the other three did a super, super job, and it was so close and we are more than happy that Germany won. Christoph and I have been here for eight years, and Germany has never won. Normally the Germans are only winning in Germany, so it makes us more happy and more proud.”

Kevin Kohmann rode Five Star, to two solid finishes in the Nations Cup classes on Wednesday and Thursday, concluding the Intermediaire I CDIO3* with a score of 74.206 percent.

“I’m super proud to represent Germany once again,” he said. “Five Star just hasn’t let me down all season. Yesterday was his high score in the Prix St. Georges, so it felt especially good to do that with the team here with me. Super proud, super happy.”

It was Frederic Wandres’ first time competing in the Nations Cup™ CDIO3* at AGDF, and he also posted two strong scores for his team on Quizmaster,  riding to a 76.529 percent in the Intermediaire I CDIO3*.

Last to go for the team was anchor rider Christoph Koschel, who was also the only team member to contest the FEI Grand Prix Special CDIO3*r iding Eaton Unitechno, and he was the deciding factor after earning a score of 73.000 percent.

“I didn’t know what percentage I needed, and they didn’t tell me thank God,” said Koschel, “I heard that Adrienne Lyle's score was high, and the others were very good, too. First I was coaching Ben Ebeling on the USA team, and that was very exciting as a trainer, and then I knew that I had to ride even more for our team.”

Missing the gold medal by only two-tenths of a percent was the team from the United States, consisting of Katherine Bateson Chandler on Alcazar, Benjamin Ebeling on Illuster Van De Kampert, Adrienne Lyle on Harmony’s Duval and Jennifer Williams on Millione.

Chef d’Equipe Debbie McDonald was proud of her team, half of whom had never ridden in a senior Nations Cup before.

“I can always expect our team to deliver,” she said. “We have two more or less rookies in their first Nations Cup and two that have been there several times. Today we were one-two-three in the Grand Prix. The Germans did a very good job. More than half of their team was Small Tour. It was an amazing competition and an exciting ending. I congratulate the Germans, and I’m so proud of Team USA.”

Canada finished with the bronze medal with 437.071 percent, while Australia was fourth on 391.089 percent.

Hope Cooper won the FEI Grand Prix 16-25 CDIO-U25 for the U.S. on Hot Chocolate W with a score of 70.590 percent.

“I was really thrilled with today’s ride,” said Cooper. “He has come a long way in the last few months. I wouldn’t say I was totally expecting that incredible feeling, but he was really with me the whole time today. Yesterday we had a few mistakes in our test that were entirely my fault, but he is such an honest horse and I really couldn’t ask for more with him.He puts his heart and soul into everything he does. I was thrilled and over the moon about it today.”

“He was doing around third level at the time,” said Cooper who has been riding the horse since he was 11. “I don’t know what it is about him, but he learns so fast and never gets stressed. The thing that is really different this year, my trainer Christoph [Koschel] has helped me learn how to get the most energy out of him. He’s not always the spiciest horse, but this year he feels like he’s ready to go all of the time. He and I learned together all of the way up to the U25 Grand Prix, and he has taught me almost everything I know. I feel like I got to teach him a bit too, and it’s an amazing thing to have a relationship like that that grows and matures.”

“I was very close to the podium last year,” said Cooper who, at 24, is in her last year at the U25 level., “so it feels incredible to be atop it. This is my last year at the U25 level, and it’s certainly been a long road. There are a lot of ups and downs in this sport as anyone who does it knows, and I’ve definitely had many downs, so to have this be one of the ways that we get to finish our Florida season, I don’t really have any words. It’s kind of surreal.

Second place in the Grand Prix 16-25 CDIO-U25was another USA rider, 24-year-old Codi Harrison, who rode Katholt’s Bossco to a 70.282 percent, and third went to Canada’s Camile Carier Bergeron on Acoeur with 68.205 percent.
CamilleCarierBergeron.Acoeur.021M0441.©SusanJStickle.com.

Jan Ebeling won the Grand Prix for Freestyle, CDI3* on Status Royal OLDwith a score of 68.022 percent,.

 

In the Nations Cup CDIO-U25, on March 17, it was the first win for a Canadian U25 Team in five years of the Under 25 Nations Cup at AGDF.

First in the ring for Team Canada was Beatrice Boucher, who rode Camille to a score of 65.323 percent.

“I just went in and tried my best to get through the test," said Boucher. "It’s the first CDI that I’ve done with this horse, and I’ve only ridden him in two shows to qualify for this show, so I don’t know him very well in the show ring.”

Second in for the Canadians’ was 21-year-old Vanessa Creech-Terauds riding Fleur De Lis L to a 66.529 percent.

Creech-Terauds commented that in contrast to Boucher, she and Fleur De Lis L have a longstanding relationship.

“I started with Fleur five years ago, and we went from the Junior division to the young rider division, and now the U25,” she said. “This is our first year doing the CDIO-U25 together, so it’s been a really amazing journey because we know each other so well. It’s really fun going out there into the ring with her.”

Camille Carier Bergeron was the last to go in the class and sealed the win for Canada as the anchor rider with a 69.412 percent on Acoeur, bringing Canada’s team total to 135.941%.

“I’ve had Acoeur for three years now,” said Carier Bergeron. “This year has been a really good year for us, and I feel like we’ve gained a lot of experience in the CDI ring. We’re more confident when we go in the ring now, and he’s so steady. He’s just a horse that wants to give his all, and he’s very steady, very calm.”

The U.S. was second with an overall team score of 135.295%.

Rosemary Julian-Simoes on Rankrado scored 65.471 percent. Codi Harrison on Katholt’s Bossco had a 67.177 percent and Hope Cooper on Hot Chocolate W scored a 68.118 percent.

In the FEI Grand Prix for Special CDI3*, presented by Iron Spring Farm, the USA’s Sabine Schut-Kery won her third consecutive AGDF class with Sanceo, earning a personal best score of 75.978 percent.

Nick Wagman on Don John was second with a 73.196 percent, and third went to Anna Buffini on FRH Davinia la Douce, scoring a personal best of 71.348 percent.