Dublin, Ireland – The Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team has little to prove heading into FEI Nations Cup CSIO5* Dublin on Friday. They earned a coveted spot in September’s FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final along with five of six Nations Cup podium appearances along the way. However, the team of Lauren Hough, Lillie Keenan, Laura Kraut, and Beezie Madden will apply the same level of intensity in Dublin, working to thwart other nations’ podium efforts. Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland will lead the team, who has drawn fifth in the order. They will compete as follows:

Lauren Hough and Ohlala: This veteran partnership has faced numerous Nations Cup competitions together, including a team bronze medal at the 2016 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final. Over the past few months, Hough (Wellington, Fla.) and Ohlala, The Ohlala Group’s 13-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare, have garnered several top finishes, including a fifth-place finish at the World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen in July and a first-place finish at the Bolesworth International Horse Show CSI4* in June.

Lillie Keenan and Super Sox: Keenan (New York, N.Y) and Super Sox will team up for their second Nations Cup competition this season after helping the U.S. earn a team silver medal at HITS Ocala in February. They were also part of the bronze-medal-winning team at the 2016 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final. She and Chansonette Farm LLC’s 11-year old Hanoverian gelding have had a productive summer thus far picking up a second place finish at CSI4* Samorin and a third place finish in the Global Champions League CSI5* Cascais, Portugal, in July. In June, they placed third in the CSI4* Grand Prix of Wiesbaden.

Beezie Madden and Darry Lou:  The two-time Olympic team gold medalist added Darry Lou to her string this past spring, taking over the ride from Mexico’s Alberto Aldana. In their debut at the Spruce Meadows ‘National’ CSI5* presented by Rolex, Madden (Cazenovia, N.Y.) and Abigail Wexner’s nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion placed second in the Omega Alpha Cup. In July, they placed fifth in the Pan American Cup Grand Prix presented by Rolex at Spruce Meadows. Now, Madden will introduce the stallion to team competition at CSIO5* Dublin, where he will follow in the steps of past dependable greats.

Laura Kraut and Confu: Olympic team gold medalist Kraut (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.), a fixture on many successful Nations Cup teams, including last year’s bronze medal-winning team at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final, enters St. Bride’s Farms’ 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding in his first Nations Cup. Kraut has been competing Confu for over a year, consistently earning top placings. In June, they had a great showing at CSI5* Knokke, Belgium, picking up a third- and a fifth-place finish.

FEI TV will live stream FEI Nations Cup CSIO5* Dublin beginning at 10:35 a.m. EST on Friday.

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