FEI COMPETITION REPORT
Rome 29 May 2009


AMERICANS WIN MEYDAN FEI NATIONS CUP™IN ROME

The USA stood top of the presentation podium when winning the second leg of the Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ series in Rome today, completing with just four faults.  It was an historic fourth victory at the Italian venue for an American side - they previously topped the line-up at the Piazza di Siena in 1997 and for Chef d'Equipe, George Morris, the result was particularly special.  "I was on the first US winning team here back in 1959 and I'm very proud of my team this evening" he said with great satisfaction.

It was no easy victory however, the French very nearly forcing a jump-off before having to settle for second ahead of the British and Swiss who shared third place. Germany slotted into fifth with Ireland and The Netherlands in sixth, and Italy claimed eighth place.  The losers today were the teams from Belgium and Sweden who didn't make the cut into the second round in which only eight of the 10 competing nations battled it out.

TOUGH TRACK

Course designer Uliano Vezzani set them a tough track.  "It was more difficult than La Baule" said US anchorman Richard Spooner who clinched it for his side with a superb last-to-go performance from Cristallo.  The triple combination proved influential, but it was the final line of fences, beginning with the triple bar at 10 and continuing to a double and concluding oxer that created most difficulty.  "The triple bar was VERY big" said Laura Kraut whose only mistake with her Olympic ride Cedric was at the previous vertical at fence 9, "and the oxer going into the double was wide and tall, but the fence my horse didn't like was the first one, the wall" she explained.  The opening vertical, which mirrored Rome's ancient Colosseum, stopped both Ireland's Kevin Babington and, ironically, Italy's Juan Carlos Garcia in their tracks when their horses refused at it before continuing on course.

The Irish were sharing second place with France and Great Britain at the halfway stage with a four-fault score, the Americans already holding the whip hand with clears from Lauren Hough (Quick Study), Ashlee Bond (Cadett) and Laura Kraut (Cedric).  Spooner didn't need to compete as only the best three scores count for each team "but I have not had a good week so far so I wanted to try to qualify for the Grand Prix on Sunday" he explained.  As it happened it was a fortuitous decision because his four-fault first-round run prepared him for his all-important second effort with Cristallo. 

SECOND ROUND

The Swiss and Germans carried eight faults each into round two while the Dutch carried 12 and the Italians carried 20 - their faster time giving them the advantage over the Swedes, also on 20, who joined the Belgians in the rider's tribune to watch the action unfold.

The Irish lost their grip with 16 faults second time out and the British slipped a little when Nick Skelton, Michael Whitaker and Ben Maher each had a fence down, although John Whitaker produced one of his trade-mark jumping exhibitions to go clear with Peppermill.  Third-last into the ring, Kevin Staut needed to stay clear if France was to force a jump-off with the USA who by now would finish with at least four faults after Hough collected eight, Bond went clear again and Kraut had four.  Staut however fell victim to the first element of the penultimate double however and as Spooner came into the ring once more he knew victory was in his grasp. 

With only one fence in hand however he could not afford a mistake but Cristallo was foot-perfect all the way to the finish.  For Ashlee Bond, today was another major milestone as the 23 year old rookie has now completed four clear rounds over the first two legs of the Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ series and another of today's spectacular performers was 31 year old Clarissa Crotta who also jumped double-clear on her senior Nations Cup debut.

The series now moves on to St Gallen in Switzerland next week.

RESULT:

1.    USA 0 faults: Quick Study (Lauren Hough) 0/8, Cadett (Ashlee Bond) 0/0, Cedric (Laura Kraut) 0/4, Cristallo (Richard Spooner) 4/0

2.    France 8 faults: Jubilee D'Ouilly (Penelope Leprevost 0/0, Lamm de Fetan (Timothee Anciaume) 4/0, Luccianno (Nicolas Delmotte) 4/0, Le Prestige St Lois (Kevin Staut) 0/4.

3.    Great Britain 12 faults; Nemo (Nick Skelton) 4/4, Wonami van der Aard (Michael Whitaker) 4/4, Robin Hood W (Ben Maher 0/4, Peppermill (John Whitaker) 0/0.

