MARTOFTE, Denmark--The U.S. team of Alexandra Volpe, Cathleen Driscoll, Ralph Hiler and Alise Oken finished fifth of 13 teams, finishing with 20 faults on Sunday, May 25 in the Nations Cup Martofte CSIO3* in Denmark.
Cathleen Driscoll on Idalgo (Photo by Ride Hesten)The team started its European CSIO3* Tour in Denmark, under the leadership of Chef d’Equipe Anne Kursinski and Team Leader Erin Keating.
All four team members have previous Nations Cup experience, adding valuable depth to the squad.
The home team of Denmark won with just one fault, followed by Poland in second place with five faults and Germany in third on 12 faults.
“Our athletes did well today, despite the cold, pouring rain, and we could have used a little luck, but I know they all learned a lot,” said Kursinski. “The experience that they and the horses get by jumping in these Nations Cups is invaluable. Each of them learned important lessons and will grow and improve from today. If things had swung our way, we could’ve been on the podium. I know they will all come back in two weeks for Drammen ready to push for the podium again.”
VOLPI of Woodside, Calif., on Gipsy Love led off for the team and had eight faults.
Earlier in the week, Volpi won the Grand Prix Qualifier on her second mount, Candy Luck Z.
Driscoll of Elk Mills, Md., on Idalgo was clean, then Hiler of Boston, Mass. on Obora's Choice was eliminated, serving as the drop score in round one.
Oken of Charlotte, N.C., on Forrestal was clean, with the team moving forward to the second round with eight faults, in fifth of the 13 teams in the first round.
In round two, Volpi, Driscoll, Hiler and Oken all had four faults, for a second round total of 12 and a two round total of 20 for fifth place..
The U.S. Jumping Pathways program continues to play a vital role in nurturing young talent, providing the essential skills and experiences needed to excel on the international stage.
As the season progresses, the team looks forward to further opportunities to compete and grow together.
The next stop on the U.S. Jumping Team European Development Tour will be the Nations Cup Drammen CSIO3* held at Gjelsten Arena in Drammen, Norway from June 5-9.
