BICTON, Great Britain--The U.S. Eventing Team, of Jenny Caras, Olivia Dutton, Cosby Green and Mia Farrow placed second in the FEI Eventing Nations Cup CCIO4*-S hosted in Bicton, Great Britain from May 22-25.
The U.S. Eventing team in BictonThe team completed the weekend on a team total of 132.9, with Caras on Sommersby finishing as the highest placed U.S. rider, individually in 10th on a score of 39.4.
The team was led by Chef d’Equipe Karyn Shuter and Team Leader Gemma Stobbs.
Great Britain won on a final total of 87.8, while New Zealand placed third.
“The team gained valuable experience from this weekend and produced some very respectable results for the first competition of the tour,” said Shuter, U.S. Eventing Team High Performance Advisor and Chef d’Equipe for the Development Tour. “With Bramham and Luhmühlen still to come, there is more opportunity for them to continue developing their skills and build a more comprehensive understanding of what it takes to be competitive amongst the best.”
In the first phase of dressage on Friday, Dutton of West Grove, Pa., on Sea of Clouds, was the only U.S.rider to score below 30, earning a 29.7.
The other three team riders received scores under 35 penalties, keeping the team competitive against the four other nations represented in the team competition.
CARAS OF Buckhead, Ga., on Sommersby, who competed as a part of the tour in 2024, scored 30.2, while Green of Lexington, Ky., on Highly Suspicious scored 31.3, and Farley of Ocala, Fla., on Invictus scored 34.6.
Held in the short format, the show jumping phase was next, with a challenging track set by Krissy Spiller of Great Britain ,and it was held on Saturday afternoon in Bicton Arena.
Both Green and Caras were clean, adding nothing to their dressage scores.
Farley had four faults and .4-time faults, and Dutton had 12 faults in her first team appearance for the U.S.
Dutton went first on cross country on Sunday, competing over a picturesque track designed by Helen West (of Great Britain.
A stop at the airy drop into the water complex at 10A added 20 jumping penalties and 20.4 in time to her score to finish on a three-phase total of 82.1.
Green, who has been based in the U.K. for the past two years with Tim and Jonelle Price, was the second out for the team and had a fast and accurate trip on Highly Suspicious, adding just 10 time faults to her dressage score of 31.3 and finishing on a 41.3 for 13th overall.
Building on her recent success in the CCI4*-S in Lexington, Ky., in April, Farley on Invictus was efficient and clear, just adding 13.2 time penalties to finish 19th overall individually.
Caras on Sommersby, the most veteran pair for the team and the anchor rider, added just 9.2 in time to finish on a final score of 39.4.
Earlier in the week, Alexander O’Neal of Reddick, Fla., on Redtail Penumbra, who was originally selected to compete on the team, withdrew after the dressage phase as the result of a foot abscess and will now compete next in the Bramham CCI4*-L.
Molly Duda of Menlo Park, Calif., on Disco Traveler, who is also a part of the European Development Tour, competed as an individual and was 22nd overall in preparation for the Luhmülen CCI5*-L later this month.
The Tour offers two tracks for the selected riders depending on their goals and competition plans.
The riders will have a choice of competing in the CCI4*-S or CCI4*-L at the Bramham International Horse Trials in Great Britain from June 4-8 or the CCI4*-S or CCI5*-L at the Luhmühlen Horse Trials in Germany from June 11-15.
