Santiago, Chile – The U.S. Jumping Team has sights set on tomorrow’s team competition following the first class of the week for team combinations today. The team currently sits in fifth place overall on team total of 12.37, with both McLain Ward and Laura Kraut inside the top-ten individually. The team will need to finish in the top three previously non-qualified teams at the conclusion of tomorrow’s two rounds to secure their berth to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The competition will be streamed for FREE via ClipMyHorseTV and begin at 11:00 a.m. GMT-3/10:00 a.m. ET.
“Our takeaway today is no different than what we knew coming in, you can’t also leave everything on the table on the first day because there are twice as many jumps tomorrow and it only gets bigger from here on out. Our team needs to focus on what we can control, which is how we approach tomorrow, and it’s a new day for each of the teams here,” said Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland.
The Table C format saw faults converted to time, creating individual scores for each of the combinations in relation to the fastest time of the class, which was set by Marina Azevedo of Brazil.
The team was led-off in the order by Ward (Brewster, N.Y.) and Contagious, a 2009 Zweibrücker gelding owned by Beechwood Stables LLC. The pair managed the course well, barely nudging out the front-rail of the oxer at nine to finish on a fast four faults, helping them hold their place in the standings for majority of the class and moving forward on a score of 3.34.
Karl Cook (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) and Caracole de la Roque, a 2012 Selle Français mare owned by Signe Ostby, will look to bounce back tomorrow after an uncharacteristic day in the first class, finishing with eight jumping faults and 20 time faults after a miscommunication on course at the oxer at fence seven.
As third in the order, Kent Farrington (Wellington, Fla.) and Landon, a 2013 Zangersheide gelding owned by Haity McNerney, were sharp and quick throughout majority of the course, but the pair nudged out the A element of the one-stride combination and dropped the final fence on course for a total of eight faults and an individual total of 5.64, putting pressure on Laura Kraut and Dorado 212 to produce a strong score for the team.
As the anchor combination, Kraut (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) and Dorado 212, a 2013 Oldenburg gelding owned by St. Bride’s Farm, were pressed to deliver a strong score for the team to keep them in the hunt. The pair, who have been impressive for the U.S. this season, were confident in the ring and produced a stunning clear, crossing through the timers in 79.66 seconds, leaving all the rails intact to move the U.S. into fifth place overall and start tomorrow on a score of 3.39, just behind Ward and Contagious.
The two-round team competition to determine medals and Paris 2024 Olympic qualification will begin at 11:00 a.m. GMT-3/10:00 a.m. ET, with U.S. drawing seventh in the country rotation. The second round will begin at 2:30 p.m. GMT-3/1:30 p.m. ET and will be available FREE streaming on ClipMyHorseTV.
Schedule | Streaming | Results
Watch all of the equestrian competition live on ClipMyHorseTV October 22. For more information on the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games, visit www.santiago2023.org/en.
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