Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen, pictured here at Belton International, have headed to warmer climes and lead at Great Meadow
The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team is in the lead following day one of the first-ever FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing competition in North America at the Land Rover Great Meadow International presented by Adequan®. The team of Phillip Dutton, Lauren Kieffer, Boyd Martin, and Clark Montgomery hold a two-phase lead on a score of 132.3 penalties. Canada is second with a score of 157.2 penalties and Great Britain is third with 171.7 penalties.
The FEI Nations Cup™ has a unique format at Great Meadow with dressage in the morning and show jumping in the afternoon of the first day while the cross-country follows on the second and final day.
The U.S. team had an outstanding first day of competition with three out of the four U.S. team members going double-clear in show jumping to enter the final day on their dressage score. Montgomery (Tetbury, England) and Loughan Glen, owned by Jess Montgomery, Kathryn Kraft and Holly and Bill Becker, lead the way for the U.S. on a two-phase score of 36.3. Phillip Dutton and Ann Jones and Thomas Tierney’s Fernhill Fugitive also went double-clear in show jumping to go into the final phase on 47.2 penalties. Boyd Martin and Gloria Callen’s Welcome Shadow also left the rails intact and sit on 48.8 penalties. Lauren Kieffer and Marie Le Menestrel’s Meadowbrook’s Scarlett had one rail to end the day on 54.6 penalties.
Montgomery and Loughan Glen had a solid dressage performance, posting 36.3 penalties to the scoreboard and taking an early lead in individual standing. The pair continued their winning ways in the afternoon show jumping competition, completing the Marc Donovan designed course with no time or jumping faults to enter the final day of competition with a five-point lead in the individual standings. “He went in and jumped great,” said Montgomery. “It helps to have an arena and footing like this. He jumped great and I couldn’t be happier to be where I am now.”
Montgomery knew that he was considered a favourite and had reservations about his performance having just recently flown into the U.S. from his home base in England. “I was nervous about everyone’s expectations today hoping that I would deliver because he just recently got off a flight and it’s hot here, but he felt really good.”
Individually, Americans top the first three places of the leader board. Maya Black stands second on Doesn’t Play Fair with 41.4 penalties and Kieffer is on Veronica with 43.7 penalties.
Jodie Amos is the top placed British rider on Wisecrack, scoring 49 for 11th place while her team mates Ros Canter on Zenshera (54) , Ben Way on Willows Tipster (68.70) and US based Justine Dutton on Huck Finn (73.4) are in 20th, 37th and 38th places respectively
The FEI Nations Cup™ competition culminates on Sunday with the cross-country phase beginning 9:30 a.m., watch live and on-demand on USEFNetwork.com.
