Caroline Roffman & Pie were the top pair at the WEF Wellington Dressage Nations Cup CDIO3* Prix. St. George (Susan J. Stickle)

Lexington, KY – Eight teams entered the Prix St. Georges at the WEF Wellington Dressage Nations Cup CDIO3* today looking to earn a shot at the Nations Cup Title. At the end of competition it was the Americas that ruled the day. Two teams from the United States and two teams representing Latin American will be joined by a team representing Europe to compete in tomorrow’s Intermediaire I Freestyle and attempt to win the FEI Nations Cup.

Riders from the first U.S. team didn’t start their rides until the second to last group today but they didn’t seem to mind the wait. Caroline Roffman and her own Pie continued their winning ways and, with a score of 70.500%, were today's best. Christopher Hickey, atop Hilltop Farm’s Witness Hilltop, finished second with a 69.684% and helped lead the American team, along with Shelly Francis, who finished fifth, and Devon Kane, into the Intermediaire I Freestyle.

Rounding out today's top three was fellow American Laura Graves. She and her own Verdades had the highest score of any rider on the second U.S. team with a 69.395%. Teams of four are allowed to drop their lowest score but Graves and her team needed no such help. The team has only three riders and they all put up strong enough numbers to earn a shot at the Nations Cup title.

“The competition was intense,” said USEF Technical Advisor Anne Gribbons, “the fact that we have two Latin teams qualified for the freestyle shows we can gather competitors to one show in spite of our distances.” Gribbons hopes that showings like the one today will help to establish a Championship of the Americas, a competition that will one day become an Olympic qualifier.

Riders from the top five teams return to action tomorrow with a clean slate. The team that scores highest in the Intermediaire I Freestyle will be the 2012 FEI WEF Wellington Dressage Nations Cup Champion. The remaining three teams will compete in the Intermediaire I.

For more information about the WEF Wellington Dressage Nations Cup CDIO3* visit http://www.globaldressagefestival.com/

Follow the 2012 U.S. Dressage Team at http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/2012Dressage/