In a super-tight fight to the finish, Team USA pinned their Canadian hosts into runner-up spot at the third and last leg of the FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2017 North America, Central America and Caribbean League in Langley, British Columbia at the Thunderbird Show Park on June 2.

The Americans established an impressive lead in the first round, but the Canadians fought back gallantly to add nothing to their score the second time out while Ireland lined up third ahead of Mexico 1 in fourth place.

Adrienne Sternlicht on Cristalline, who had the best U.S. effort with a clear round and a round with 1 time fault. Photo by FEI/Cara Grimshaw

There were just two qualifying spots at the FEI Nations Cup™ Final in Barcelona up for grabs in this region and, led by their new Chef d’Equipe, former Belgian showjumping star Stanny Van Paesschen who only stepped into the role last week, Team Mexico lost out by a narrow margin. Lying second on the leaderboard behind the United States after their superb victory on home ground last month, today’s fourth-place finish saw them drop behind the Canadians in the final analysis.

“We knew coming here that this was going to be a free-for-all. Often it’s pre-determined who is going to Barcelona when you come to the last qualifier—not the case this time. The two teams who were going to make it…it was up to them to win it today,” said Robert Ridland, the team USA chef d’equipe.

It wasn’t looking altogether optimistic from a U.S. perspective when Heather Caristo-Williams racked up 22 first-round faults with Qui Vive des Songes Z. But when Catherine Tyree and Bokai lowered only the tricky vertical that followed the Longines triple combination at Fence 7, and then both Adrienne Sternlicht with the spring-heeled mare Cristalline and Margie Goldstein-Engle and the powerhouse Royce went clear, they held the lead on a four-fault tally at the halfway stage.

Margie Engle on Royce. Photo by MOI Photography

The Canadians were 10 faults adrift as Round 2 began, but when Tiffany Foster (Brighton), Christopher Surbey (Chalacorada) and living legend Ian Millar (Dixson) all went clear this time out they threatened for pole position.

Because Caristo-Williams added 12 more before Tyree hit the very last, and although Sternlicht’s single time fault steadied the American ship, Goldstein-Engle had only a fence in hand as she entered the ring, last to go. When the vertical after the open water hit the dirt the American supporters held their breath, but the U.S. veteran added nothing more to cement the winning team total of 13 faults, while Canada completed with 14 on the board.

“Our No. 1 priority was to qualify for the Nations Cup Final,” said Ridland. “But our second priority was to do it in a way that benefits everyone in the long-term—and that is to give a bunch of different riders experience. We have had 14 riders on four Nations Cup teams so far this year. Some view that as a bit risky, but it has always been a priority for me. Experienced riders and younger riders feed off of one another, in a good way, and that’s what we did today.”

Engle also claimed the top check in the $130,000 Atco Nations Finale Grand Prix aboard Royce.

See full results of the Thunderbird FEI Nations Cup and of the $130,000 Atco Nations Finale Grand Prix.

Watch Catherine Tyree’s Nations Cup round aboard Bokai: