Text © World of Showjumping

The American domination at the 2025-edition of CHIO Aachen continued on Thursday, when the U.S. team came out on top in the CSIO5* 1.60m Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup after strong performances from Lillie Keenan and Argan de Beliard (Mylord Carthago HN x Ahorn), Kent Farrington and Toulayna (Toulon x Parco), Laura Kraut and Bisquetta (Bisquet Balou C x Takashi van Berkenbroek), as well as McLain Ward and Imperial HBF (Glasgow vh Merelsnest x Original VDL). The Nations Cup – worth 1,000,000 Euro – ended in a battle between the Americans and the Belgians, after a competition full of unexpected twists and turns. 

“For us, Aachen is the Mecca of showjumping,” U.S. chef d’equipe Robert Ridland said after the win. “This was an easy team for me to select; I literally went down our national ranking list one to five –  which was the five best that we could provide. They were amazing tonight; this is what we came for, and it doesn't get any better than winning here in Aachen.”

The Americans have been on fire at the 2025-edition of CHIO Aachen, with individual wins for Laura Kraut, Kent Farrington and McLain Ward – and today a team win in the Nations Cup. “We’re quite pleased with our first two days, winning four classes. It’s quite amazing, and it’s an honour to be part of it,” Ridland said about the success. 

USA was sharing the lead with Belgium and Germany after the first round of the Nations Cup, with all three teams sitting on four faults. France followed on eight, Great Britain on nine, Netherlands on 13, Ireland on 20 and Brazil on 21. 

Frank Rothenberger (GER) had built a twelve-fence course for the occasion, where the triple combination at 4abc ended up causing the most trouble. It followed on seven strides – or eight like some did – from a triple bar, and got many struggling whether it was coming in or jumping out. The location of the triple combination – alongside the lake – and its direction towards the strong sun that was about to set were additional factors that played a part. “I thought that the course – as always – was difficult, you don’t come to Aachen and think that it will be an easy course,” Kraut said. “When I walked it, I thought the triple combination would be a test – whenever you are alongside the pond like that. It came early in the course – very early – and the liverpool on the way out at c was spooky. I wasn’t surprised that it caused problems.”

“I would agree that the sunlight played a significant role in the first round, it was very difficult to see – not only the triple combination, but also the last line with the plank and the double. I think for the riders in the third and the fourth rotation it was a different challenge than the ones in the first two," Kraut explained. “But, as per usual I think it was great sport here in Aachen and I’m just happy that we won.”

For the hosts, it was the triple combination that sent them out of contention for the title tonight as it caused trouble for both Christian Kukuk and Sophie Hinners in round two. In Kukuk’s case, Cepano Baloubet (Chaman x Stakkato’s Highlight) threw in a surprise refusal on 4a after having been clear the first time out, while Hinner’s Iron Dames Combella (Cornet du Lys x Indoctro) struggled to get out over the b- and c- elements. With big penalty scores added, it eventually put the Germans 4th. However, there was one highlight for the home team – Jana Wargers who jumped a beautiful double clear with Dorette Old (Dollar du Murier x Fighting Alpha), one of five in the class. 

With a drop on the result list for the Germans, it came down to USA and Belgium to decide the top of the podium. The Americans had a strong start to the second round, with a brilliant double clear from Lillie Keenan that put pressure on the Belgians. While Kent Farrington had a rail on 12b after being clear the first time out, Laura Kraut was flawless in round two after having picked up four faults on the plank at no. 10 in round one. 

Simultaneously, Belgium was adding penalties to their total score. As first out for the Belgians in round two, Jos Verlooy had finished on eight faults aboard Parise van den Dael (Zazu x For Passio d’Ive Z), so when Emilie Conter – who had been clear in round one – and Portobella van de Fruitkorf (Bamako de Muze x Nabab de Reve) had a mistake on the open water, those four penalties had to be counted into the team total. Abdel Said and Bonne Amie (A Big Boy x Landfriese) made sure to keep it tight on top towards the Americans though when they came back strong with a clear in round two, after having struggled in the triple combination the first time out. 

Like on so many other previous occasions it all came down to the USA's team veteran Ward. A clear would decide the Nations Cup in favour of the Americans, a rail down would leave the door open for Belgium. Ward did not disappoint though, locking it firmly when delivering one of his signature performances – cool, calm, collected and clear. 

The only thing that was left to do for Belgium's anchor-rider Gregory Wathelet – last to go at Soers – was to decide whether his team would end up second or not, with the Brits trailing close behind. No stranger to pressure, Wathelet delivered his second clear of the class with Bond Jamesbond de Hay (Diamant de Semilly x Kannan) – leaving the Belgians on a total score of eight, ahead of the British team on ten faults.

For the Brits, Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly (Cap Kennedy x L'Arc de Triomphe) jumped double clear, while Georgia Tame – the youngest team member – impressed with only a time fault in each round aboard Be Golden Lynx (Golden Hawk x Lux Z). Scott Brash bettered his eight faults from round one into a clear in the second with Hello Jefferson (Cooper vd Heffinck x Irco Mena), while Robert Whitaker held the discharge score this time around. 

Anchoring a team to a win is always special, but doing so in Aachen adds an extra layer of excitement – even for someone as experienced as McLain Ward. “It's always an incredible evening here, it is like no other place in the world," Ward said of Nations Cup-night at CHIO Aachen. "For me it’s hallowed ground, it’s the cathedral of the sport. To win any class here is an honour, and it really feels like you're at the top of your game. It was the second time for me to win the Nations Cup here, and it's been quite a drought – I was not on the last team that won here – so I'm very excited to be back in this position.”

Youngest on the U.S. team at 28, but nevertheless the best with her double clear, Lillie Keenan – Ward’s protégé – is again and again proving that she is one to be trusted on the big occasions. “I have had the massive privilege of riding on multiple teams with these three riders; obviously with McLain being my coach that makes it extra special and it really strengthens that team atmosphere,” Keenan said. “I may not be as experienced as them yet, but these three make me feel like I belong. I have jumped senior teams for ten years now, since I was 18, and Robert is joking that I am a veteran – although I don’t think I’m that old,” she laughed. “I feel incredibly grateful and privileged to be with this group.”

“Argan is a horse that I have ridden for a number of years, and jumped in quite a few Nations Cups. He is incredibly reliable, and he knows exactly what his job is, so he makes my job really easy. Jumping two clean rounds on a horse that has given me so much; the people who know him, and who know me, can appreciate how much that meant to me,” Keenan added about her 15-year-old gelding. 

Kraut also praised her horse Bisquetta, and took responsibility for the fault the pair picked up in round one. “I was so happy with my horse, she should have been double clear,” Kraut said. “I messed up in the first round. I should have known that I had plenty of time, and I just cut back way too quick to the plank at fence no. 10 so she had it down, but in the second round when I gave her the time she was perfect.”

“The level of the competition here is very high, the height of the jumps is very high and the atmosphere is big so I was more wondering how she was going to handle that,” Farrington said of Toulayna’s first five-star Nations Cup appearance in Aachen. “But, she is very strong in her mind, she has jumped some serious Grand Prix classes, and she really showed her heart tonight in the first round. She tried very hard in the triple combination, and in the second round she came back like a champion and did it even better. It was a cheap fault tonight in the double, but I’m very proud of my horse.”