Edited press release from World Equestrian Center - Ocala

The United States team of Lillie Keenan on Argan de Beliard (Mylord Carthago x Ahorn), Laura Kraut on Dorado 212 (Diarado's Boy x Chacco-Blue), Aaron Vale on Carissimo 25 (Cascadello x Clinton), and McLain Ward on Ilex (Baltic VDL x Chin Chin) emerged victorious on home soil in the $770,000 Longines League of Nations™ Ocala CSIO5*-LLN on Saturday evening, March 22, at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC) in Ocala, FL (USA). 

A total of 10 teams competed in the opening round of the Longines League of Nations™ Ocala, with the top eight returning for the second round in the evening with only three riders each and no drop score.

At the halfway stage, the United States held the lead with a perfect score of zero faults while Germany was second with one time fault. Ireland, the defending champions, were tied for third with Great Britain on eight faults, while Belgium counted nine. France, Italy, and Sweden all made the cut for the second round but an uncharacteristic performance from The Netherlands left the team in ninth position on 20 faults. Switzerland was out of the running early when its first two riders, Edouard Schmitz and Janika Sprunger, were eliminated, thereby eliminating the entire team.

Coming back for the second round under the lights in front of a packed WEC Grand Arena crowd, the pressure on each team was immense. Without the safety net of a drop score, every fault counted over the course set by Ireland’s Alan Wade. By the third and final rider rotation, a battle was shaping up between Germany and the U.S. Lead-off pairs Christian Kukuk (GER) on Just Be Gentle (Tyson x Ticallus Verte) and Keenan on Argan de Beliard had both produced double clear rounds for their respective countries, while Andre Thieme (GER) on Paule S (Perigueux x Sir Shutterfly) and Kraut on Dorado 212 had each incurred four faults, keeping them neck and neck.

Only one fault separated the show jumping powerhouses as their final riders entered the arena. Sophie Hinners (GER) on Iron Dames Singclair (Singular LS La Silla x Cardento) impressed by producing another clear, one of only four on the night, to keep the pressure on the U.S. Riding in the anchor position, as he has done on so many occasions, Ward on Ilex delivered another clear round for the home side to clinch victory.

The United States won with a total of four faults, while Germany settled for second with five. Belgium completed the podium with 13 faults, while the Irish, also on 13 faults, placed fourth when its three riders clocked in with a slower combined time. France finished fifth with 16 faults; Great Britain sixth with 16 faults in a slower combined time; Italy seventh with 25 faults; and Sweden ended with a total of 31 faults for eighth place.

“I’ve said it many times before: I love the format that the League of Nations has, specifically for the excitement,” said long-time U.S. team chef d’equipe Robert Ridland. “Of course, it’s always nice to be on the right end of the excitement, and it was great that Laura added to that just to make sure McLain had some real pressure on him going out there, but how things can change in that second round. We have a veteran team here and these are horses that have done it before. There’s a reason why we picked the team we have here. It’s our home nations’ cup, and we had some incredible competition that we had to beat. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

For the U.S. team, the victory on home soil was especially sweet after finishing third in last year’s inaugural event. Hometown favorite Vale, 56, and Carissimo 25, a 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by the Carissimo Group, had four faults in the opening round, which would prove to be the drop score when his three teammates all jumped clear.

“Obviously, it’s a great facility and wonderful to have it here in my backyard, but it’s really special when you get an opportunity to jump against the world’s best here,” said Vale, who was also a member of last year’s team with Carissimo 25. “It’s lovely to have this event here and get to be a part of it as well.”

Keenan, 28, rode in the lead-off position in both rounds for the U.S. aboard Argan de Beliard, a 15-year-old Selle Français gelding owned by her family’s Chansonette Farm.

“Anytime I get to ride alongside these riders who I have looked up to for as long as I’ve ridden a horse is pretty special,” said Keenan, who trains with Ward and is currently ranked number 25 in the Longines World Rankings. “To win on home soil and to have everyone see one of the best venues in the world and the best venue in America is so special because we all share an incredible sport. It’s wonderful to be able to celebrate it here and with a home win.”

For her part, U.S. Olympian Kraut was especially pleased with the performance of Dorado 212, a 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by St. Bride’s Farm, as the horse is slowly returning to competition after being out with an injury.

“I’m extra proud of him for the performance he put in tonight,” said Kraut, 59, of the horse that carried her to a team gold medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. “The horse is just outstanding, and I’m so fortunate to have him.  His first round was impeccable. In the second round, I was really worried about my time because I was only .25 under in the first round, and I thought the place to make it up was to the wall, and clearly that was a bad idea. I apologized to McLain because we did it to him again, but he thrives on that.

“Thank you to the Roberts family,” she concluded. “This is a magnificent event, and we’re very fortunate to have it here.”

As he has done so many times in his illustrious career, Ward delivered under pressure. A clear was needed to clinch the win; a single time fault would have forced a jump-off with Germany. Riding Ilex, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding that he owns in partnership with Bonne Chance Farm, the world number seven came through when it counted most.

“I think the drama at the end is a testament to the format; it makes for excellent sport and competition,” said Ward, 49, who spent four weeks on the sidelines this winter after being injured in a fall. “I don’t know how many times now I’ve been in that position of having to jump clear. I’d be lying to tell you it isn’t filled with some nerves and anxiety. I was going down the ramp, and when Sophie jumped clear, I got a smile on my face and my thought was, ‘Okay, game on. This is what we do.’ You focus. That’s what you live for.”

After two legs of the Longines League of Nations™ 2025 series, Ireland and Germany lead the way in the overall standings, both on 170 points, while France is third on 150 ahead of USA on 140 in fourth and Belgium on 130 in fifth. The LLN season continues in Rotterdam (NED) and Gassin – St. Tropez (FRA) before the final takes place in Barcelona (ESP) in October.