It’s been a banner week for Americans in Aachen, Germany at a show many consider the most prestigious in the world.
The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team today finished in second place at World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen, the best team finish for a U.S. squad in the history at the event. Will Coleman and Off The Record, Sydney Elliott and QC Diamantaire, Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan, and Tamie Smith with Mai Baum were led by Chef d’Equipe Erik Duvander and finished on a final team score of 116.5, edged by only 0.3 penalties as Great Britain took the win with 116.2 penalties. Ireland finished third on 127.2 penalties.
At the same time, Will and his 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding became the first American combination to win the prestigious 4-Star Short, finishing on a score of 30.50.
Two days ago, the USA’s NetJets Show Jumping Team won the Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup at Germany’s Aachen, considered by many the world’s most prestigious horse show, with each rider putting in at least one clean round and Brian Moggre putting in two on Balou du Reventon.
“Aachen is something I have dreamed of since I was a little kid, so to be here with a great horse and great teammates could just not be any better,” said Brian, who dotes on Ann Thompson’s stallion.
“I never have had a horse before that has gone and jumped great things. I only had young horses and my junior jumpers moving up, so it was a lot of pressure to put on myself to step up to the plate, but he’s so reliable and so kind, I couldn’t ask for anything more. I just love him so much,” explained Brian who, like Jessie, has been training with Laura and her partner, British Olympic double gold medalist Nick Skelton.
Brian Moggre and Balou du Reventon at Aachen. (Photo courtesy USEF)
The team total was 4 penalties (a drop score is allowed in each round, unlike the Olympics) to 8 for runner-up Sweden and 12 for third-place France.
Robert Ridland, the USA’s outstanding coach, likes to pair younger riders with more experienced competitors. So he put half of the Tokyo Olympic silver medal team, Jessie Springsteen and Laura Kraut as pathfinder and anchor, with Lucy Deslauriers and Brian. Laura had the drop score of 4 in the first round with Baloutinue, but came back to produce a fault-free trip. Lucy, riding her favorite, Hester, was clear in the first round and collected 4 faults in the second. Jessie, on Don Juan van de Donkhoeve, also was clear in the first round but had the drop score of eight in the second.
Sweden, which won gold in Tokyo, did not use any of its riders from those Games, which speaks to that country’s depth in the sport. The U.S. team was able to avoid a jump-off with Sweden, something that happened in both the 2018 World Equestrian Games, where America triumphed, and the Tokyo Olympics..