FEI Nations qualifier triumph for Team USA in Mexico

Team Mexico I put up a brilliant performance to finish a close second and Mexico II lined up third ahead of Canada in fourth place.

The competition was the second and final qualifying leg for the North and Central America and Caribbean region, with two qualification spots for the Furusiyya 2015 final on offer to countries in this regional section.

The course design of Brazil’s Guilherme Jorge provided a fascinating contest which saw four clear rounds in the first round of which US team members claimed two of them. A further four horse-and-rider combinations jumped clear in the second round with the only double-clear in the competition coming from America’s Ali Wolff on Casall.

The Canadians collected 17 faults in the first round and never recovered, adding 20 more second time out to complete on a total of 37.

The two Mexican teams however were sharing runner-up spot and were just one fence off the leading Americans at the halfway stage with eight faults on the board.

Team USA had to count only one of the single errors made by Candice King and Callan Solem to hold the lead on a four-fault tally.

Mexico II, under the stewardship of Mauricio Guerra, mirrored their first tour of the track with just four faults each. But when Gonzalo Azcarraga followed a first-round clear with 19 faults, the team’s finishing score of 35 left them only just ahead of the Canadians.

Mexico I was the host nation team chosen to battle for qualifying points. Nicolas Pizarro Suarez followed his opening clear with just four faults and Sofia Larrea followed their single error with a clear round second time out. Manuel Rodriguez improved from a 12-fault first effort meant things were looking very good for the hosts.

The Americans however never lost their grip on the lead, as Mexico I’s finishing score of 12 would still leave them behind the Americans. The winning margin was then improved by King’s five faults down to just four to a final total of eight faults.

The next leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2015 series will take place at Lummen in Belgium on Friday 1 May.

Result:

1. USA 8 faults

2. Mexico I 12 faults

3. Mexico II 35 faults

4. Canada 37 faults