The stage was set on another bright and beautiful day in Ocala, Florida. Throngs of excited spectators quickly filled the ringside bleachers. Those who couldn’t find a seat, made their own setting up lawn chairs along the grass hills that lined the arena or under the shade of a live oak tree.
Nations Cup weekend was also a surprising few days of firsts. This year was the first time the Nations Cup was featured on a Sunday; the Longines program replaced the normal Friday team championship class with a 1.60m Grand Prix, won this year by Australia’s Rowan Willis. Brazilian course designer Marina Azevedo also completed her first career opportunity of building for a five-star level field.
Similar to Friday’s Grand Prix, Azevedo’s track proved a challenge worthy of the caliber of top level horse-and-rider combinations contesting the team title as well as nearly half a million in prize money.
“I’ve traveled around the world to many five-star shows and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a course here so well built, that’s fair to the horses, and still getting very few clear rounds,” Lamaze commented on Sunday’s course. “I thought the Grand Prix was fantastic and a well built Nations Cup.”
The intimidating triple combination at 7abc, the in-element, a massive triple bar followed by a square oxer then a single vertical was a sore point for many riders’ rounds. Fence No. 4, the open water, saw many a toe splash in it’s pool but faults were accumulated from multiple points over the 12-obstacle course.
Only three countries, Canada, Germany, and Brazil, could boast a pair of clears in the first round and by Round 1’s end, Canada and Germany were tied for the lead, both on a score of 4 faults.
Brazil’s contingent brought in 8 total faults to sit in third while both the U.S. and Ireland accrued 16 penalties and Mexico would look to improve on their 26 fault score in the second round.
Team competition has nothing if not amble opportunities for the tides to turn come the second round. Team strategies and the advantage of having ridden the same course once before, aided in the improvements of the rider performances in Round 2.
Cracking the code, the USA’s Lauren Hough and the 14-year-old SWB bay mare Ohala (Orlando x Cardento) were eager to improve upon their initial 8 fault round. And, so they did, posting the only clear trip for the American score sheet.
Even with final scores consolidating, Canada’s win was not set in stone. In an interesting twist, first tier rider Francois Lamontagne would bring in 16 faults and Tiffany Foster, 4.
No strangers to pressure and delivering in the clutch, Millar aboard the 15-year-old Belgian Warmblood bay gelding Dixson (Vigo d’Arsouilles x Olisco) and anchor rider Lamaze with the 13-year-old RHLD bay gelding Coco Bongo (Caretino x Calido), repeated identical clear trips being the only double clear competitors of the day.
“We sometimes change positions between me and Ian as far as the anchor and I can really rely on Coco Bongo’s carefulness, especially lately,” Lamaze commented on bringing home the win with the Artisan Farms owned gelding. “I love the Nations Cup format, I’m a big fan of it, and you always have pressure whether you go first, second, or third. You want to do well because you’re not riding for yourself, you’re riding for your country. To go fourth, it’s pressure but the first rider also has pressure and today we all did it to win.”
Canadian Chef d’Equipe, Mark Laskin, was more than pleased as well with Sunday’s result. With this victory, Canada now matches the United States in number of wins of the Ocala Nations Cup, 6.
“Ocala is a priority for us. The focal point of our year is making it to the Nations Cup Final in Barcelona so this is a great first step! This importance, the first two phone
calls I make are to Captain Canada and Eric Lamaze. I’m really proud of our team today. I think it was a remote team effort. Tiff in the first round, Francois in the second round, and these two gentlemen double clean. We have a luxury of Canada being able to have a one-two punch, unparalleled to any other country.”
Full results of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of the United States of America, here.