Even before the Pan Am Games team show jumping medals were decided this afternoon in Chile, after three perfect trips in the second round of today’s team competition, the U.S. was set to finish high enough to qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Whew!
But when the competition finished, the news was even better. The U.S. had an amazing score of four clears from McLain Ward (Contagious), Karl Cook (Caracole de la Roque), Kent Farrington (Landon) and Laura Kraut (Dorado 212) in the second round. The squad took team gold, followed by Canada’s silver medal effort; as the former leader, Brazil, dropped to bronze on a tense and exciting afternoon.
Laura Kraut, McLain Ward, Karl Cook and Kent Farrington. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
It was quite a comeback for the U.S. under the direction of coach Robert Ridland from Tuesday’s initial speed round, where only anchor rider Laura Kraut went clean for the team, and the U.S. stood fifth.
To get a berth for Paris next year, which was Mission One in Chile, the U.S. needed to be in the top three (aside from Brazil, which already had qualified for Paris last month at the Nations Cup Final.) There would be no other chance to qualify for the U.S show jumping team, which is a regular participant at the Olympics. It was get it done at the Pan Ams or stay home next year.
The Canadian, U.S. and Brazilian teams get together on the podium at the end of the medal ceremony.
Coach Robert got it right Tuesday night when he said of today’s two-rounder, “it’s a new day for each of the teams here.”
Today, the U.S. riders were playing their A-game, as they took advantage of their last chance to make the cut for Paris.
Canada, earning team silver, has taken one of the other two places available for the Paris Games, and Mexico got the third. Mexico was fourth in the standings, but as Brazil finished third and was qualified, Mexico was able to clinch its slot.
“You know, we really needed clear rounds today or we weren’t going to be qualified for the Olympics. That’s as simple as that,” Kent said after his ride on Landon.
Kent and Landon.
Speaking about his horse, Kent mentioned, “He’s an inexperienced horse for this level of competition. I thought he showed his greenness the first day and he really rallied back today, actually over a more difficult and a real course. So thrilled with the performance, great progress for my horse and happy we got Team USA in the Olympics.”
As far as the medal, he noted, “Gold was the icing for us here.”
The gold, by the way, was the thirty-second medal U.S. equestrians have earned at the Pan Ams.
Robert pointed out, “One thing nobody has mentioned is the level of competition at the Pan American Games. The last two or three, we keep seeing a higher and higher level of competition. I think everybody saw that today.”
We’re all used to watching the Brits, the French, the Germans, the Swiss and the Irish, among others from Europe. So we have to readjust as we watch riders from countries such as Chile (which won gold in the first Pan Ams in 1951), Paraguay and Uruguay, with which we are less familiar in equestrian terms. But being a part of this competition meant so much to them; it was obvious by looking at their faces or watching their supporters cheer fervently.
“These are really strong teams out there fighting to the end,” observed Robert.
“It’s a tribute to what the Pan American Games have become. The sport has become so worldwide there isn’t this chasm between the Americas and Europe.”
Karl had a really difficult time Tuesday and was lucky to stay on after his mare ran out at a fence and started running. He had two rails in the first round today, but did well to leave all the poles in place this afternoon.
Karl Cook and Caracole de la Roque. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
“It’s been less than a year that I’ve had the mare,” he mentioned.
“We hit a few variables this week that were unaccounted for in our prep, and that’s obviously our fault. I was so thankful for the support of my team, so we would keep chipping away at the issues and just progressively get better.” The final trip felt good, he said.
Anchor rider Laura said she was “so relieved when the three riders before me went clear,” in the second round.
“I almost enjoyed the last round,” she confided.
Reserve rider Lillie Keenan said of her teammates, “I had no part in what they achieved today,”
But Robert and the other team members agreed to differ.
“We had a team of five riders here, all interchangeable parts, and that was the whole point,” said Robert.
“It wasn’t a four-plus-one team.”
The course, which Robert called “fantastic,” was set at a maximum of 1.60 meters, compared with 1.50 meters in Tuesday’s one-round speed class. The extra height made it more of a test for some of the horses, who lacked experience at the highest levels of the sport.
Designer Marina Azevedo of Brazil–the only woman ever to have designed show jumping courses for the Pan Ams, and the only Level 4 female designer in the world–came up with a brilliant layout that did just enough to test horses, rather than discourage them, in most instances.
The fences were intriguing and even educational about Chile, from the bright yellow model of the country’s famous railway bridge (yellow isn’t the easiest color for horses to see, so that’s a test) to the wall painted with a Patagonian scene. My favorite was the open water jump flanked by models of Emperor penguins and large blocks of (styrofoam) ice. Chile, the longest country in the world, governs part of Antarctica, so that’s how it relates.
Laura Kraut and Dorado 212 at the railroad bridge. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
Individual honors will be sorted out in two rounds on Friday, with 30 starters qualifying for the first round, and 20 for the medal round. McLain leads the Individual standings, followed by Laura and Brazil’s Stephan De Freitas Barcha on Chevaux Primavera Imperio Egipcio in third at the moment.
An order of go for Friday’s competition likely will be posted on Thursday, after the horse inspection. No country can field more than three riders in the individual, so Karl isn’t slated to be riding in that competition. He will, however, trot up his mare in the inspection, in case one of the other team members can’t ride for some reason, Robert said.
Ater the medal ceremony, McLain said, “As everyone knows, our `A’ goal was to qualify for the Games and to win a medal for the team and represent our country well. I thought the team rallied well and pulled it off in pretty good style today.”
McLain Ward and Contagious. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
He cautioned, however, “The fact that it took us so long to qualify needs to bring it to our attention that we can’t rest on a good week here, that we have some work to be done to be prepared for Paris. We need to find motivation.”
Click here for team results