It wouldn’t be a World Cup Final in Las Vegas without some kind of celebrity challenge. In the past years, jumpers tried their hand in the hunter ring against some of the top U.S. hunter riders. But this year, the celebrity challenge had a western flavor more in keeping with the location.
Anky van Grunsven, Charlotte Bredahl-Baker, Will Simpson and Rodrigo Pessoa donned cowboy hats and chaps to try their hand at reining. The international riders paired up with Ann Fonck, the National Reining Horse Association Open World Champion from Belgium. The U.S. riders had Rick Weaver, president of the NRHA, to show them the ropes.
Three days of lessons prepared the non-reiners for the challenge. “I had learned by myself, so I had three lessons to unlearn all the wrong stuff,” said Simpson. Despite his bad habits, the U.S. show jumper put in a stellar performance to help lead Team USA to a decisive victory over the international riders.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I like the outfit a lot more than the dressage outfit,” said the ever stylish Bredahl-Baker.
“We all have a common bond, and that is the horse,” said Weaver. “We all love the horse. We all maybe had a little bit too much fun out there.”
