Nations_Cup_Media_Guide

2011 FEI Nations Cup Series

CSIO Hickstead (GBR) July 28–31, 2011 CSIO Dublin (IRL) August 3–7, 2011

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Trials, finishing in first place on Authentic with only eight faults accumulated for all six selection events. With her contribution of double-clear rounds in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, she helped the US team win the Gold medal, while her success on US soil earned her the American Grand Prix Association (AGA) Rider of the Year title that year.

Madden added Team and Individual Silver medals to her resume at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. Authentic continued to define himself as one of the best in the world. In addition, Authentic was named the Farnam®/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year.

Photo Credit: Sportfot

Beezie Madden Born: November 20, 1963 Residence: Cazenovia, NY

Coral Reef Via Volo- 13 year-old Belgian Warmblood Mare owned by Coral Reef Ranch.

Madden’s greatest accomplishment in 2007 involved her win at the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen in Germany, in July. Madden again rode Authentic for this prestigious win over 40 of the world’s best. To add to this honor she was named leading rider in Aachen, one of the most coveted leading rider titles in the world.

Madden enjoyed another incredible year in 2008 with Authentic. She won her second consecutive Team Gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games, where they won an

Originally from Milwaukee, WI, Beezie Madden has been

unbelievable jump-off to pick up Individual Bronze, too.

riding since the age of three and made her Grand Prix

Leading up to the Games, Authentic won the $200,000

debut in 1985. Four years of continued success followed,

CN Worldwide Grand Prix in Wellington, FL, with an-

which included participation on winning US Nations Cup

other one of his standard lightning fast jump-off rounds.

teams, which led to her being named the 1989 United

That was on the heels of a WEF Challenge win three

States Olympic Committee’s Female Equestrian of the

days earlier.

Year.

With the Belgian Warmblood mare, Coral Reef Via Volo,

Madden was the first woman—and the first US rider—to

Madden has found a star for the future. In March of

ever reach the top three in the Gandini Show Jumping

2010, they claimed top honors in the $75,000 Equine

World Ranking list (achieved in 2004), and she was the

Couture/Tuff Rider Grand Prix. In the summer they

first woman to pass the $1 million mark in earnings for

traveled to Europe, where they won the Grand Prix of

show jumping. She is the second leading money winner

Aachen and placed third in the Grand Prix of Dublin.

in history at Spruce Meadows in Canada. She has won

They also were part of the US team at the Meydan FEI

back-to-back honors as USEF Equestrian of the Year—

Nations Cup stop in Dublin.

the first rider ever to do so.

In 2004, she breezed through the Olympic Selection

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At the Spruce Meadows Masters, the pair won the $50,000 CANA Cup and were part of the winning US

Team in the Nations Cup in September of 2010. That same month they picked up wins at the American Gold Cup. Madden had a strong start to the 2011 season jumping at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. She won back-toback classes during Week Six with Prima. In March, Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo were part of the winning US team in the $75,000 FEI Nations Cup presented by G&C Farm. She partnered with Danny Boy to win the final round of the WEF Challenge Cup Series two weeks later.

In April, Madden travelled to Leipzig, Germany to compete in the 2011 Rolex/FEI World Cup Finals; tying for fourth place honors overall.

Madden has kept up her strong form throughout the summer of 2011, collecting top placings in both North America and Europe. In July, she rode Prima to first place in the Prize of Handwerk speed class at CHIO Aachen.

Married since 1998, Madden and her husband, horseman John Madden, reside in Cazenovia, NY.

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dan FEI Nations Cup. In Aachen the pair jumped two clear rounds on tour two. Cedric was also third in the $126,385 Barcelona Grand Prix. Additionally, Kraut had a successful summer with Anthem winning the $214,152 Madrid Grand Prix and placing second at the Grand Prix of Valencia.

Cedric and Kraut spent the 2010 winter season tuning up by jumping many successful rounds at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival including a fifth place finish in the $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup in February.

Kraut and Cedric once again showed their skill by winning the $150,000 CN US Open on the strength of a lightning fast jump-off round.

Photo Credit: Shannon Brinkman

Laura Kraut

In the summer of 2010, Kraut and Cedric were on the winning team at the Meydan FEI Nations Cup stop in Rotterdam where they were faultless in both rounds. In

Born: November 14, 1965 Residence: Wellington, FL

July, Credic and Kraut were once again part of the US

Cedric — 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by

The pair capped off their summer in Europe by winning

Happy Hill Farm.

