Boekelo, Netherlands – The Defender U.S. Eventing Team earned a coveted podium position at the conclusion of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup Netherlands CCIO4*-NC-L, earning second place overall on a final team total of 116.1 penalties. Ireland stood atop the podium with a score of 102.6, while Germany finished in third with 131.9 combined penalties. Hallie Coon and Cute Girl finished as the highest-placed U.S. combination, earning the first individual podium for the program in more than ten years, taking third place. The team was led by Chef d’Equipe Bobby Costello and Team Leader Gemma Stobbs.
“I’m incredibly proud of this team. Boekelo is the most competitive of all the Nations Cup series competitions and with eleven competitive teams, it could have been anyone’s game. There were several very good teams who finished behind us, so I’m happy with the result, but we always need to be thinking and planning of ways to win the next one,” said Chef d’Equipe Bobby Costello. “A huge congratulations to Hallie Coon on a very classy performance, finishing third out of more than 100 entries. She was one of only two combinations in the entire competition to finish on her dressage score.
The team’s performance secured their first podium finish at Boekelo since 2021, where the team also collected silver. This year’s team featured a combination of experience levels between athletes and horses, with three solid phases produced amongst the foursome, which earned them a coveted podium finish amongst an extremely competitive international field.
On Friday, the team saw veteran Phillip Dutton push the team forward with a sub-30 dressage score of 28.9 aboard Possante. Hallie Coon and Cute Girl slated in just behind the pair, receiving a 30.6. Davis and Imperio Magic earned a 35.8 from the judges, while Sanger and Redfield Fyre finished the first phase on a 36.4.
The cross-country phase proved incredibly influential in the standings, as a tremendous amount of rain earlier in the week left a wet and muddy track for combinations to contest. The U.S. was one of the only teams to see all four combinations successfully complete the track designed by Adrian Ditcham (GBR). Three combinations crossed through the finish with just time faults, with one combination going double clear, putting the team into an extremely competitive position looking ahead to the final day. Coon and Cute Girl produced the only round inside of the time for the team, while Sanger added just 1.6 penalties, alongside Davis, who added 6.8 time, and Dutton and Possante finishing with just six-time penalties.
Each of the team combinations presented before the ground jury before the start of the jumping phase, with all horses recovering well from their stellar day on the cross-country course, and ready to tackle the final phase and keep the U.S. in a competitive position on the leaderboard.
Davis and her own Imperio Magic, a 2014 Anglo European Sport Horse gelding (Cassander C x Banboula du Thot) and cared for by Courtney Lucas, secured one of the final two clear rounds for the team on the final day of competition, leaving all the rails up and crossing through the timers within the time to finish on a final total of 42.6. The pair ultimately finished in 19th overall. Dutton and Possante, a 2013 KWPN gelding (Namelus R x Otangelo) owned by The Possante Group and cared for by Erin Deyo, looked fresh and sharp, with just a slight rub at the front rail of the oxer at seven and the C element of the triple adding eight jumping faults and fourth tenths of a penalty in time to their score. The duo finished the weekend on a final score of 43.1 for 20th individually. Sanger and her own Redfield Fyre, a 2013 KWPN gelding (Canabis Z x Guidam) and cared for by Meigs Rutherford, finished with three rails down, nudging out the front rail of the oxer at fence two, the tall skinny vertical at six, and the C element of the triple combination, with 1.6 in time, adding a final total of 13.2 to their overall score, and completing the weekend on a final score of 51.2.
Coon and Cute Girl, a 2014 Holsteiner mare (Coventry x Clearway) owned by Hallie and Helen Coon and cared for by Helen Elston, were the final combination to compete for the team, which saw them not only help secure the team’s overall finish, but also earn the first individual podium finish at Boekelo for the program in more than ten years. The pair rode a beautiful final round, ultimately finishing the weekend on their first-phase score of 30.4, after an exceptional three phases.
“It was a super finish for us. I think the world of her and I’m happy that our partnership has finally come together and starting to prove that these results aren’t out of our reach and out of her reach,” said Coon. “She’s the gutsiest mare and I’m feeling so incredibly lucky to have finally won her over and excited for the coming year. I’m also proud of the finish of our team and think it was as great experience for all of us.”
Results
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