Lisbon, Portugal – Friday afternoon and evening, Lisbon, Portugal, will play host to 10 countries vying for top honors at the Furusiyya Nations Cup CSIO3*. Led by Chef d’Equipe DiAnn Langer, the U.S. team hopes to leave a strong impression, with riders all under the age of 25, having their sights set on standing atop the podium.  The competition will highlight the future of U.S. jumping as these young athletes come in with accomplished resumes.

The U.S. team, comprised of Abigail McArdle, Alise Oken, Catherine Pasmore, and Jessica Springsteen,  will look to utilize  their past experience from competing at the Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North (NAJYRC).  The U.S. has drawn third in the order.

Competition gets underway with round one at 1pm ET, and the second and final round beginning at 4:30pm ET.  The Furusiyya Nations Cup CSIO3* will be available to watch live on FEITV.com.

The U.S. will be represented by the following four combinations in Nations Cup competition at CSIO3* Lisbon:

Abigail McArdle (Wellington, Fla.) will ride David McArdle’s Cade.
Cade is a 2002 Belgian Warmblood gelding.

McArdle had an impressive showing at the 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival with a top ten finish in the CSIO4* Adequan Grand Prix aboard Cade, as well as a win in the G&C Farm 1.45m Grand Prix. She was the Individual Junior Gold medalist at the 2012 NAJYRC, as well as part of Zone 5’s Silver medal winning team that year.   

Alise Oken (Charlotte, N.C.) will ride Hi Hopes Farm, LLC’s Teirra.
Teirra is a 2000 Dutch Warmblood mare.

Oken heads into competition in Lisbon looking to build on the form she showcased this winter and spring, including strong performances at the 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival.  No stranger to European and Nations Cup competitions, she gained valuable experience in 2012 at part of the Show Jumping European Young and Junior Rider Tour.

Catherine Pasmore (Wellington, Fla.) will ride Pasmore Stable’s Bonanza Van Paemel.
Bonanza Van Paemel is a 2001 Belgian Warmblood gelding.

Pasmore brings extensive Nations Cup experience into Friday’s competition, having been a valuable member of the winning U.S efforts in Buenos Aires in 2012 and Bratislava in 2013. Having spent the winter and spring of 201 4competing in Florida, she collected wins in the 2014 Hollow Creek Farm Jump off Round CSI 2* at Live Oak International and a sixth place finish in the Ariat Grand Prix CSI 2* at FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival.

Jessica Springsteen (Colts Neck, N.J.) will ride Stone Hill Farm’s Lisona.
Lisona is a 2001 Irish Sport Horse mare.

Springsteen comes in off an impressive ending in the final weeks of the 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival with third place finishes in both the FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix CSI 5* and FEI Grand Prix CSI-W 4* by The Bainbridge Companies. Springsteen has previous team success as part of the 2009 Young Rider Team Gold and 2010 Young Rider Team and Individual Bronze performances at the NAJYRC. In April she was named to the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Short List for the the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

For more information about CSIO Lisbon visit: http://www.sociedadehipica.pt/

Follow the U.S. Jumpers here.