Boekelo, The Netherlands—Oct. 11
The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team had fantastic performances at the Military Boekelo-Enschede CCIO*** as they competed against 10 countries in the Nations Cup competition. The determined efforts of Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF, Buck Davidson and Copper Beach, Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp and HHS Cooley, and Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous earned the U.S. team the silver medal with a final score of 197.00. Brown and Super Socks BCF were the top Americans with an impressive sixth place finish, with a large U.S. contingent having notable performances at Boekelo.
“It was a good performance,” said a pleased Chef d’Equipe David O’Connor. “The cross-country course is not a typical course that we see with how twisty and turn-y it is, and it was even more so this year. We had nine clear rounds which was huge, and it put us into play for the medals. Show jumping went well; the riding was good and they kept fighting. I’m very excited about the finish.”
The recipients of a Jacqueline B. Mars Competition Grant through the USET Foundation, Brown and Super Socks BCF had a great round over Jos Brinkman’s show jumping course, aside from a single time fault, to finish in sixth place with a score of 52.60 in their European and Nations Cup debut.
“It was a great experience made possible by the Jacqueline B. Mars Competition Grant through the USET Foundation and the Rebecca Farm International Travel Grant; otherwise, it would have taken us a lot to do on our own,” Brown said. “My horse is more confident have finished this event, and I am more confident have completed my first European event. This experience has gone a long way for our partnership and I am looking forward to doing a four-star with him next year.”
Davidson and Sherrie Martin and Carl Segal’s Irish Sport Horse gelding Copper Beach had an unlucky rail at the final fence for four faults to finish in 31st place on a score of 67.40.
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Halliday-Sharp and Deborah Halliday’s Irish Sport Horse gelding collected eight faults in the show jumping phase with rails at fences 3A and 11 to finish with a score of 77.00 in 37th place.
Little withdrew RF Scandalous before the final horse inspection due to a minor injury.
The remaining U.S. combinations competing as individuals had solid performances. Kieffer and Jacqueline B. Mars’ Irish Thoroughbred Cross gelding had an eight-fault show jumping round to finish in 12th place on a score of 57.80. Holling and Constance Holling’s Trakehner/Thoroughbred gelding had an unlucky rail for four faults to finish on a score of 63.40 in 23rd place. Davidson and his other mount, Carlevo, had no jumping faults and three time penalties to finish in 36th place with a score of 75.10.
Little’s second mount, RF Quarterman, USEF Land Rover Competition Grant recipients, had an eight-fault show jumping round to finish in 40th place with a score of 78.00. Kieffer and Jacqueline B. Mars’ Anglo-Arabian gelding Vermiculus had eight faults in the show jumping phase, finishing in 41st place with a score of 78.70. Katherine Coleman and her own Longwood, an Irish Sport Horse gelding, earned their first CCI*** completion as a combination, finishing in 57th place with a score of 125.70.
Ireland earned the gold medal in the Nations Cup competition with a score of 174.90 with the U.S. receiving silver and New Zealand collecting the bronze with a score of 198.90. Nicola Wilson (GBR) and Bulana claimed the top individual honors after finishing on a score of 47.10. Blyth Tait (NZL) and Xanthus III finished in second place with a score of 49.20 and Kristina Cook (GBR) and Billy the Red were third with a score of 50.50, with both combinations having one of the eight double-clear show jumping rounds.
