The U.S. Show Jumping Team took its tenth victory in the $150,000 Nations Cup in Wellington, Fla., Saturday night. The only all-female squad in the competition accumulated a mere 5 penalties, and the margin was so good that anchor rider Laura Kraut didn’t even have to go in the second round.
Ireland was second with 12 penalties, but its chef d’equipe, Michael Blake, got even with U.S. coach Robert Ridland by dousing him with the celebratory bottle of champagne presented during the awards ceremony. Belgium was third on 17 penalties.
Both Ireland and Belgium had one rider each eliminated in the first round, so they had only three competitors to go in the second, run over the same course as the initial effort in the International Arena at the Wellington International showgrounds. Teams from nine countries competed, but the rules called for only eight returning in the second round, so Israel finished ninth.
As usual, Robert gave less-experienced riders a chance to get Cup mileage in this competition. Carly Anthony on Heavenly W was one of only three people in the class to go double-clear.
Carly Anthony was double-clear for the U.S. with Heavenly W. (Sportfot photo)
Robert celebrated woman power.
“What we really like is American girl power beating Irish boy power,” he said with a chuckle.
The U.S. team: Laura Kraut, Natalie Dean, Robert Ridland, Carly Anthony and Charlotte Jacobs (U.S. Equestrian)
The pressure was on Charlotte Jacobs as last to go with Playboy JT Z.
“I knew my horse jumped great in the first round, so I just wanted to repeat that performance,” she said, adding only a single time fault in the second round to her clear trip in the first.
Also on the team was Natalie Dean with Acota M, clean in the first round and a single rail in the second.
The lineup of countries for the Nations Cup (Sport fot photo)
This was Laura’s ninetieth Nations Cup outing, but her first with Tres Bien Z. She had the drop score, when there was a problem at teh one-stride combination after the water jump. Although they cleared the obstacle on a second try, the mishap and time faults made her the drop score.
But as always, the 2008 Olympic team gold medalist had an upbeat comment.
“This was incredible,” she said.
“From the beginning, when Robert told me who the team was, I was really pumped. These are three amazing riders who have been on fire now, not just recently, but working for years to get here. The way they rode the first round was textbook and just so impressive,” she observed.
“To come back the second round and do the same — I’m grateful to them for being the great riders and tough competitors they are.”
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