Who is Jordan LaPlaca?
Those who don’t know the name can be forgiven. Although he and Gold Play led the Dutta Corp U.S. dressage team to bronze in the 4-star Nations Cup at Hagen, Germany, on Friday, it was his first time competing in Europe.
He impressed not just once, but twice at Hagen, as the highest-placed U.S. rider in Sunday’s Grand Prix Special for Nations Cup riders, just missing the podium there to finish fourth on 71.745 percent, his second Personal Best of the weekend. Jordan placed ahead of teammate Genay Vaughn on Gino (71.383 percent) in fifth.
Jordan La Placa and Gold Play at Hagen. (U.S. Equestrian Photo).
The Special was topped by Germany’s Isabell Werth, who did not just win, she dominated with a score of 82.426 on Wendy de Fontaine. It was her best Special score on the mare. Their performance earned nine marks of 10 in the final selection trial for the German team that will compete at next month’s world championships in Aachen. Think she’ll be on that squad?
Click here for results of the Nations Cup riders’ Special.
Jordan, who was also on the winning U.S. team at the Nations Cup in Florida over the winter, had the best American finish in Friday’s Grand Prix, eighth place. Although his horse was not passed in the first soundness inspection at the show, he got accepted on the morning of the Cup and stepped right up to achieve a personal best percentage of 70.631 percent.
Jordan La Placa and Gold Play at the U.S. national championships in May.
In the Grand Prix, Jordan was marked just ahead of teammate Christian Simonson, the runner-up in April’s World Cup final with Indian Rock. Christian, only 23 years old and the youngest in the competition, was aboard his back-up mount, Zen Elite’s Fleu de Baian (70.478 percent). The third U.S. score belonged to Genay Vaughn and Gino, eleventh with 69.848. The U.S. total was 210.957 percent.
As expected the home team ran away with the Nations Cup victory, earning a total of 230.834 percent, with Isabell taking first place on Wendy (81.051.) The Germans also accepted the second and third ribbons, as well as fifth, which didn’t count in the total because that was the drop score. Spain — appearing quite impressive — was silver on 212.892.
Looking ahead to the world championships, German National Coach Monica Theodorescu pointed out that is “another test, but this was an important test. This is another important step toward the championship—and whichever championship there is in a year, it’s the same procedure.”
She added having senior stars like Isabell and Frederic Wandres riding with younger teammates like Raphael Netz and Semmieke Rothenberger is a confidence builder.
“We go through all of our age categories, and it proves that our system is working well in Germany,” she emphasized. Raphael and Semmieke rode together in the youth division and rose up the ranks from there.
Jordan has had Gold Play, who he owns with Nancy Hutson, since the son of Grey Flannell was four. Speaking about bringing the gelding along for seven years, he summed up the experience as “an incredible journey.”
The U.S. bronze medal team: Meagan Davis, Christian Simonson, Genay Vaughn and Jordan La Placa.
The Vermont native is trained by Christine Traurig, who is also the U.S. chef d’equpe.
“She is the force who pieced together the refinement of where we’re at,” he said.
“I have to give her a lot of credit. She understands me, she understands my horse. She’s the calm in the storm.”
After trying everything from eventing to driving and western, Jordan said he picked dressage as his focus because he’s “a type A, and I loved the fact that this will never be perfect, never 100 percent.”
Genay was a late addition to the team after Anna Marek’s Fayvel was not able to compete and had to drop out. The top ranks of U.S. dressage are not at their strongest — Indian Rock is taking a rest and won’t be in the world championships next month at Aachen. Marcus Orlob’s 2024 Olympic mount, Jane, has been rehabbing from an injury and will not go to the championships either.
So earning the bronze really meant something.
“We came here with a young team with minimal experience in international competition in Europe up to this point, and for them to step right into a Nations Cup and finish in third means we are moving in the right direction. There is always room for continued improvement, but this week has shown our USEF pathway programs are progressing in the right direction,” observed Christine Traurig.
The U.S. finished ahead of Belgium, which was without its star, world number one Justin Verboomen and super horse Zonik Plus. Sweden was fifth and Austria sixth. Great Britain, a likely medal contender at the championships next month, did not compete.
Click here for Nations Cup individual rider results Click this link for Nations cup team results
In the Saturday Freestyle, Christian was the only U.S. rider entered, doing well to finish third to his instrumental music (76.570 with Fleau die Baian) behind two German stars. His horse was slightly behind the vertical in the first piaffe, but got better as he went along in ever-smoother style. This is 23-year-old Christian’s first senior Grand Prix competition in Europe and he handed it admirably under the mentorship of Adrienne Lyle. It’s especially commendable considering his number one horse, Indian Rock, did not make the trip.
Christian Simonson and Fleau de Baiain. (U.S. Equestrian Photo)
The winner was Fredric Wandres on Bluetooth OLD (80.735 percent), despite mistakes in the tempi changes, though he made up for the twos in a joker line. Fredric’s music included “Everlasting Love,” which seems to illustrate his longtime relationship with his mount.
Second place went to his countrywoman, Semmieke Rothenberger on Farrington (no relation to Kent!) with a mark of 78.930. She had an issue in the one-tempis, but otherwise was smooth to music that aptly included “Celebrate.”
It should be mentioned that Spain’s Jose Antonio Garcia Mena on Gladiador do Lis was very close behind Christian with 76.400. What did I say about the ever-improving Spanish in the section of this story about the Nations Cup?
Click here for freestyle results.
In other action at Hagen on Friday, Adrienne Lyle won the 3-star Grand Prix on her 2024 Olympic mount, Helix. He was the only horse in the class to break 70 percent.
The USA’s Ellesse Gundersen, who won the national Grand Prix championship in May with her homebred Quintessential 4, had a series of problems to finish twenty-fifth and last in the class. The horse seemed a bit unsettled from the start, and had major issues in both the collected and extended walk, each of which were movements with double coefficients that made them more important in the scoring.
On Saturday in the 4-Star Grand Prix Special that was not for Nations Cup riders, the USA’s only entry, Kasey Perry Glass,, was fifth on Heartbeat WP. Germany’s Isabell Werth won with Viva Gold Old.
On Sunday, Adrienne was sixth (69.298 percent) with Helix in the 3-Star Grand Prix Special, sunk by 3s and 2s in the one-tempis and 3s and 4s in the collected trot.
Click here for Sunday’s 3-star GPS results.
Click here for Saturday’s 4-star CDI GPS results
Click here for Friday’s the 3-star Grand Prix results
