The U.S. dressage team captured the team gold medal today in the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Canada earned the silver, finishing just one point behind the United States. Host country Brazil took home the bronze medal.

The Pan Am Games served as a qualifying competition for the 2008 Olympic Games.  Since the U.S. was already qualified due to their performance at the World Equestrian Games, Canada earned the right to compete in Hong Kong.

Lauren Sammis and Sagacious set the stage yesterday for a strong U.S. performance by earning the highest score of the competition (70.20%). Teammates Katherine Poulin-Neff with Brilliant Too and Christopher Hickey aboard Regent followed in the Sammis’ footsteps, putting in solid performances of their own to clinch the top spot for the U.S. team.

Poulin-Neff started off her test strong, showing off Brilliant Too’s gorgeous, ground-covering trot. Later in the test the pair lost a bit of impulsion at the canter and also swapped leads early during the extended canter across the diagonal. Her performance earned her a score of 66.55 percent.
 
She credits her few mistakes with first-day jitters. “I was really happy with my ride, but since it was our first time competing at an event like this, I was a little bit nervous.  I won’t be as nervous tomorrow.”  

Poulin-Neff is looking forward to tomorrow’s Intermediaire I class, which serves as the first class in the individual competition.  “I have instructions to ride a lot more forward,” she said. “The Intermediaire I is usually our better test.  We’ll have the opportunity to be a little bit bolder tomorrow.”

Chris Hickey and Regent were the final U.S. pair to enter the National Equestrian Center arena. “It’s a wonderful feeling to ride into that arena with those stands,” said Hickey. “Of course we’ve ridden in big venues before, but this venue is really, really big.” 

The pair’s strong test included beautiful extensions at both the trot and canter and earned a 69.15 percent.  “I was very pleased with him today,” said Hickey.  “I may have ridden a bit too boldly in a few movements, but I’ll fix that tomorrow.”  Canadians Diane Creech with Wiona and Andrea Bersee with Raffles, showed their stuff today, following Tom Dvorak’s accurate test aboard Beaumarchais yesterday.  Bersee rode a lovely, focused test, despite riding last during her first team competition. “I would have ridden the same no matter when we rode,” said Bersee.  “I know my horse, and she’s very good.”

The crowd went mad as an ebullient Brazilian team climbed onto the podium to accept their bronze medals. When Brazilian Jorge Rocha fell ill late yesterday and was forced to withdraw, 15-year-old Luiza Almeida stepped in aboard Samba.  The precocious teen put in an impressive performance, helping her team earn the third place spot and her country’s  first Pan Am dressage medal in 24 years.

The top 25 riders, including all three U.S. riders, return tomorrow to ride the Intermediaire I portion of the individual competition.  The individual competition concludes Wednesday July 18 with the Intermediaire freestyle.

Team Competition Results
Final

1.    USA 68.63%
Sagacious HF, Lauren Sammis 70.20
Brilliant Too, Katherine Poulin-Neff 66.55
Regent, Christopher Hickey 69.15

2.    Canada 67.25
Beaumarchais, Tom Dvorak 69.10
Wiona, Diane Creech 67.40
Raffles, Andrea Bersee 65.25
   
3.    Brazil 64.93
Nilo Vo, Rogeiro Clementino, 64.75
Monty, Renata Costa, 65.40
Samba, Luiza Almeida, 64.65

4.    Mexico 63.53
Ferro, Cristobal Egerstrom, 62.40
Lohengrin, Jose Luis Padilla 65.55
Dark Secret, Patrick Burssens 62.65

5.    Argentina 61.23
Oceano Do Top, Sandra Smith 56.60
Euclid, Armando Gabriel 63.50
Kadirmo, Vera Protzen, 63.60

6.    Guatemala 60.36
Perla, Silvia Regina Roesch, 61.05
Westerberg, Sylvia Luna 57.00
Serafino, Christa Dauber, 63.05

7.    Chile 60.00
Tiziano, Roberto Gomez 58.35
Bridge, Oscar Coddou 60.15
Tejas verdes Monts 61.55