Calgary, Canada - The Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team has enjoyed an extremely successful summer campaign with CSIO5* Nations Cup victories in Europe as well as capturing Team Bronze last week at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France. On Saturday, the team of Lauren Hough, Leslie Burr Howard, McLain Ward, and Beezie Madden led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland look to earn another victory for the U.S.  jumping in the BMO FEI Nations Cup at the Spruce Meadows CSIO5* ‘Masters’ Tournament.

Hough (Wellington, Fla.) will ride her 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games veteran, Laura and Meredith Mateo’s Quick Study, as the pathfinder for the U.S. effort that has drawn second in the order. The 15-year-old Selle Francais gelding has spent the summer jumping at prestigious CSIO5* competitions, including St. Gallen, Rotterdam, and Aachen. In St. Gallen the pair earned a seventh-place finish in the Longines Grand Prix.

Howard (Darian, Conn.) has been enjoying an exciting 2014 season with Jane Clark’s talented 11-year-old Belgian Sport Horse stallion, Tic-Tac, collecting top placings in the U.S. and abroad. In April, they earned a 16th-place finish at the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final. They then traveled to Calgary, jumping in Spruce Meadows Tournaments, including helping the United States “Stars” Team to a second-place finish in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup presented by Scotiabank.

Ward (Brewster, N.Y.) heads into this weekend’s competition on strong form after helping the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team to a Bronze medal at last week’s World Championships as well as placing fifth individually. In Calgary, he will ride Double H Farm’s 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding HH Carlos Z. In July, the combination was the winners of the Ashcor Technologies Cup during the ‘Pan American’ Tournament at Spruce Meadows.

Joining Ward on the Bronze medal podium in Normandy was Madden (Cazenovia, N.Y.), who doubled up on medals as she also took home Individual Bronze on the final day of competition. In Saturday’s BMO FEI Nations Cup she is set to ride Abigail Wexner’s 2013 Rolex/FEI World Cup Jumping Final champion, Simon. In March, the 15-year-old KWPN gelding helped the U.S. to a third-place finish in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup presented by G&C Farm at CSIO4* Wellington and was a member of the U.S. team that claimed victory in CSIO5* Dublin’s Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup presented by Longines in August.

To learn more about the Spruce Meadows CSIO5* ‘Masters’ Tournament visit; http://www.sprucemeadows.com/tournaments/view_tournament.jsp?id=29

Follow the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team here.