Lexington, KY - The U.S. show jumping program turns its focus to Belgium this week as the Young Riders and Junior Riders tackle the CSIOJY Bonheiden, with the Young Riders jumping in the first Young Rider Nations Cup of the USEF European Young Rider Tour. The Nations Cup gets underway on Saturday at 5:30 PM CEST, the U.S. Team will jump third.

The U.S. will be represented by the following four riders in the Nations Cup, Katie Prudent is serving as the Chef d'Equipe.

Reed Kessler on Onisha, Richard Neal on Transmission, Catherine Pasmore will ride My Boy and Jessica Springsteen on Vornado Van Den Hoendrik.

"We feel like we have a great team," said Prudent. "Everyone is very excited to be here and we believe we have a good chance to win some Nations Cups."

There were 75 starters in the Young Rider feature class on Thursday and Kessler stormed to victory on Onisha, just ahead of Pasmore who was second on Van David. Springsteen rounded out the top five on Vornado Van Den Hoendrik.

Junior rider Meg O'Mara won a class on Sinatra IV and Victoria Birdsall was seventh in the CSIJ 1.35m Speed Class.

Friday began with more success, Karen Polle won on With Wings in the Young Rider Table C Class and O'Mara was second in the Junior Speed Class, in the afternoon Polle won again, this time with Whatever and Springsteen was second with Cincinnati La Silla in the Young Rider 1.40m Two-Phase (Power and Speed).

ENDS

Information is available here: http://www.jumping-bonheiden.be/p1_46-6-csi-2stars.aspx

Read Catherine Pasmore's blog here: http://www.catherineusa2011.blogspot.com/