Aachen, Germany – Members of the U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team will compete in their final Nations Cup competition prior to the Rio Olympic Games this week at CHIO Aachen. Led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland, the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team will include Lucy Davis, Laura Kraut, Beezie Madden, and McLain Ward. The Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup will take place Thursday evening. The U.S. has drawn first in the order of eight teams.

Wednesday afternoon, Ward and HH Carlos Z bested a tough international field to take the victory in the Prize of StädteRegion Aachen.

“It’s Aachen and it’s the first time we have all five Olympic team members on the same team,” said Ridland. “Tomorrow night they won’t all be riding their Olympic mounts, but it’s Aachen and it’s important. The class we just won is important; any class you win here is important. It’s great for the riders to get together and be teammates. Unfortunately we drew first, but McLain is used to going first and he knows Rothchild well.”

The pathfinders for the U.S. will be Ward (Brewester, N.Y.) and Sagamore Farm's Rothchild, a 2001 Warmblood gelding. Thus far in 2016, Ward and Rothchild have marked wins in the AIG $1 Million Grand Prix at HITS Ocala and in the $380,000 Fidelity Investments® Grand Prix CSI 5* during week five of the Winter Equestrian Festival. The pair was also a member of the Gold medal-winning U.S. team at CSIO4* Ocala.

Davis (Los Angeles, Calif.) will partner with longtime mount, Barron, a 2004 Belgian Warmblood gelding owned by Old Oak Farm. Most recently the pair was a part of the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team that tied for second place at CSIO5* St. Gallen in June.

Kraut (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) will ride Old Willow Farms, LLC’s Zeremonie, a 2007 Holsteiner mare. This will mark the pair’s fourth Nations Cup appearance. They were previously a part of the second-placed Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team at CSIO4* Wellington and the Silver-medal tie for the U.S. at CSIO5* Rome.

Riding in the anchor position, Madden (Cazenovia, N.Y.) will ride her famed partner, Cortes ‘C’, a 2002 Belgian Warmblood gelding owned by Abigail Wexner. In 2015, the pair aided in the Gold-medal win by the U.S. team at the 100th Nations Cup of Germany at CSIO5* Mannheim, the Bronze-medal win at CSIO5* Hickstead, and the fourth-place finish at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final.

Start lists and results

Further information on show jumping at CHIO Aachen

The U.S. will also be represented at CHIO Aachen in dressage, driving, and eventing.

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