Lauren and Ohlala in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup at La Baule CSIO5*
The Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team took the Silver medal in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup at CSIO5* La Baule in France on Friday. Led by Chef d'Equipe Robert Ridland, the team of Lucy Davis, Margie Engle, Lauren Hough, and Todd Minikus put in solid rounds to finish on four faults. This performance sets an excellent tone for the summer as the event served as the first of four observation events for members of the Short List for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team, as part of the selection process for the Team. The field of eight nations was stacked with some of the world's top talent, producing a close competition to the very end. The Netherlands topped the leaderboard on one fault and the home country of France came in third on five faults.
"It definitely went well today; we beat some really good teams. Going head-to-head with the best in the world is why we are here," said Ridland. "To come out with four clear rounds right off the bat was impressive. It was a great effort. The course was not tricky or highly technical, but it wasn't easy. This is a wonderful show with a great crowd; it was great to be back here at one of the best shows in the world."
The Americans had a foot-perfect round one, with the first three combinations, Hough (Wellington, Fla.) and The Ohlala Group's Ohlala, Davis (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Old Oak Farm Inc.'s Barron, and Engle (Wellington, Fla.) and Elm Rock Partners, LLC's Royce, all turning in clear rounds. These performances put the U.S. forward to round two in a four-way tie for the lead on zero faults. Anchor combination, Minikus (Loxahatchee, Fla.) and Jack Snyder and Two Swans Farm's Babalou 41, put in a round one performance in an effort to qualify for Sunday's Grand Prix. The pair also produced a clear round, giving the U.S. the only clean sheet in round one.
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