The Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team was the only team to finish with a fault free total, securing a definitive victory and claiming the gold medal honors in the eighth and last leg of the Europe Division 1 League in the 2017 FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping series. In the 91-year history of the series, this was the first all-female team triumph as the American women vied for the world-famous Aga Khan Cup at the Dublin Horse Show CSIO5* in Ireland on Friday, Aug. 11.
Together, Lauren Hough, Lillie Keenan, Beezie Madden and Laura Kraut accumulated six out of eight possible clear rounds, while Kraut and Hough secured two out of the four double-clear rounds in the competition leaving the United States with a clear scorecard. France finished with 5 faults, followed by the Netherlands with 7 faults.
“The Aga Kahn Trophy is probably the most coveted trophy in the sport. When we have the opportunity to compete at Dublin, we make it a big priority,” said U.S. Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland. “This was an incredibly exciting competition as it went down to the last round, but our riders compete under pressure very well. All four riders were unbelievable today; they were aware of the pressure, but as great riders do, they rose to the occasion.”
Tom Holden’s (IRL) difficult track tested riders over 15 efforts at 1.60m in height with the time allowance of 80 seconds proving to be one of the most problematic elements of the course. Madden and her new 9-year-old mount, Darry Lou, displaced one rail at the final fence to become the drop score for the Untied States in the first round, with all other riders finishing clear. The U.S. sat tied with home team Ireland on 0 faults, while France and the Netherlands followed with one and two faults, respectively, heading into round two.
Returning in reverse order, the Netherlands’ first two combinations went clear adding pressure to the U.S, but finished with 5 faults for a 7-fault total. Hough piloted The Ohlala Group’s 13-year-old mare, Ohlala, to a double-clear effort, while Madden followed with an additional clear round for the United States. Keenan had an error at the first element of the double combination and incurred 1 time penalty with Chansonette Farm LLC’s Super Sox for a 5-fault finish. With threats from France who finished on a 5-fault total, it came down to Kraut who had to cross the finish line with four faults or less. Aboard St. Bride’s Farms’ 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding, Confu, Kraut entered the ring as the American anchor and the competition’s final rider. The pressure did not affect the double-Olympian as she bested the course once again, with a powerful, clear run to leave a 5-fault margin between the winning U.S. team and the French, who claimed the silver medal.
Upon their gold medal Nations Cup victory, the four American women made history at the 144th Dublin Horse Show with an impressive display of girl power as the first all-female equestrian team to accomplish this feat.
View the original article on page 16 of the Fall 2017 USET Newsletter.