WELLINGTON, Fla.--The young, all girl team of Natalie Dean, Carly Anthony, Charlotte Jacobs and Laura Kraut scored a run-away win the the  $150,000, CSIO4* Nations Cup at the Winter Equestrian Festival on March 1.

Laura Kraut, Natalie Dean, Carly Anthony and Charlotte Jacobs with Chef d'Equipe Robert Ridland (Photo by Sportfot)The U.S. won with five faults, while Ireland placed second on 12 faults and Belgium was third with 17 faults.

The U.S., with zero faults, led after round one and, with a commanding lead, won without anchor rider Kraut having to compete in the second round.

“Very rarely does the anchor rider on any winning team get to sit it out,” said Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland, who recently announced he will continue in the role through 2028. “We put together a team that we felt was very competitive; that's the number-one thing. With this Nations Cup in particular, it has always been an opportunity for the up-and-coming—whether it's horses or a rider.”

"What I really liked was the American girl power beating Ireland's boy power team," said Ridland.

The exuberant U.S. team celebrated with champagne following the podium presentations, spraying it on each other and on Ridland, while the Irish chef d'equipe Michael Blake grabbed a bottle and chased Ridland at a run around the ring.

"He didn't get me," said Ridland. "I can still outrun him."

 

THE U.S. Jumping Team scored their 10th team victory in the Wellington Nations Cup with its last previous victory coming in 2021.

Carly Anthony on Heavenly W (Photo by Sportfot)"It was so cool," said Ridland. "The atmosphere was electric. No one left their seat for the presentations and everyone was cheering."

Nine nations, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, Venezuela and the U.S., competed, with eight going on to the second round.

 After a 36 fault first round, Israel did not advance.

Dean on Acota M, Anthony on Heavenly W, and Jacobs on Playboy JT Z were all clean in the first round, while Kraut on the young Tres Bien Z  had a stop, a rail down and time faults to be the drop score of 24.

"It was the first time Tres Bien had jumped the water in competition, even though he''d schooled over it at home,"said Ridland. "He jumped so high over the water that it startled him, and he chipped in a A of the following combination and then Laura just pulled up at B. He jumped it again fine."

"I picked a young team," said Ridland. "Three young riders and Laura with a young horse. This Nations Cup, in particular, is an opportunity for riders and/or horses coming up who need this level of experience in a competitive team environment. Tonight, we had three of our younger riders, and Laura with a younger horse, which was what we intentionally set out to do and it worked out. There was really great riding out there tonight.”

Charlotte Jacobs on Playboy JT W (Photo by Sportfot)"Nations Cup are always difficult, with two rounds," said Ridland. "This one with one round in daylight and one at night with the lights and a huge noisy crowd was hard, and those girls were rocks. The crowd loved it."

After round one, Ireland had four faults , Belgium nine and Canada held on with 10 faults .

In the second round, Dean has four faults, Anthony was clean again to be one of only three in the class to go double clear, and Jacobs had one time fault to win without Kraut needing to return in the second round.

Anthony was making her senior team debut.

“We wouldn't be here without the horses, so I definitely owe everything to Heavenly and to my team that supports me every day to be able to achieve this incredible opportunity and goal,” Anthony said.

“She’s a super special horse for me," said Dean of Acota. "I've had her for four years now, and I've jumped all over the world with her. She's just an incredible athlete. To me, she's a pony, but she jumps the biggest classes in the world, and I'm thrilled to win this one.”

Natalie Dean on Acota M (Photo by Sportfot)“I would love to jump for another Nations Cup or two this year," said Jacobs. "I think my horse is really good with this format. I thought he actually got better in the second round. Hopefully there's a few opportunities for me over the summer. He’s still only 10, so these are still stepping stones that can build him up to some day jumping some of the biggest Nations Cups in the world.”

In her 90th Nations Cup appearance for the U.S., Kraut was mounted on a still inexperienced Tres Bien Z.

“This was the nicest anchoring I've ever had to do,”Kraut said. “From the beginning when Robert told me who the team was, I was really pumped. These three amazing riders have been on fire for a while now, not just recently but for years. The way they rode the first round, it was textbook and just so impressive.To come back the second round and do the same,  I’m grateful to them for being the great riders and tough competitors they are and that they let my horse have the night off. I’m really proud of each of them  I think building toward the Los Angeles Olympics we have three exciting young girls here that I think have a strong chance if things go right."

The Irish team included Michael Duffy on Cantano 32, scoring four and 11, Bertram Allen on Qonquest de Rigo, double clean, Cian O'Connor on Belvedere, clean and four, and Daniel Coyle on Incredible, the third double clean rider.

The Belgian team consisted of Emilie Conter on Trixie Z, four and clean, Pieter De Brabandere on MTM Caden, eliminated, Zoe Conter on Tombolo Z, clean and one time fault, and Nicola Philippaerts on Onokke de Muze, clean and four.

Canada was fourth on 19 faults, followed by Mexico, 21 faults, Great Britain, with only a three man team, 27 faults and Brazil with 52 faults.

Venezuela, carrying 62 faults after its first two riders in the second round, did not compete with its last two riders.

The next competition for the U.S. Jumping team will be the League of Nations CSIO5* in Ocala, Fla., from March 18-23.