Teirra— 11-year-old KWPN Mare owned by Stars and Stripes Farm.

Cedric defied gravity and expectation at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong for Laura Kraut. He was foot perfect in the team portion of the competition and was an integral part of the Gold medal-winning effort for the US.

team for the Meydan FEI Nations Cup at CHIO Aachen, this time placing third as a team.

the Valkenswaard VDL Groep Grand Prix in the Netherlands. They then finished their season by representing the US at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

In 2011, they have hit the ground running jumping many scorching rounds at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival.

Along the way they have won the $78,000 Adequan CSI2* Grand Prix and the $150,000 FEI World Cup CSI3*W presented by Spy Coast Farm. They finished off their season in Wellington by winning the premiere class of

Standing barely 15.2 hands, Cedric grows wings in the

the circuit the $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand

ring. He and Kraut jumped two clear rounds at the Sam-

Prix CSI5* with a lightning fast jump-off round.

sung Super League finale in Barcelona, Spain in the fall of 2008 and had two top five finishes in major classes in Wellington, FL in 2009.

They ran the board at the 2008 USEF Selection Trials for Show Jumping, jumping clear in the first round and never looking back. They made one mistake over the five

In the summer of 2009, Kraut once again demonstrated

rounds, but were always well clear of the competition.

great success in Europe. She and Cedric were part of

This set them up beautifully for their impressive Olympic

the US teams on both tour two and three of the Mey-

performance.

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Always a top competitor in Grand Prix circles, Kraut’s

including a strong showing at CHIO Aachen. Where they

success began before Cedric. She was an integral part

collected third place finishes in the STAWAG-Preis class

of the US team in the Samsung Super League in 2007.

and in the Warsteiner Preis class.

Riding Anthem, she was part of the all-female team that romped to victory at CSIO Hickstead (England) in July and second two weeks later in Dublin, Ireland. Kraut had

She makes her home in Wellington, FL and enjoys spending time with her young son, Bobby.

a big European victory in August with Cedric. Together they won the grand prix at the CSI3* Hachenburg in Germany over a very competitive field of 53 horses and riders from across Europe.

With Miss Independent, Kraut was third overall at the FEI World Equestrian Games qualifiers in March 2006 in Wellington, FL. Kraut’s placing at the qualifier earned her a spot on the US Show Jumping Team for the 2006 World Equestrian Games. Kraut helped bring home a Team Silver medal. She spent much of the 2005 summer representing the US in the competitive Samsung Super League series in Europe. Kraut helped the US secure wins in Aachen, Germany and LaBaule, France, and second place in Rome and in Hickstead, England, riding both Anthem and Miss Independent.

In 2004, Kraut was a member of the second place team in the $50,000 Samsung Nations Cup in Florida, and helped the US secure a fourth place overall finish in the Samsung Super League. In 2003, she was the top placed American at the World Cup Final, where she tied for the fifth position out of 41 starting horse and rider combinations. In 2002, she was a member of the US team which won the first outdoor Nations Cup held in the US; and at the Samsung Nations Cup Series, she was named Leading Rider after tying for first place on Liberty. Kraut was a US team alternate at the 2002 FEI World Equestrian Games in Spain, and in the 2000-2001 competition season she was honored as reserve champion AGA Rider of the Year. Kraut was also a member of the US show jumping team at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Over the summer of 2011, Kraut and the eleven year old mare Teirra have jumped to top finishes in Europe;

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list for the games in Aachen, Germany. Over the past three years, she has been a member of the very successful US teams competing in the Samsung Super League. In 2004, the team finished in fourth place; in 2005, the US finished first; and in 2006, they were second.

With Casadora, Hough was a member of the 2007 Pan American Games Bronze medal-winning team. The pair started off 2008 with a victory at the $75,000 Green Cove Springs CSI-W Grand Prix with the only double clear round. During the first week of the 2008 Spruce Meadows Summer Series, Hough and Casadora won the ATB Financial Cup. Later that week, she was first again in the 1.50m Photo Credit: Sportfot

Lauren Hough

ATCO Midstream Winning Round with Quick Study.

Hough and Quick Study spent the winter of 2009 competing at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, taking two thirds

Born: April 11, 1977 Residence: Wellington, FL

and a second in the $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup Series,

Quick Study – 12-year-old French Warmblood

in May at CSIO Rome. The pair was also second in the

gelding owned by Laura and Meredith Mateo.

A native Californian, Hough got her start in the hunter ring and was a very successful junior rider. She won a Gold medal at the North American Young Riders Championships, and at age 15, was the Pacific Coast Horseman’s Association Rookie of the Year. Most of her show jumping success in the early years was due in part to two horses,

and a fourth in the $75,000 FEI Nations Cup. They were also part of the winning Meydan FEI Nations Cup effort $122,172 Helsinki Grand Prix.

Hough also had consistent success with Naomi during the spring of 2009, highlights of the pair’s success at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival include: winning the $50,000 Braman Motorcars Grand Prix, a runner-up finish in the $50,000 Equisport Agency Grand Prix and third in the $150,000 CN Open Grand Prix.

Clasiko and Windy City. She won the National Horse Show

Early 2010 played out as another successful season for

Grand Prix back-to-back in 2001 and 2002.

Hough in Florida. With Casadora she collected a third place

A member of the 2000 Sydney Olympic squad, Hough had Olympic aspirations running through her veins at birth. Her father, Champ, was a member of the 1952 Olympic Team in eventing. Hough was a member of the Gold medal-winning Pan American Games team in 2003, representing the US in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Demonstrating her tenacity, she rode in the selection trials with a broken collarbone.

In 2006, she was fourth overall in the FEI World Equestrian Games Selection Trials, which qualified her for the short

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finish at the $100,000 Green Cove Springs Grand Prix and followed that up five days later with a sixth place finish in round two of the WEF Challenge Cup Series again with Casadora. Hough also burned it up with Prezioso S at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. In a three-day span the pair picked up third place finishes in the third round of the WEF Challenge Cup Series and the Nespresso Grand Prix.

In February, Hough and Quick Study were twelfth in the $150,000 Spy Coast Farm FEI World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix.

They continued this good form through March, jumping to the third place in the $200,000 WEF FEI World Cup Qualifier.

The summer proved to be a successful one for Hough in Europe. With Quick Study she won the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix at Hamburg in May. The pair were then on the winning team at the Meydan FEI Nations Cup stop in Rotterdam, where they were fault free in both rounds. In July Hough once again jumped on the all female US team with Quick Study at the Meydan FEI Nations Cup held at CHIO Aachen. They completed the year by representing the United States at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY. Hough and Quick Study had a strong start to the 2011 season in Wellington, FL. At the beginning of February they won the fourth round of the WEF Challenge Cup Series.

They began March by capturing the $150,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix CSIO4* and bookended the month by placing second in the $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix. This combination has been jumping on the Global Champions Tour throughout the summer.

When Hough isn’t riding, she loves to cook and spend time with her friends and family.

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Romantovich Take One and McCrea continued collecting consistent results throughout the spring of 2010. In May, they were third in the CSI2* at the Hagyard Lexington Classic and later in the month were fifth in the $100,000 Grand Prix of Devon-Celeste McNeal Harper Perpetual.

2011 has started off well for McCrea and the Dutch Warmblood gelding. Once again jumping at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, they were seventh in the fifth round of the WEF Challenge Cup Series. They picked Photo Credit: Sophie Durieux

Christine McCrea Born: February 16, 1978 Hometown: East Windsor, CT

up another seventh place finish in the CSI4*-W at the Winter Equestrian Festival in March.

Over the summer of 2011, McCrea travelled to Europe to take part in the FEI Nations Cup Series. With Romantovich Take One, she jumped two clear rounds over a tough track in St. Gallen in the Nations Cup and two days later

Romantovich Take One – 11-year-old KWPN geld-

jumped to a strong third place finish in the Longines

ing owned by Candy Tribble

Grand Prix of Switzerland.

Christine McCrea has always been a consistent perform-

McCrea first made her presence known on the interna-

er for the U.S. Team and 2009 was certainly no excep-

tional scene when she joined the United States Eques-

tion.

trian Team Developing Rider Tour in 1999, she finished

McCrea represented the U.S. at the 2009 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final in April in Las Vegas. At the 2009 Final

second in the Nations Cup competition at CSIO Lummen, Belgium, riding Caraibe du Moulin.

she rode the appropriately named Vegas. The pair won

McCrea was part of two successful Samsung Super

the $100,000 Budweiser FEI World Cup Qualifier of

League efforts both in 2005 and 2007. She won a 1.50m

Syracuse in November of 2008; they then represented

class in Lummen in 2005 and in 2006 qualified for the

the U.S. on the Nations Cup team at the CSIO Wellington

Rolex FEI World Cup Final and was short-listed for the

the following spring.

