Xalapa, Mexico – The NetJets U.S. Jumping Team claimed silver in the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Mexico on Sunday during the CSIO5* Coapexpan. Mexico claimed gold and Canada took bronze.
Richard Spooner (Agua Dulce, Calif.) blazed the trail for the U.S., jumping clear but picked up one time fault in both rounds aboard Quirado RC, a 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Show Jumping Syndications International. In her senior Nations Cup debut for the U.S., Eve Jobs (Los Altos Hills, Calif.) turned in a four-fault trip in the first round on Venue d’Fees des Hazalles, her 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare, then returned in the second round to jump clear.
Nicole Shahinian Simpson (Wellington, Fla.) and Akuna Mattata, Carol Rosenstein and Silver Raven Farms’ 11-year-old Holsteiner mare, accumulated four and five faults in the first and second round, respectively, while Alex Granato (Wellington, Fla.) and Page Tredennick’s 11-year-old Warmblood gelding Carlchen W had five and 12 faults in the first and second round, respectively.
The U.S. team stood tied for the lead with Mexico after the first round with a total of nine faults, with Canada in third with 14 faults.
“We looked to be in a good place after the first round, but we knew coming into it that Mexico had a strong team and would be tough to beat,” said U.S. Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland. “It was a good day. Obviously, we wanted to win. We gave it a really good shot; we were there to the end. But the real benefit is that we got some young horses and young riders some experience that they needed.
“Eve did a great job in her first five-star Nations Cup after a strong showing at the [Longines FEI Jumping] World Cup Final. She had the one mistake in the first round, but after she came out of the ring, the first thing she said was, ‘I’m fixing that mistake in the second round,’ and she did,” Ridland continued. “Richard’s horse is a young horse, and for him to leave the jumps up twice in a row, that was fantastic. He’s young and on an upward trajectory, so we’re very happy with the way he went. Nikki’s mare was good, too. She had one rail each round, but really jumped well. That’s another very talented young horse. Alex’s horse jumped well in the first round, but his second round was very unusual for Carlchen.”
The silver medal finish puts the U.S. team in second place overall in the North and Central America and Caribbean division heading into the league final at CSIO5* Langley on May 28-June 2. The top two teams in the division will qualify for October’s FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final in Barcelona.
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