3.    Switzerland 12 faults: LB Robin Hood (Christina Liebherr) 4/8, Jalla de Gaverie (Jane Richard) 8/0, West Side V Meerputhoeve (Clarissa Crotta) 0/0, Peu a Peu (Daniel Etter) 4/4.

For full results go to www.meydanfeinationscup.org


COMPETITION STATISTICS:

Fence 11A, the oxer first element of the double, was the bogey of the day - it fell 12 times in Round 1 and 10 times in Round 2

The next most problematic fence was the triple combination at fence 7

Sweden and Belgium failed to qualify for the second round

There were 4 double-clear rounds - Ashlee Bond/Cadett USA, Penelope Leprevost/Juilee D'Ouilly FRA, Clarissa Crotta/West Side V. Meerputhoeve SUI and John Whitaker/Peppermill GBR.

12 riders completed single clear rounds

The USA team last won at the Piazza di Siena in 1997

In total, America has recorded 4 wins in Rome - 1997, 1989, 1983 and 1959

America's Ashlee Bond has not yet faulted with her horse in the 2009 Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ - she jumped double-clear in La Baule and again in Rome today.

40 riders competed today, 10 ladies and 30 men.

There were three ladies on the teams from USA and Switzerland

QUOTES:

US Chef d'Equipe George Morris - "When the US won here in Rome in 1959 I jumped off with an Italian rider to decide the result".

Richard Spooner, US rider - "All the riders, and George, wanted to win here in Italy because of the great relationship between our two countries.  Rome is a friendly place, has a fabulous environment and its a beautiful city.  And the footing here is fantastic".

George Morris - "I am a great student of the history of the sport of riding. Caprilli revolutionised our sport, teaching us how ride the galloping horse and to jump and each country has interpreted what he has told us.  Italy's Raimondo and Piero D'Inzeo were great examples of Caprilli's techniques, and they were my idols".

USA's Ashlee Bond, who in her first senior Nations Cup season has now jumped double-clear in both La Baule and Rome, explaining her background - "my Dad is an actor and my mother is a movie distribution company manager.  I got the opportunity to come to Europe because of the great system we have for choosing our teams and it is an honour to ride for my country, and for George".

USA's Lauren Hough - "Our teams are chosen by our computer listings - it is a fantastic system, and George also can subjectively choose riders himself - that is how Ashlee got her chance and here she is now!"

STANDINGS - AFTER SECOND LEG OF MEYDAN FEI NATIONS CUP™ IN ROME:

1.    Switzerland        -        15.5
2.    USA                -        12
3.    France            -        11
4.    Germany            -          9.5
5.    Netherlands        -          8
6.    Sweden            -          7
7.    Great Britain        -          5.5
8.    Belgium            -          3
9.    Ireland            -          2.5
10.    Italy                -          2

A Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ event is organised as a five-star Nations Cup, i.e. a competition in which official teams representing nations compare their merit. At each event the teams gain points according to their placing. At the end of the season the team with the highest points wins the Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ and the two teams with the lowest points are relegated to the FEI Nations Cup series (Promotional League). The two best placed teams of that series following the Promotional League Final join the Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ for the following year.

The World’s Best Ten Teams: Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Ireland, USA, Switzerland, Sweden, and Italy


The World’s Best Eight Venues

La Baule (FRA); Friday 15 May; http://www.labaule-cheval.com/2009/pages/accueil.html
Rome (ITA); Friday 29 May; http://www.piazzadisiena.com/
St. Gallen (SUI); Friday 5 June; http://www.csio.ch/
Rotterdam (NED); Friday 19 June; http://www.chio.nl/
Aachen (GER); Thursday 2 July; http://www.chioaachen.de/

Falsterbo (SWE); Friday 17 July; http://falsterbohorseshow.se/se/valkommen/hem/

Hickstead (GBR); Friday 24 July; http://www.hickstead.co.uk/
Dublin (IRL); Friday 7 August; http://www.dublinhorseshow.com/

The complete rules, latest news, results, standings and photos are on www.meydanfeinationscup.org

About the FEI: To learn more about the FEI , here

About Meydan: To learn more about Meydan, the title sponsor of the Meydan FEI Nations Cup, please click here


Media Contact:
Malina Gueorguiev
FEI Communications
malina.gueorguiev@fei.org

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