Barcelona, Spain – The NetJets U.S. Jumping Team finished the inaugural 2024 Longines League of Nations season with a sixth-place finish in the final competition of the year – the Longines League of Nations Final – hosted in Barcelona, Spain. The top eight teams from the qualifying season earned an invite to the series final, as well as the host nation of Spain. Germany earned first overall on a final team score of 12, with the Netherlands in second on 16, and Sweden in third on a combined 20 penalties. The U.S. finished the day on 28 faults.
“Today was a very solid day for the team. On paper, we had a relatively inexperienced team compared to the other teams; however, they really held their own. It was one of those days that we fell victim to four fault rounds,” said Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland. “Everyone put in solid rounds and dug deep to deliver a good result. Our primary target this year was the Olympic Games, where we won team silver. None of the team medalists from Paris were on the podium here, which shows just how many talented nations there are in jumping and that everything has to go your way on the day.”
The team saw one of the youngest members of the team in Spencer Smith (Wellington, Fla.) aboard Keeneland set out as the first in the order for the four-member team in the first round. The pair, who have showed incredibly consistency this year in team competitions, produced a starting score of four faults for the team, stopping the timer in 71.70 seconds.
In his first CSIO5*, Alex Matz (Coatesville, Pa.) brought forward Igikai, a 2013 KWPN stallion (Elvis Ter Putte x Iroko) owned by 5 Star Partners and cared for by Cesar Gonzalez, to test the track designed by Santigo Varela (ESP). The pair, who have showed their potential over the past year at the CSI5* level in the U.S., were impressive. With a minor miscommunication at the open water, the pair recovered quickly to finish on just the single four faults with two combinations to come for the team.
Competing back at the top levels of the sport, Lucy Davis Kennedy (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Ben 431, have stepped up for the U.S. Jumping Team over the summer and most recently were members of the winning Nations Cup team at Dublin in August. Davis Kennedy guided the athletic and quick-footed Ben 341 to a third-four fault score for the team, nudging the delicate plank, meaning the team would move forward to the second round on a minimum score of eight faults.
As the veteran for the team and one of the most seasoned team combinations in 2024, Aaron Vale (Williston, Fla.) and Carissimo 25, were selected to anchor for the team. The pair jumped a beautiful round, with Carissimo 25 showing off his impressive technique. The pair unfortunately dropped the front rail of the C element of the triple to also finish with four, moving the team ahead to the second round of 12 faults.
In the second round, Smith, Davis Kennedy, and Vale were selected to represent the team, with Smith again returning first in the order in the first round. Aboard Keeneland, a 2013 Zangersheide gelding (Carmena Z x Quattro B) owned by Ashland Farms & Storm Ridge Capital, LLC and cared for by Cheyenne Djunaidi, Smith navigated through the first portion of the track with ease, ensuring the oxer after the open water, which dropped in the first round, stayed in the cups. The challenging line across the center of the ring caught the pair, with two rails falling, adding eight faults to start the second round.
Davis Kennedy and Ben 431, a 2011 Westphalian gelding (Sylvain x Quincy Jones) owned by Old Oak Group and cared for by Charlotte Oakes, rode a beautiful second round, riding a near perfect trip for the team. The pair made easy work of the course, which was proving to challenge combinations in their second tour, but a hind rub at the second-to-last vertical would put the pair on four to finish.
With the team moving up the leaderboard due to the influential second round of competition, Vale completed another strong round on Carissimo 25, a 2013 Holsteiner gelding (Cascadello x Clinton) owned by The Carissimo Group and cared for by Nicky Cook, on a final score of four faults for the team, securing their sixth-place finish in the Final competition.
Results
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