Charlie Jayne & Chill R Z at the 2012 Devon Horse Show (The Book LLC)

Calgary, Alberta - The United States heads into Friday’s Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup presented by Scotiabank with high hopes of top performances in the feature competition of the CSIO5* Spruce Meadows ‘Continental’. The U.S. will be represented by two teams, the Stars Team who have drawn third in the order and the Stripes Team who will jump first, with the Stars Team as the declared point team. They will look to secure valuable points towards qualifying for the 2014 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Series Final, as Friday’s Nations Cup serves as the final qualifier in the North American, Central American, and Caribbean League.

Stars Team

The veteran Stars Team brings vast experience to Spruce Meadows and look to utilize that form to earn valuable Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Series Final qualifying points. They will be represented by the following four combinations on Friday.

Charlie Jayne (Elgin, Ill.) will ride Alex Jayne and Maura Thatcher's Chill R Z.Chill R Z is a 2003 Zangersheide stallion.

Jayne was named to the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Short List for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in April, after displaying strong form throughout the past year. Jayne and Chill R Z, the combination that served as reserves for the U.S. team at the London Olympic Games, recently impressed on the world stage in April as they earned a 10th-place finish at the Longines FEI World Cup Final in Lyon, France.

Kent Farrington (Wellington, Fla.) will ride Amalaya Investments and Haity McNerney’s Ambler Gambler. Ambler Gambler is a 2005 KWPN stallion.

Farrington, a member of the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Short List for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, comes to Calgary on top form after earning victories both stateside and abroad in 2014. With Ambler Gambler the 2011 Pan American Team Gold medalist has jumped successful rounds in the Longines Global Champions Tour stops in Antwerp and Madrid.

McLain Ward (Brewster, N.Y.) will ride Double H Farm's HH Cannavaro. HH Cannavaro is a 2004 Holsteiner stallion.

Ward has jumped on multiple winning U.S. Nations Cups teams and has helped the United States to win Team Gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games and to Team Silver at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games. On Friday, he will look to display the form that landed him on the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Short List for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games as he rides HH Cannavaro in the Nations Cup competition.

Rich Fellers (Sherwood, Ore.) will ride Harry and Mollie Chapman’s Flexible. Flexible is a 1996 Irish Sport Horse stallion.

Fellers and Flexible have been spent their storied career together earning victories throughout the world, none bigger than their impressive win in the 2012 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final in s’Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands. The pair have also jumped to multiple top placings in Spruce Meadows and will look to replicate that form on Friday.

Stripes Teams

The following four combinations will represent the U.S. on the Stripes Team on Friday. 

Leslie Howard (Darian, Conn.) will ride Jane Clark’s Tic-Tac. Tic Tac is a 2003 Belgian Sport Horse stallion.

Former World Cup champion, Howard began riding Tic-Tac in 2013 and has earned many strong finishes over the last 18 months. In April, the pair represented the U.S. at the World Cup Final in France, earning a 16th-place finish in the FEI’s only annual championship.

Charlie Jacobs (Boston, Mass.) will ride CMJ Sporthorse LLC’s Flaming Star. Flaming Star is a 1999 Anglo-European gelding.

Jacobs is no stranger to jumping on U.S. Nations Cup teams and was integral in helping the winning American effort at CSIOW Buenos Aires in 2012. With Flaming Star he will looking to utilize the experience gained jumping the gelding at the World Cup Final in Lyon in April. 

Kristen Coe (Royal Palm, Fla.) will ride Ilan Ferder, Lovsta Stuteri, and Tal Milstein’s Baronez. Baronez is a 2001 Belgian Warmblood mare.

Coe and Baronez also bring World Cup experience to Calgary after representing the United States at the 2012 edition in s’Hertogenbosch. Coe was a member of the winning American team last summer at CSIO3* Bratislava and will look to showcase that form on Friday.

Jon McCrea (East Windsor, Conn.) will ride Candy Tribble’s Special Lux. Special Lux is a 2004 Irish Sport Horse gelding.

McCrea made his U.S. Nations Cup debut last month at CSIO4* Coapexpan with Special Lux, aiding in a second-place team finish. They followed that performance up with a third-place finish in the Grand Prix to finish the weekend.

Meagan Nusz (Houston, Texas) and Christine McCrea (East Windsor, Conn.) have also traveled to Calgary and served as reserves for the U.S. Nations Cups teams.
To learn more about the CSIO5* Spruce Meadows ‘Continental’ visit: http://www.sprucemeadows.com/tournaments/view_tournament.jsp?id=25

To learn more about the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Season visit: http://fei.org/fei/events/fei-nations-cup-series/furusiyya.

Follow the U.S. Jumpers here.