A U.S. team with three-first timers competing in the last Longines League of Nations qualifier Sunday was not able to hang onto third place after the first round, winding up seventh in Saint-Tropez, France.
That edition of the four-part series appropriately went to the home country, scoring its second LLN victory this year on the back of Simon Delestre’s perfect trip aboard the 10-year-old Gaspard du Tillard clinching the French team’s opportunity to avoid a jump-off against Brazil (a country that is looking very strong; read about its Friday grand prix win at this link).
France had 4 penalties to 8 for Brazil and 8 for Belgium, which wound up third because the team’s composite time was a little more than second slower than Brazil’s.
The French team of Antoine Ermann, Julien Epaillard, Nina Mallavaey and Simon Delestre with chef d’equipe Edouard Couperie.
The good news for the U.S. is that it’s among nine countries now qualified to face off next month in the LLN finals in Barcelona, with the Americans, France, Germany, Brazil, Ireland, Belgium, Italy and host country Spain trying to unseat defending champion Great Britain there.
The U.S. was third after the initial round contested by 10 teams, but sank in the second over the same route. On the track laid out by 2024 Olympic course designer Gregory Bodo, the Americans in the second round did not have a single fault-free trip. In the first round, both veteran Laura Kraut (on the appropriately named Très Bien) and Paris Sellon in her LLN debut with Chad Blue PS were fault-free.
But in the second, Laura had a rail, as did McKayla Langmeier (Riesling van de Gaathoeve) and Paris knocked down two poles. Kristen Vanderveen, who had 4 faults in the first round on Starbucks 27, did not ride in the second round, because only three team members can participate in the second segment.
Edouard Couperie, the French chef d’equipe, noted as one would expect, “To win at home is really, really special,” adding he likes the format of having only three riders in the second round. That enabled his squad to keep the Flying Frenchman, Julien Epaillard, in reserve with a fresh horse (Donatello D’Auge) in case of a jump-off, but due to Simon’s performance, he wasn’t needed.
“It’s a great team we all get along really well. I think every rider likes the pressure,” said Nina Mallavaey, who corrected her first-round mistake in the triple combination with a clear in the second on Destine to Be.
Antoine Ermann was the team’s only double clear, riding Floyd de Pres with great style that paid off.
“My horse was super one more time. Such a nice horse, I’m really lucky to have him by my side.” said Antoine.
Simon, the anchor rider, observed, “Going last in that kind of competition with the possibility of winning for the team is very hard. But when you can make it, it is a fantastic feeling. We knew we had a strong team, but the course was really delicate and you could not make any mistakes. To win in front of your home crowd is fantastic.”
It’s interesting to note that at this show younger horses were demonstrating what they could do. Both Antoine and Nina’s horses are 10, while Simon’s is 11. And Brazil’s grand prix winner, Charly Heart, is also 10.
Click here for results of final qualifier. Click here for overall team standings.