Lexington, Ky. – Members of the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team will compete in two pivotal Nations Cup competitions tomorrow. Four athletes on the Short List for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team will go up against seven teams at CSIO5* St. Gallen, Switzerland. The competition is a designated observation event as part of the selection process for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team. Elsewhere, four athletes will look to clinch a spot for the United States in the 2016 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final against three teams in the final North American qualifier at CSIO4* Langley, British Columbia. Chef d'Equipe Robert Ridland will lead the team of Lucy Davis, Margie Engle, Lauren Hough, and Todd Minikus at CSIO5* St. Gallen and Chef d'Equipe DiAnn Langer will guide Karl Cook, Rich Fellers, Christine McCrea, and Jonathan McCrea at CSIO4* Langley. Both teams drew second in the order at their respective Nations Cup competitions.

Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ at CSIO5* St. Gallen

The same combinations that earned a Team Silver medal in the Nations Cup at CSIO5* La Baule three weeks ago are hoping to go one better at St. Gallen. Hough (Wellington, Fla.) will ride Ohlala, a 2004 Swedish Warmblood mare owned by The Ohlala Group, in the lead-off position for the U.S. The talented mare came into her own in 2015, contributing to multiple medal-winning efforts, highlighted by Team and Individual Bronze medals at the Pan American Games.

Davis (Los Angeles, Calif.) will be second in the order with longtime mount, Barron, a 2004 Belgian Warmblood gelding owned by Old Oak Farm. In 2015, Davis and Barron contributed to the triumphant U.S. win at the 100th running of the Nations Cup of Germany, and were part of the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team that finished fourth at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final.

Next for the U.S. will be Engle (Wellington, Fla.) and Elm Rock Partners, LLC’s Royce, a 2004 Oldenburg stallion. The pair produced a solid record in 2015, including wins as part of the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team at the FEI Nations Cup presented by Kingsland Equestrian at CSIO4* Wellington and at HITS Thermal in the $65,000 Sunshine Classic CSI5*.

Minikus (Loxahatchee, Fla.) and Jack Snyder and Two Swans Farm’s Babalou 41, a 2005 Oldenburg mare, will be the final U.S. combination. The pair has contributed to multiple medal-winning efforts as members of the Hermès U.S Show Jumping Team, including a win in February at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ presented by Edge Brewing Barcelona at CSIO4* Ocala. Earlier in the year, the pair topped the $130,000 Adequan® Grand Prix CSI3* at the Winter Equestrian Festival.

Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ at CSIO4* Langley

Pathfinding for the team will be Jonathan McCrea (East Windsor, Conn.) with Windsor Show Stables’ Special Lux. McCrea returns to Nations Cup Competition after a tying for a Team Silver medal as part of the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team at CSIO4* Coapexpan in April. He and the 2004 Irish Sport Horse gelding won the $100,000 Grand Prix CSI3* at the Split Rock Jumping Tour: The Bourbon International in 2015.

Going second in the order will be Cook (Woodside, Calif.) with Signe Ostby’s Tembla. Cook will make his first Nations Cup appearance at the high performance level at CSIO4* Langley. He and the 2004 Zangersheide mare won the $50,000 Card Flex Grand Prix at the 2016 Desert Circuit VII in March. They picked up a string of second place Grand Prix finishes on the West Coast circuit in 2015 including the $50,000 Sunshine Series Grand Prix at the National Sunshine Series I, the $45,500 Grand Prix of the Pacific at the Del Mar International Welcome Week, and the $50,000 Grand Prix of Showpark at the Showpark All Seasons Summer Tournament, and the $50,000 Card Flex Grand Prix at Desert Circuit VII.

Christine McCrea (East Windsor, Conn.) with Windsor Show Stables’ Nektarina, a 2005 Holsteiner mare, will be the penultimate U.S. combination. This will be their first Nations Cup together for the relatively new partnership. McCrea also contributed to the tying Silver Medal winning effort at CSIO4* Coapexpan.

The seasoned Nations Cup combination of Fellers (Sherwood, Ore.) with Harry and Mollie Chapman’s Flexible, a 1996 Irish Sport Horse stallion, will anchor the U.S. team. Fellers and Flexible won the $25,000 Smartpak Grand Prix and $50,000 Osphos Grand Prix at the 2016 Desert Circuit V and won both the $126,000 CSI3*Longines World Cup Qualifier at the 2015 Summer Fort Classic.

FEI TV will live stream both competitions tomorrow beginning at 8:15 a.m. ET with CSIO5* St. Gallen followed by CSIO4* Langley at 6:50 p.m. ET.