Last year, the Canadian team scored an upset victory against the Americans on their home turf in Wellington, Fla., in the $75,000 CN Nations Cup.  And this year, they trumped them again, cruising to an easy victory in this year’s Nations Cup, held tonight, March 9 during the Wellington Open CSIO.  Ireland finished a jubilant second, while the U.S. team had an off night and placed a disappointed third.

    “In this company, I didn’t expect it to go as smoothly as it did,” remarked Ian Millar, who anchored the Canadian effort on In Style.  “Once we got hold of the lead, we weren’t going to let it go.”

    The Canadians—Millar, Eric Lamaze on Hickstead, Mario Deslauriers on Paradigm, and Erynn Ballard on Robin van Roosendael—took the lead from the beginning, finishing Round 1 with not a fault to their name. Deslauriers and Paradigm dropped one rail over the first course, but when Ballard, Lamaze and Millar went clean, those four faults were forgotten.

    In contrast, the U.S. team had a miserable Round 1.  World Equestrian Games teammates McLain Ward on Sapphire, Margie Engle on Hidden Creek’s Quervo Gold and Beezie Madden on Integrity were joined by Lauren Hough on Casadora.  Engle started the team off with just the last vertical down on Quervo, but disaster struck for Hough.  Casadora slammed on the brakes twice on the approach to the triple, eliminating them from the round.  Hough broke her hand against the mare’s neck, and could not return for Round 2.  Ward and Sapphire turned in yet another of their signature clear goes.  And Integrity, in his first Nations Cup performance, put in a clear round for Madden.

    Going into Round 2, the Americans were tied for second with the Irish with 4 faults each.  Darragh Kerins, on Orlando, and Cian O’Connor, on Irish Independent Echo Beach, had each posted clears, with Conor Swail riding Mr. President to a four-fault score and Jonathan McCrea guiding Costa to 9 faults. 

    Argentina finished Round 1 in fourth, with a nine-fault total for their three-man team.  The Great Britain team were promptly sent back to the barn when the first of their three-man team to go—26-year-old Jackson Reed Stephenson on Goldex—was eliminated when the horse refused the open water twice.  Without a drop score, they couldn’t continue.  Belgium also had a three-man team, and with an 18-fault total from Round 1, opted not to return for Round 2.

    Deslauriers and Ballard led off the Canadian second round effort with more clear rounds, and Lamaze opted to play it safe, and jumped clear to pick up only one time fault.  The Canadians didn’t have to send “Captain Canada” Millar for Round 2—their win was assured.

    The Irish made their hunger for a top placing obvious when everyone but McCrea went clear again, leaving them with just the 4 faults.  The U.S. team—down to just three with Hough on the way to the hospital—lost their chance at winning after Engle and Quervo pulled a rail, as did Madden and Integrity.  Ward and Sapphire turned in another textbook clear round.

    “It just wasn’t our night,” said Engle. 

    “McLain was spectacular as usual, but going into the second round with just three riders was a tough row to hoe,” said Madden. 

    In contrast to the Americans’ obvious frustration was the Irish lads’ joy.  The many Irish grooms and riders in the audience always enjoy the Nations Cup and are the loudest and most raccous of the fans.  “This means a hell of a lot,” said chef d’equipe Robert Splaine.  “To do well here means an awful lot to us in Ireland, and obviously there’s a very big Irish following here, so to do well here is very important to us.”

    O’Connor has been in Florida since the start of the season in February.  “I really aimed this mare at the Nations Cup, so I’m very happy to be able to support my team so well,” he said.  Both O’Connor and Kerins jumped double-clears—two of just four double-clear performances.

    Ballard shone in just her second Nations Cup performance for Canada with her double-clear ride on Robin van Roosendael.  Her only other Nations Cup experience had been at the 2006 Spruce Meadows Masters Nations Cup, where Canada also won.  “I’m particularly proud of Erynn,” said Canadian chef d’equipe Torchy Miller. 

    Ballard, a former equitation star in the U.S., has been on the rise in the grand prix ring.  “I said before the second round, it was much easier [at Spruce Meadows] to have had 8 faults in the first round and go back than it was to be clean and go back and try and do it again,” she said.  “But I really geared my winter around this class with this horse.  He’s really proven that when you aim him for something big, he comes through.”

$75,000 CN Nations Cup
Wellington, Fla., March 9, 2007

1. CANADA
Mario Deslauriers/Paradigm                               4    0
Erynn Ballard/Robin van Rooosendael            0    0   
Eric Lamaze/Hickstead                                        0    1
Ian Millar/In Style                                                   0    –
TOTAL                                                                                   1

2. IRELAND
Conor Swail/Mr. President                                    4    0
Cian O’Connor/Irish Independent Echo Beach 0    0
Jonathan McCrea/Costa                                        9    13
Darragh Kerins/Orlando                                        0    0
TOTAL                                                                                    4

3. UNITED STATES
Margie Engle/Hidden Creek’s Quervo Gold     4    4
Lauren Hough/Casadora                                     E    –
McLain Ward/Sapphire                                         0    0
Beezie Madden/Integrity                                      0    4
TOTAL                                                                                    8

4. ARGENTINA
Max Amaya/Church Road                                    4    8
Ramiro Quintana/Kaiser de la Cour                   0    4
Pato Muente/As Di Villagana                               5    4
TOTAL                                                                                    25

5. BELGIUM
Eric Flameng                                                            0    –
Gilbert deRoock/Kira III                                        17     –
Francois Mathy Jr./Ivoire du Rouet                    1    –

6. GREAT BRITAIN
Jackson Reed Stephenson/Goldex                    E    –
Robert Smith/Marius Claudius                             –    –
Nick Skelton/Russel                                               –    –