After a marathon first round of show jumping at the FEI World Championships, the U.S. team stands third on Wednesday, close behind Germany and Belgium but ahead of 28 other nations competing on the enormous — and increasingly slippery — grass field at Aachen.
Assessing his team’s position after the single round against the clock, U.S. Coach Robert Ridland offered a time-tested maxim: “You can lose it on the first day, you can’t win it on the first day,”
The championship has more entries, 145 — 14 of whom were eliminated or retired — than any other in the history of this competition. The jumping continues Thursday with a more demanding course from Aachen’s house designer, Frank Rothenberger,
“It’s a long slog,” Robert observed about the lead-up to the medals, adding, “the jumps get bigger.
On the bright side he noted, “The horses all looked good. We are within shooting distance, which is what the plan was.”
The winner was the rider known as “the Flying Frenchman, former World Cup champ Julien Epaillard of France with Fringan de Vesquerie, who had a perfect trip in 70.6 seconds.
France’s Julien Epaillard and Fringan de Vesquerie (FEI photo by Richard Juilliart)
He was just ahead of Harrie Smolders (should we call him the Flying Dutchman?) in 71.96. Britain’s Scott Brash finished third on the luminescent gray, Hello Mango (72.19). The way penalties are calculated, Julien is on 0, Harrie on 0.68 and Scott on 0.80. Knockdowns carried four seconds added to the time. No one in the top 24 dropped a pole.
The first day of the championships offers a challenge beyond the height of the fences and the way they are laid out.
“You can win time, but you can also lose time,” Julien said.
“It’s difficult to find the good balance between being in the five best and keeping the horse ready for tomorrow.”
In that context, he said, “I didn’t do exactly my plan the round, so I decided to change my plan and collect a little bit my horse.”
He did, however, make a crucially time-saving tight turn on the rollback to the wavy planks at fence number four.
“I feel the horse is a really championship horse (My Lord Carthago X Diamant de Semilly) so i gave him a long break this winter. balanced between big classes and small classes to keep the horse relaxed as possible,” he said explaining his preparation.
Today’s course
There is more than just some medals at stake in Aachen.
France is seeking to be one of the seven-highest placed countries at the championships, because that would qualify the nation for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. (The U.S. is automatically qualified as the host country.
“We have a super team, young riders and old warriors,” Julien commented.
“Of course, we would like to be on the podium. We will try to give our best, stay focused and hopefully on Friday night we’re still here.”
But in a competition which is the caliber of the championships, anything can happen. Form doesn’t always hold.
Germany’s Richard Vogel and United Touch S.
German fans and the many other admirers of European Champion Richard Vogel and the fabulous United Touch S were disappointed when the stallion, who was jumping in a hackamore, had a rail at the vertical three fences from the end of the course. He was, can you imagine it, his country’s drop score as a result. Only the best three of four scores count, with the greatest number of faults always dropped.
So what happened to Richie?
He explained, “I have a very clear answer for that — poor riding. United felt fantastic; he jumped better than just “very well”—he couldn’t have jumped any better.
“He listened to me perfectly. I was able to ride him with very subtle aids, and he always responded beautifully. The start was very harmonious; everything went according to plan. Then I had planned for eight strides to the white oxer—I think I was the only one who did that. After that, I was a bit worried that I might arrive too close to the red vertical if I took five strides. I held back a little right upon landing, but I still waited far too much. I actually know how sensitive United is; he waits for my cues so well these days that I didn’t need to intervene like that.”
The highest-ranked American rider is Laura Kraut, standing eleventh with her 2024 Paris Olympic mount, Baloutinue, a late replacement for planned starter Bisquetta, who had a slight injury.
“I’m absolutely thrilled. He just couldn’t have been better; he reacted beautifully to everything,” Laura commented.
I wish I was a couple of seconds quicker (she finished in 72.72) but I rode to my plan. I think I’m only person int he world who has a reserve (horse) as good as this one.”
She was sixth in the starting order and admitted, “I was a little tentative about going so early in the round.”
Laura Kraut and Baloutinue (USEF Photo)
On the other hand, the Olympic multi-medalist found she didn’t have anything to learn from watching others ride.
“There’s no questions,” she said of the lack of complexities on course.
“It’s just a straight gallop. Even after watching 140 rounds, I wouldn’t have done one thing different, so I’m pleased.”
Lillie Keenan was next-best for the U.S. with the aptly named Fasther, fourteenth without a fault in 17.94 seconds in the rider’s championships debut.
“Fasther always shines here in Aachen,” said Lillie.
“He is a star really in any venue. But when he feels that atmosphere he grows. He has a monster stride. Getting to gallop on an open grass field really showcases his special talents.”
She emphasized that “the hardest part about championships is (that) unlike any other show you, are jumping multiple days…and don’t want to give everything in the first day,” noting that would “take too much out of your horse.
Referring to her horse by his ban name, she said, “Fred has a huge character. He’s very confident in himself. He knows that he knows best.”
The rider and her mount have an understanding: “I will never change him and better I don’t try to,” she noted
Lillie’s mentor, McLain Ward, another Olympic multi-medalist, rode High Star Hero as the forty-fourth to go. He was blazing along until he had the back rail at the oxer, 12A, part of the double that was the next-to-last obstacle. That caught a number of riders, including world number three Shane Sweetnam of Ireland on James Kann Cruz, and Britain’s Harry Charles with LT Holst Freda.
McLain is thirty-third on an adjusted time of 75.83. Without the rail, his time on High Star Hero would have been 71.83 and good for second place.
“It would have been nice to not have that unlucky rail at the end,” McLain mused, but added, “it was a solid round and I’m very happy with him.”
Horses started slipping when the rain really came down later in the class, and McLain noted that while the “ground is spectacular,” with so many horses going, “the corners get a little greasy. That’s one of the variables of our sport,” he pointed out.
U.S. Coach Robert Ridland was on the edge of his seat as he watched the team with the USEF’s manager of show jumping, Lizzy Chesson.
The U.S. anchor rider, Katie Dinan, had two rails with Out of the Blue SCF. They put in an extra stride at the sixth fence, the brown Lindt oxer, but were too close on take-off and crashed through, scattering the rails. Katie kept her cool and recouped, but also had the back rail at the tenth fence.
“My horse is in very good form,” Katie recounted, then explained, “I made a mistake as a rider. I am disappointed in myself for that.
“Fortunately, my teammates were all very good today and we’re in a good position for tomorrow,” she concluded, promising she would try to deliver then. Katie is ranked one hundred twenty-first in the class.
Coach Robert explained that the order of go for the team (which can be changed on Thursday) was handled so that the horses known to be fastest went first, when the ground was at its best and they had a better chance of placing high. He mentioned that Katie’s horse is not particularly fast, so even the best ground wouldn’t have benefited her the way it did the first three riders for the team.
On a down note, Hungarian rider András Jun. Kövy pulled up Egano van’t Wingerdhof Z and dismounted after the stallion faltered partway through his round and held up a front leg. Curtains immediately were put up around the horse, who then was transported to the veterinary clinic, where he was found to have a soft tissue injury and is being treated.
Click here for individual standings. Click here for team standings.
