Calgary, Alta. – On Saturday, the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team takes aim at the $300,000 BMO Nations Cup during the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ CSIO5* Tournament. Led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland, the team consisting of Georgina Bloomberg, Beezie Madden, Todd Minikus, and McLain Ward hope for a top performance in Calgary. The U.S. Team will be last in the order of eight teams.

“The horses are jumping great and we have had great results the last couple days,” Ridland said. “We were lucky enough to get a good position in the draw. We have a really good team and we have a decent shot for tomorrow.” 

Ward (Brewster, N.Y.) will ride in the lead-off position in the Nations Cup aboard HH Carlos Z, Double H Farm’s 2002 Zangerscheide gelding. He has had numerous top placings this year, including the $400,000 ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup during the Spruce Meadows ‘North American’ CSI5* Tournament. Ward is coming off Team and Individual Bronze medals at the Pan American Games. He and HH Carlos Z are in top form for Saturday, having won the $35,000 Telus Cup earlier this week at Spruce Meadows.

Bloomberg (New York City, N.Y.) will follow Ward. She has been a solid performer on Nations Cup teams, going double-clear earlier this year at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup presented by Edge Water Brewing Barcelona at CSIO4* Ocala with Juvina. Bloomberg made her championship debut at the Pan American Games a memorable one by earning the Team Bronze medal with Lilli, a 2004 Deutsches Sportpfred mare owned by Gotham Enterprizes, LLC. The pair is ready for another top performance in Calgary.

Minikus (Loxahatchee, Fla.) has racked up top placings on Nations Cup teams this year. At CSIO4* Wellington, he was a member of the winning U.S. Team at the FEI Nations Cup presented by Kingsland Equestrian, going double-clear with Babalou 41, a 2005 Oldenburg mare owned by Two Swans Farm. The pair made another team appearance at CSIO5* Hickstead, helping the team to a third-place finish by going double-clear yet again in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup of Great Britain presented by Longines. Minikus will again partner with Babalou 41 and aim for another top performance.

Riding in the familiar anchor position, Madden (Cazenovia, N.Y.) will partner with Simon, a 1999 Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Abigail Wexner. At the beginning of the year, the pair helped earn a second-place finish by going double-clear in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup presented by Edgewater Brewing Barcelona at CSIO4* Ocala. They headed to the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final in Las Vegas and were the top-placed American combination coming in fourth place. Madden and Simon are primed for success as they come to Calgary having just won the Canadian Pacific $1 Million Grand Prix FEI CSI5*, presented by Wells Fargo at HITS-on-the-Hudson.

The $300,000 BMO Nations Cup begins at 2:00 p.m. MDT on Saturday. On Sunday, combinations will aim for top honors in the $1.5 Million CP International Grand Prix.

Find out more about the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ CSIO5* Tournament.

Watch the live cam from Spruce Meadows to catch the action from the International Ring.

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