Despite a bravura performance from McLain Ward and Callas, the U.S. just missed the podium in the Dublin Horse Show’s Nations Cup, where a victory would have meant its second year in a row taking the coveted Aga Khan trophy.
McLain was one of only seven riders to go double clear Friday over the course designed by Alan Wade for the eight-country lineup at the jam-packed Royal Dublin Society showgrounds. But the victorious Dutch had three riders achieve that double-clear mark of success. Their fourth rider on an inexperienced horse was the drop score in both rounds, so they were able to finish with zero penalties.
Harrie Smolders leads the way in the Dutch victory gallop.
Even with a marvelous final clear trip from new European Champion Richie Vogel on Cloudio, the Germans settled for second on 4 penalties, with former world champion event Sandra Auffarth leaving all the rails in place on Quirichi H during both her outings, following a fall in the warm-up area before her first round.
The Irish had a 4-fault total in a slower time than the Germans to take the remaining spot on the podium. But what was exciting for that team was double-clears from their young riders, Tom Wachman (Tabasco de Toxandria Z) and Seamus Hughes Kennedy (ESI Rocky). There’s the show jumping future for that nation right there.
The Netherlands’ Wout Jan van der Schans, in his first season as chef d’equipe, appropriately wore both a traditional Dutch orange tie and a broad smile as he celebrated his team’s second major triumph of the summer.
The stands in Dublin are always packed for the Nations Cup.
“We were the whole week planning to win the Aga Khan this year,” said Wout Jan, who also helmed a Longines League of Nations victory in Rotterdam during June.
“We did it with three double-clear rounds. What can you have better?”
He saluted the perfect performances of Kevin Jochems (Camilla van de Helle) and William Greve with the magnficent Grandorado TN N NOP) but the chef had special words for his anchor man, Harrie Smolders (Mr. Tac). If Harrie had toppled a rail, there would have been a three-way jump-off among those who eventually wound up on the podium. But the Dutch claimed the gold trophy free and clear.
“With Harrie, he’s such a cool head, you can build on him,” Wout Jan said. It was the third time his nation had taken the title; the other wins were 1999 and 2010.
“It was way too long ago that we won here, so we had to change that,” said Harrie.
“We had some horses that were jumping incredible, so it came all to us today.”
Harrie Smolders, the man of the hour for the Dutch.
For the U.S., which finished on 8 penalties, Aaron Vale — winner of two major grands prix since May with Carissimo 25 — was on Styles for a clear in the first round, but 8 penalties in the second as rails fell at the two final fences.
Alex Matz, son of Olympic veteran Michael Matz, had a rail on his initial trip and a foot on the tape at the water in the second round with Ikigai. Laura Kraut, the highest-ranked woman on the Longines standings at number 18, was clear in the first round with Tres Bien Z but dropped the back rail on the triple bar three fences from the end of the course.
U.S. Coach Robert Ridland looked at the big picture and called it “a good day, just not a great day, just missing the podium.
“I was okay to be right behind the Irish in Dublin, but only if they won! So it’s their fault, that they were third.”
McLain Ward and Callas. (US Equestrian photo)
Putting the class in perspective, he noted, “We had two young horses in their first Nations Cup (Styles and Tres Bien) and they proved to be more than up to the task…two promising horses for the future. Alex Matz in his first major Nations Cup was solid, and of course, McLain does what McLain does.”
