NetJets® U.S. Jumping Team Excels with Podium Finish at FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ in Sweden

Falsterbo, Sweden – The NetJets U.S. Jumping Team showcased remarkable prowess, securing a remarkable third-place finish in the highly competitive FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of Sweden CSIO5* at the prestigious Falsterbo Horse Show. In front of an enthusiastic crowd, the team, led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland, delivered a stellar performance, concluding with a total of eight faults over two rounds. The U.S. team narrowly missed first place, with Switzerland taking the top spot with just four faults, and Great Britain claimed second place on eight faults, slightly ahead of the U.S. team based on time differential.

Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland expressed his excitement and pride, stating, “I’ve got one excited group of riders. We’re proud of their effort. To bring a team over here without a veteran and to get experience and a podium finish, that’s what we do it for. We had Switzerland in our sights the whole time. I’ve always advocated the 3-2 system where it’s a combination of veterans and up-and-coming riders. We didn’t have a veteran this time, and they acted like they were all veterans.”

Setting the tone for the team, Natalie Dean from Palo Alto, Calif., and her talented mount, Acota M, delivered an impressive clear round, kickstarting the U.S. team’s performance as they drew eighth in the starting order. Alise Oken from Charlotte, N.C., aboard Gelvera, displayed outstanding form with a second consecutive clear round, resulting in a four-way tie for first place alongside Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands, all on zero penalties after two rotations.

Throughout the day, the challenging track, designed by Frank Rothenberger from Germany, put combinations to the test. Alessandra Volpi from Woodside, Calif., and Berlinda faced a few obstacles, accumulating eight faults in their first round. Concluding the initial round were Karl Cook from Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and Kalinka van’t Zorgvliet, who proved to be the anchor combination for the U.S. The duo needed a clear round to keep up with Switzerland, but a slight touch on the plank resulted in four faults, leaving the team tied for second with four faults, trailing Switzerland’s faultless first-round score.

The team’s second round commenced with Natalie Dean and Acota M maintaining the pressure on Switzerland with a careful and clear round, securing the only double-clear for the U.S., propelling the team ahead of the Netherlands with only three combinations remaining.

Chef d’Equipe Ridland praised Natalie Dean’s success, saying, “Success and experience build on itself. She had a very successful week at [CHIO] Aachen, which gave her incredible confidence com- ing here. When we bring these teams over with our riders of the future, the most important part of that is to make sure our chances of success are great. They all came in and rode against these foreign, veteran teams with confidence.”

Alise Oken and Gelvera continued their solid form, finishing with just one rail and four total faults. Alessandra Volpi and Berlinda encountered a minor hiccup early in their round but efficiently maneuvered through the 1.60m track, adding four faults to their tally

Both Alise Oken and Alessandra Volpi had previously been part of the U.S. Developing Jumping Team Tour earlier in the summer, competing in CSIO3* events in Denmark and Norway, which served as a crucial stepping stone in their pathway to success.

Chef d’Equipe Ridland emphasized the importance of the pathway program, stating, “You can’t say enough, especially in a situation like this, about how the pathway works. You don’t just jump into a 5* without that kind of experience, and being able to learn from Anne Kursinski and those 3* experiences is what gave [Oken and Volpi] the confidence and ability to come here and do what they did today. It’s vitally important we continue the program in this way because these are the results that happen when you have a program giving opportunities that lead to performance.”

Karl Cook and Kalinka van’t Zorgvliet sealed the team’s success with an important final anchor round, delivering a clear performance to keep the pressure on Switzerland. Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs and Conner Jei needed a clear round to avoid a jump-off, and they delivered, ultimately securing the third-place finish for the U.S. team.

Chef d’Equipe Ridland shared his satisfaction, explaining, “You plan your strategy for the first round and when it works, you stick to it. It’s very gratifying when the plan works like that. In any sport, there are going to be bumps in the road when the rookies and younger players hit the big leagues. It’s like calling up the ballplayers from the Minor Leagues to the [New York] Yankees or the [Los Angeles] Dodgers with the bright lights and the big city—but if you’ve had good preparation, it’s no different than any other sport. We felt all of them were very prepared for this, so the result is not a surprise to us.”

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