Jacob Arnold and Hotspur's Red Rowl (Janos and Zoltan Varaljai)

Izsak, Hungary – The United States will head out on the marathon at the FEI World Driving Championships in ninth place, after posting a team score of 101.57 in the dressage. On Friday, Jacob Arnold and Hotspur’s Red Rowl rounded the U.S. effort in the first phase with a top-40 performance.

Arnold (Snow Camp, Fla.) and John C. Merritt and Karen K. Chandor's 10-year-old Morgan gelding, Hotspur’s Red Rowl, earned a mark of 55.23 from the Ground Jury of Pierre Cazas, József Borka, Reiner Wannenwetsch, Diana Brownlee, and Sarah Mullins. The Live Oak Combined Driving, Inc. Driver Apprentice Program participant is in equal 39th place.

Arnold’s U.S. teammates Leslie Berndl (Newcastle, Calif.) and Donna Crookston (Saltsburg, Pa.) stand in 12th and 49th places on score of 46.34 and 57.28, respectively.

France holds the early lead in Team competition on a score of 85.82, and Germany lies second on 87.42, and Poland is third with a score of 89.60. Wilbrord Van Den Broek of The Netherlands leads the Individual standings on a score of 39.49, with Renaud Vinck of France second on 41.28, and Austria’s Rudolf Pirhofer lies third with a score of 42.88.

To learn more about FEI World Driving Championships for Singles visit: http://www.izsak2014.hu/

Follow the U.S. Driving Team here.