Team Announced for Nation???s Cup

The show jumping team that will represent the United States against a stellar field of international teams at the CSIO competition in Wellingon, Fla., has been announced. The announcement was made by the United States Equestrian Federation for the Nation’s Cup competition taking place March 7 – 11.

The event will be one of the premier show jumping competitions in the United States this year and will showcase many of the international athletes and horses that will be competing at the World Cup in Las Vegas. The event includes the only Nation’s Cup international team competition to take place in the United States in 2007.

The United States’ team members are:

• Margie Engle of Wellington, Fla., on Hidden Creek’s Quervo Gold, a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, owned by the Hidden Creek Farm of Oak Creek, Wis.

• Lauren Hough of Wellington, Fla., on Casadora, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, owned by Laura & Meredith Mateo, of Weston, Mass.

• McLain Ward of Brewster, N.Y., on Sapphire, an 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare, owned by McLain Ward & Blue Chip Bloodstock of Brewster, N.Y.

• Beezie Madden of Cazenovia, N.Y., on Integrity, an 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, owned by Abigail Wexner, of New Albany, Ohio.

The alternates are:
• Laura Kraut of Wellington, Fla., on Anthem, a 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, owned by The Summit Syndicate.

• Todd Minikus, Wellington, Fla., on Olinda, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, owned by Houlihan Lawrence of Bronxville, N.Y.

• Molly Ashe, Wellington, Fla., on Cocu, a 15-year-old Holsteiner mare, owned by Jane F. Clark of New York, N.Y.

The United States’ Chef d’Equipe is George Morris, who guided the U.S team to a team silver medal at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, as well as the Samsung Super League Championship in 2005. In addition to the U.S team, nine other international teams are expected to compete in this weekend. Many of the top riders in the world, including former Olympians and World Equestrian Games athletes, will be competing in this event.