Erin Cowgill

With their new chef d’equipe, Markus Fuchs, at the helm, the Italians go out with a bang while France claims the Meydan series title.

•    Laura Kraut of the United States and Pius Schwizer of Switzerland were honored with the Longines Press Award For Elegance after the $285,880 The Longines International Grand Prix of Ireland on Sunday.

• This was the first time a top-level Nations Cup has been held in Falsterbo, Sweden, but it won’t be the last. The venue is already confirmed for next year, regardless of the sponsor.

• U.S. Chef d’Équipe George Morris first came to Falsterbo in 1985 and was happy to be back again.
    
“It just keeps getting better and better,” he said. “Falsterbo is a horseman’s horseshow. The horse comes first—we’re not too interested in all these VIP goings on; the great investment is in the horse.”

The U.S.-based Irishman scores one of only two double-clears in the Nations Cup tour stop in Sweden.

Even after the veteran Ringwood Cockatoo and Bettina Hoy had a surprise run-out on cross-country, the German team didn’t blink. With a substantial lead already in place from the dressage and show jumping phases, their remaining three riders easily carried the German flag to clear cross-country rounds and the team championship during the Aachen CIC***, July 3-4 in Aachen, Germany.

•In the Meydan FEI Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup there were seven double-clear performances and 12 single clear rounds.

•There was one elimination—Ireland’s Denis Lynch—who fell between the second and third elements of the triple combination.

With an impressive win in Germany, the French show jumpers now challenge the United States in the Meydan FEI Nations Cup series.

The French Team’s confidence was high, and their horses jumped even higher during the Aachen CHIO, June 26-July 5, which featured the fifth stop on the Meydan FEI Nations Cup series, the Mercedes-Benz Prize.

In yet another jump-off in the Meydan FEI Nations Cup series, the United States was relegated to second but leads the overall standings.

It was heartbreaking—and historic—for the U.S. team.

In a nail-biting third jump-off in this season’s Meydan FEI Nations Cup series, the United States fell .34 seconds short of victory. But second-placed points allowed the U.S. team to hold an eight-point lead in the series after the Rotterdam CHIO, June 17-21, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

And Ashlee Bond jumps to an impressive third double-clear Nations Cup performance.

It only took the U.S. team 40.72 seconds to clinch a second consecutive Meydan FEI Nations Cup win, this time in St. Gallen, Switzerland, June 4-7.

As a special gift on the 50th anniversary of his first win in Rome, Italy, George Morris’ young protégé Ashlee Bond brought honor to the godfather of U.S. show jumping on the second leg of the Meydan FEI Nations Cup Tour held at the Rome CSIO.

Under the watchful eye of her chef d’equipe, Bond went double-clear the weekend of May 28-31, logging her second consecutive fault-free league score and leading the U.S. squad to a big win in the ancient city.