It’s been a banner week for Americans in Aachen, Germany, at a show many consider the most prestigious in the world.
As the action ended today, Brian Moggre of the USA came within a fraction of a second of winning the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen with the fabulous Balou du Reventon during his first trip to the famous showgrounds. The class was taken by Germany’s vastly experienced Daniel Deusser on Killer Queen VDM, fault-free through three rounds and clocked in the jump-off at 41.85 seconds. Brian was second on Ann Thompson’s stallion in 42.16.
It’s hard to believe that just three years ago, Brian was a teenage winner in the junior equitation ranks, victorious in the Dover Saddlery/USEF Medal finals and finishing second in the ASPCA Maclay finals. A year later, he won his first FEI show jumping competition, and now, after turning 20 last month, he has been brilliant on the world stage.
Behind him in third place at Aachen was Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet on Nevados S, the only other triple clear, while the number one horse/rider combo in the world, Olympic individual gold medalist Ben Maher of Great Britain and Explosion W, finished fourth on four faults. A slightly slower four-faulter, American Laura Kraut, was fifth with Baloutinue.
Laura and Brian were part of the winning NetJets team in the Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup team on Friday,along with Jessica Springsteen and Lucy Deslauriers. Brian was the only team member to go double-clear in that competition.
“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 the 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..
Then yesterday, the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team was second, the best finish for a U.S. squad in the history of 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 at the World Equestrian Festival, finishing on a score of 30.50.