La Baule, France – The NetJets U.S. Jumping Team took sixth place overall following the final round of Nations Cup competition in La Baule, finishing on a team total of 24 faults. Germany earned the victory on a team total of four faults, while the home nation of France, secured second-place on five faults. Belgium took third on 12 total faults. The Rolex Grand Prix Ville de La Baule CSIO5* will conclude competition on Sunday, June 9, with the class beginning at 4:30 p.m. GMT+2. 

“It’s important to remember why we’re here, which is for observation and selection, and to see everyone and different groups, which is a part of our overall strategy and the long game here,” said Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland, “It was obviously not the result we wanted as the outcome, but we were in the lead after the first round, and we know all of our combinations are capable of jumping clear rounds. We’re only half-way through the show and the Grand Prix is still just as important for us, so everyone is ready to look ahead to Sunday.”

The team started strong, with a clear round from Karl Cook (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) and Caracole de la Roque, navigating through the track, designed by Grégory Bodo (FRA), on the beautiful grass field at La Baule. Cook and Caracole de la Roque notched the first clear round of the day, as the U.S. team went an early third in the order of nine participating teams.

An uncharacteristic elimination from Kent Farrington (Wellington, Fla.) and Landon, a 2013 Zangersheide gelding owned by Haity McNerney and cared for by Denise Moriarty, as the second combination in the team rotation added pressure onto Lillie Keenan and Aaron Vale as the third and fourth combinations for the team, with both of their scores counting toward the team’s first-round total.

Keenan (New York, N.Y.) and her veteran mount, Argan de Beliard, responded, producing a strong clear round effort and keeping the team on a score of zero heading into the last rotation. Vale (Williston, Fla.) and Carissimo 25, added just four faults to their first trip, pushing the team through to the second round on four total faults, after dropping a heartbreaking front rail of the final oxer on course.

The second round proved to be more challenging for the team. Farrington elected to withdraw Landon from the second round of competition, resulting in the three scores counting towards the final team total in the second round. Cook and Caracole de la Roque, a 2012 Selle Français mare owned by Signe Ostby and cared for by Tessa Falanga, returned to the track in solid form, but knocked out a block of the wall at fence two, and adding four to their score, pushing the team’s total to eight faults overall with Keenan and Vale left to come. 

Aboard Argan de Beliard, a 2010 Selle Français gelding owned by Chansonette Farm and cared for by Cory Tual, Keenan just nudged out the front rail to the widely set and airy oxer at fence four before the one-stride combination of two verticals at 9AB saw the B element drop from the cups rail at the one-stride combination of two verticals at 9AB saw the B element drop from the cups, adding eight faults to their score, with the team now sitting on 16 faults.

Entering as the final score for the team, Vale and Carissimo 25, a 2013 Holsteiner gelding owned by Debbie Smith and cared for by Nicky Cook, the pair dropped the A element of the triple combination at 5A and added the front rail of the oxer at seven before the open water for a total of eight faults, with the team total moving to 24 faults over two rounds. The NetJets U.S. Jumping Team travels to the Longines League of Nations Rotterdam CSIO5* as part of CHIO Rotterdam as their next European stop, which will take place from June 20-23, 2024.

Results

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