![U.S. Team Wins Nations Cup at Spruce Meadows (Photo by Mike Sturk)](/images/articles/885/6140.jpg)
U.S. Team Wins Nations Cup at Spruce Meadows (Photo by Mike Sturk)
Four of the nation’s best riders delivered on a huge stage when the U.S. squad romped to victory at the Spruce Meadows Masters to win the Nations Cup in legitimate company.
Leopoldo Palacios, the Venezuelan course designer, created a challenging track that produced just 10 clear rounds from eight teams over two rounds of jumping.
Rich Fellers (Wilsonville, OR) had a four fault effort as the leadoff rider on Mollie and Harry Chapman’s Flexible but jumped clear in the second round in a stellar performance from the Irish Sport Horse stallion. Ashlee Bond (Hidden Hills, CA) had two rails in the first round with Cadett 7 and then got jumped off in round two, Richard Spooner (Agua Dulce, CA) and the scopey Holsteiner gelding, Cristallo had an unlucky foot in the water in both rounds in the huge ring at Spruce Meadows and Beezie Madden (Cazenovia, NY) on Coral Reef Via Volo jumped a first round clear but added a rail and a time fault in round two to give the U.S. a four point win on 17 faults over the Irish who ended on 21.
The US team was tied for the lead with eight faults after round one, with the Irish and Canadians tied just one fault behind. The U.S. squad handled the pressure, despite Bond’s mishap at the second element of the third fence in round two.
George Morris, the U.S. Chef d’Equipe engineered another stellar performance out of his riders and they look forward to the CN International, which is the $1 million Grand Prix tomorrow to close out the only CSIO5* in Canada.
The day got off to a flying start when the U.S. swept the top three places in the BP Cup, Fellers stormed to the win on McGuinness, besting Madden on Prima and Young Rider Karl Cook delivered on a huge stage with Notories Utopia to finish third in the Speed Class.
ENDS
For more information please visit: www.sprucemeadows.com