Spence leads Brits to US victory
Britain takes the lead in the Nations Cup standings at the halfway point in the series with a win in the USA
Brook Ledge Great Meadow, presented by Adequan, USA
BRITAIN took her first Nations Cup win of the 2018 season at the only leg outside of Europe, leading from pillar-to-post and prevailing on Mike Etherington-Smith’s influential cross-country course in The Plains, Virginia.
Georgie Spence finished second behind home winners
Will Coleman and Off The Record to secure the best British result with Halltown Harley, narrowly missing the win by 0.1 of a penalty but completing as the only rider to finish on her dressage score.
The 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding she owns with Suzanne Doggett made quick work of the double of corners in the main arena, where 18 of 40 starters faulted, and completed on 35.2 as one of only five to make the optimum time.
“To travel this far, in my heart I want to win,” Georgie said. “When I was lying 22nd after dressage, that dream drifted away. But he always jumps for me. As the cross-country started to go on and I saw the mistakes, I thought we might have it.”
The home side’s Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border led following the first two phases, but withdrew to save the horse’s legs for Aachen in mid-July.
Ben Hobday and Jane Chambers’ Shadow Man assumed the pole position for Britain going into cross country, having jumped clear over
Marc Donovan’s showjumping course to move up from fourth after dressage on 29.7.
While a run-out at 9b, the second of the brush corners in the main arena, dropped him to finish 16th, Ben’s final result of 56.9 still proved a critical counting score for the team.
“It’s a big step up for the horse,” Ben said. “He’s done this level before but not under Nations
Cup pressure. He’s still a great horse and we have to focus on the next one.”
Athens Olympic individual gold medallist Leslie Law returned to a British team for the first time since 2005 and delivered a strong result as the anchor rider with Tre’ Book’s Voltaire De Tre’.
The nine-year-old Selle Français by Gentleman IV added 8.8 time-penalties to finish ninth on 46.4, securing the Nations Cup win for Britain.
“It’s always an honour to ride for your country,” Leslie said. “The horse has really stepped up to it all year. We’ll produce him with the future in mind, and who knows where he might be in two years.”
Sophie Brown made her Nations Cup debut with her own Wil and sat sixth going into crosscountry, but had early run-out at 5c, a triple brush at the coffin, to finish 18th.
British chef d’equipe Philip Surl described cross-country day as a “roller-coaster”.
“Being a manager is about trying to get people in the right mindset because half this job is between your ears,” he explained.
Britain moved into the lead in the Nations Cup standings on 245 points, ahead of Sweden (205) and France (200).
‘DOING WHAT IT TAKES’
THE competition proved a mixed bag for the US, who took the individual win with Will Coleman and Off The Record but lost the Nations Cup for the first time on home soil, finishing third behind Canada.
Will could not afford a time-penalty to pass Georgie on the leaderboard. The nineyear-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, who is syndicate-owned, finished 3sec inside the time to win on 35.1 in only his third start at advanced level.
“It wasn’t the smoothest round in the world but, when you’re going out to win, you’re doing what it takes,” said Will.