2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany.

With Promised Land, McCrea was second in the

In 2005, she earned multiple top 10 finishes at home,

$150,000 CN Grand Prix on March 1, 2009 and third in

including taking second in the $75,000 Budweiser World

the Tampa Bay Classic, the final qualifier for the year’s

Cup of Syracuse, third in the $50,000 Fidelity Grand

World Cup Final.

Prix of Boston, fourth in the $25,000 Winter Equestrian

2010 again was a successful year for McCrea. With Promised Land, she was fifth in both Round One of the WEF Challenge Cup Series and the $75,000 Nespresso

Festival Challenge Cup Round 5 and the $100,000 Lexus National Horse Show Championship, and sixth in the $40,000 CSI-W Lexington.

Grand Prix. She was also fourth with Romantovich Take

McCrea is a graduate of the University of Connecticut

One at the $25,000 Suncast Classic Grand Prix. Roman-

with a major in business. She and her husband John, an

tovich Take One was also fifth in the $75,000 Adequan

Irish show jumper, currently train at her family’s farm,

Grand Prix in February at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival.

Windsor Show Stables, in East Windsor, CT.

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World Cup Qualifier in Tampa at the end of March, stamping his ticket to Las Vegas for the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final. The pair also won the $25,000 Green Cove Springs Welcome Stake and were third in the $100,000 FEI World Cup Qualifier the same weekend in January. They won four FEI World Cup Qualifiers in 2009 and Kent won the East Coast League to earn Up Chiqui his second trip to the Rolex/ FEI World Cup Final in 2009.

In the summer of 2009, the Kentucky Horse Park proved to be a very lucrative place for Farrington. He and Up Chiqui won both the $30,000 KHJA Grand Prix and the $30,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic. In addition, Farrington was second with Uceko in the $40,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix.

Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley

Kent Farrington Born: December 28, 1980 Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

January proved to be a hot month for Farrington in 2010.

With Valhalla he won the Bahamas Eco Grand Prix and was seventh with United, just three days into the New Year. Not to be out-done, Up Chiqui won the Green Cove Springs Welcome on January 15. Farrington and the chestnut gelding also picked up seventh place finishes in

Uceko- 10 year-old KWPN gelding owned by

the Green Cove Springs Grand Prix and Purina Mills Grand

R.C.G. Farm

Prix.

Kent Farrington’s success has spanned a decade. In 2001

Farrington’s hot start to the year continued into February,

he was named the winner of the Maxine Beard award

he and Up Chiqui won the $50,000 EMO Grand Prix at

given to an individual based on his potential to represent

HITS in Ocala. In March, Farrington was part of the fourth

the United States in international competition.

placed US team in the $75,000 FEI Nations Cup present-

Farrington and Up Chiqui have won more than 20 Grand

ed by CN in Wellington.

Prix since 2005. The pair represented the U.S. twice in

With the Dutch Warmblood gelding, Uceko, Farrington

2008, once in the FEI World Cup Final in Sweden and

has found a star for the future. In February of 2010, this

again in the winning Nations Cup effort at CSIO Welling-

pair were fifth in the first USEF Selection Trial for the

ton. They won from Lake Placid to Kentucky to Welling-

US Show Jumping Team for the 2010 Alltech FEI World

ton, and plenty of places in between.

Equestrian Games.

They also won the Rolex/USEF National Show Jumping

Uceko made a strong start to the 2011 season, collecting

Championships in 2007, capping off a year where they

second place honors in the $100,000 Deluca Toyota Tun-

were nearly invincible.

dra Grand Prix. In April, Farrington collected one of the

A small, but lightning fast horse, Up Chiqui’s 2009 accomplishments include tying for the win in the $75,000

largest victories of his career with Uceko claiming victory among a star-studded field in the $200,000 Gene Mische American Invitational.

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This summer, the pair collected a pair of wins in Kentucky, where they topped the field in the $55,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix and the $55,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix.

