Wellington, Fla. – March 23, 2017 – Team Canada walked away with their first Nations Cup gold medal during the two-day CDIO3* team competition presented by Stillpoint Farm on Thursday evening in Wellington, Florida. Their mixed large and small tour team won with a combined score of 434.528, while the United States Team, which faced unexpected challenges on Wednesday, earned a total combined score of 432.661. The team representing Spain earned the bronze medal with a score of 397.690.
The small tour couple for Canada, Tina and Jaimey Irwin, placed first and second in the CDIO3* Intermediate I class. Tina Irwin rode the 10-year-old Laurencio, to a 73.237 percent, and Jaimey Irwin earned a 69.263 percent aboard Donegal V, a 9-year-old KWPN gelding.
Megan Lane rode her Olympic mount, Caravella, a 16-year-old KWPN mare, to a 70.176 percent in the CDIO3* Grand Prix Special.
“I feel like I do really well under pressure,” Lane said. “I like pressure — I try not to think about the pressure of being the anchor. I just really wanted to have a good ride. Coming out of it I was thrilled. I’m still shaking!
“I’m really happy with her,” Lane continued. “I think she’s in a really good spot. The piaffe/passage I think was a highlight, her canter half-passes are always really nice to ride and also her changes.”
Jill Irving, Canada’s second large tour rider, felt much like Lane about the added pressure of friendly competition. She rode her 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Degas 12, to a score of 69.588 percent.
“I want to thank my teammates,” Irving said. “Good job! We did our job and that was the goal. Like Megan, I think I love pressure, but I only focus on what I need to do in the ring and Degas was ready to step up and do his job too. Thank you to our Chef d’Equipe Liz Steacie who stepped up and kept us organized.”
American rider Olivia LaGoy-Weltz and Lonoir, a 13-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding, performed the highest-scoring test of the Grand Prix Special, earning a score of 71.804 percent.
“I was quite happy with him,” LaGoy-Weltz said. “We haven’t done that test very many times. It was the second time this season and maybe only the fifth time overall, so I was really pleased with him.
“There’s always stuff to improve on,” she explained. “But I’m really pleased with how he developed this season and hoping for good things for him in the future.”
LaGoy-Weltz noted that she also felt the competitive nature of the Nations Cup provides a great learning experience for all involved.
“For all of us, I think that good, friendly competition pushes us to be better and provides us an opportunity to develop depth. It’s such a great group of people we have here in Wellington in general, so it’s really fun to get to come together with your country-mates, create that team and be in a pressure situation to practice those things.”
The individual competition for the CDIO3* will resume Friday, March 24 at 3:00 p.m. with the CDIO3* Intermediate II Freestyle, 6:30 p.m. with the CDIO U25 Grand Prix Freestyle and 9:00 p.m. with the CDIO3* Grand Prix Freestyle.
2017 Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup Results
1. Team Canada
Large Tour:
Jill Irving/Degas 12/69.588
Megan Lane/Caravella/70.176
Small Tour:
Jaimey Irwin/Donegal V/69.263
Tina Irwin/Laurencio/73.237
Total Score after drop score: 434.528
2. Team USA
Shelly Francis/Doktor/70.451
Olivia LaGoy-Weltz/Lonoir/71.804
Lisa Wilcox/Galant/69.686
Total after drop score: 432.661
3. Team Spain
Large Tour:
Juan Matute Guimon/Quantico Ymas/70.069
Small Tour:
Paula Matute Guimon/Legacy’s Alminar/58.263
Pablo Gomez Molina/Furst Fiorano Ymas/63.789
Marta Renilla/Rhuster/64.921
Total after drop score: 397.690
Results: Grand Prix Special
Rider/Country/Horse/Total Score (Before +1.5% Bonus)
- Olivia LaGoy-Weltz/USA/Lonoir/71.804
- Shelly Francis/USA/Doktor/70.451
- Megan Lane/CAN/Caravella/70.176
- Lisa Wilcox/USA/Galant/69.686
- Jill Irving/CAN/Degas 12/69.588
- Juan Matute Guimon/ESP/Quantico Ymas/68.569
- Kelly Layne/AUS/Von Primaire/66.882
Intermediate I
Rider/Country/Horse/Total Score
- Tina Irwin/CAN/Laurencio/73.237
- Jaimey Irwin/CAN/Donegal V/69.263
- Esther Mortimer/GUA/Adajio/67.184
- Marta Renilla/ESP/Rhustler/64.921
- Pablo Gomez Molina/ESP/Furst Fiorano Ymas/63.789
- Paula Matute Guimon/ESP/Legacy’s Alminar/58.263