As a talented young equitation rider Farrington won the Pessoa/AHSA National Hunter Seat Equitation Medal Final in 1998 and the Washington International Equitation Medal in 1999. He then climbed another notch when his show jumping team won the Gold medal at the prestigious North American Young Riders’ Championship in 1999. Farrington’s first major win was on Madison in 2004 at the $75,000 EMO Grand Prix in Saugerties, NY. Since then, he has been performing at the top of the sport, with Madison having the distinct honor of being named 2005 AGA Horse of the Year.

Farrington runs a very successful teaching and training business.

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In 2005, Morris took over the Chef d’Equipe duties of the US Show Jumping Team. He instantly proved his outstanding leadership when the US team, the only nonEuropean team competing in the Super League, won the prestigious Samsung Super League championship.

He commandeered an excellent performance from his riders at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games, where they won a Team Silver medal and Beezie Madden won Individual Silver with the mighty Authentic. In 2007, he guided the Pan American Games team to a bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

2008 brought the most successful accolades thus far to Morris’ coaching resume. He steered the US show jumpPhoto Credit: USEF Archives

George Morris

ers to another fantastic performance, this time winning Team Gold at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong.

The US riders won a jump-off with the Canadians for the

Chef d’Equipe

Gold medal, Madden also won Individual Bronze.

Born: February 26, 1938 Residence: Wellington, FL

His teams also won the prestigious Nations Cup at the

Considered one of the most influential riders and trainers in equestrian sport, George Morris’ career began as a precocious junior rider winning both the AHSA Hunter Seat Medal Final and the ASPCA Maclay Final at the tender age of 14, the youngest rider ever to do so.

In international competition, he represented the US on the Gold medal-winning Pan American Games team in 1959 and on the Silver medal-winning team at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games. Between 1958 and 1960, he rode on eight winning Nations Cup teams and in later years

Spruce Meadows Masters on the heels of the 2008 Olympic success, and then he took four riders inexperienced on the international stage and handily won the Nations Cup at the CSIO Buenos Aires in November.

2009 was another busy and rewarding year for Morris and those he coaches. He guided the US team to a runner-up spot in the 2009 Meydan Nations Cup. This romp through Europe included winning two legs of the tour. In November of 2009, Morris was named the USEF National Coach of the Year. In May, Morris was awarded the coveted title of ‘Horseman of Honor of the Cadre Noir of Saumur’.

served as Chef d’Equipe for numerous Nations Cup

In 2010, US Teams picked up Nations Cup wins at CSIO

teams including as Co-Chef d’Equipe at the 1999 Pan

Rotterdam and CSIO Spruce Meadows and had consis-

American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, where the US

tent European results all summer.

won both the Team and Individual Silver medals. Morris also served as a Director of the former USET and as a member of its Executive and Show Jumping Committees.

His attention to detail and meticulous preparation of his teams is legendary.

Morris’ individual training successes include a “Who’s Who” of the US’ top show jumping riders figuring

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prominently in US Olympic history. At the 1984 Olympic Games, the Gold medal winning team included three former students, Conrad Homfeld, Leslie Burr-Howard and Melanie Smith Taylor. The 1992 team included students Lisa Jacquin, Anne Kursinski and Norman Dello Joio. In 1996, Morris was assistant Chef d’Equipe of the Silver medal Olympic team, which included former students Burr- Howard, Kursinski and Peter Leone. At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, former student Chris Kappler won the Individual Silver medal and was a member of the Gold medal-winning team.

Morris is also a well-known author of equestrian books and videos. He currently serves on several USEF committees and holds a Registered Judge’s License in the Jumper, Hunter and Hunter Seat Equitation divisions.

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Elizabeth Chesson Team Leader

Born: April 3, 1977 Residence: Gladstone, NJ Lizzy Chesson has been deeply rooted in international equestrian sports for many years. As a groom for her mother she was part of two World Championship Driving teams. At the age of 22, Chesson was selected to drive a pair of horses in the World Pair Championship in Hungary. She is a graduate of Columbia University where she studied German and Spanish and earned a degree in Art History.

Chesson began working for the USEF in 2006. Her first position was in the USEF Show Jumping department as an assistant to Managing Director, Sally Ike. Chesson has been a member of the USEF High Performance Driving Photo Credit: USEF Archives

Committee and the Chairman of the USEF High Performance Eligible Active Pair Driver Committee. In December 2007, Chesson was promoted to USEF Director of Show Jumping High Performance Activities.

Chesson resides in Gladstone, NJ and still rides and drives when she can find the time. She finds herself incredibly fortunate to work with such an experienced and dynamic team.

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