La Baule, France – The U.S Show Jumping Team arrived in La Baule, France last week locked, loaded and ready. Not only did they handily win the first Samsung Super League Nations Cup of the season by four faults over Great Britain, but team members also won three other classes and were well placed throughout the show.

And at the end of the four days of competition it was the United States’ youngest team member, New York City’s Georgina Bloomberg, 22, who was the event’s leading rider. Joining Bloomberg on the team were Laura Kraut of Oconomoc, WI; Schuyler Riley of Wellington, FL; Anne Kursinski of Frenchtown, NJ: and Beezie Madden of Cazenovia, NY.

The team definitely had the need for speed, winning three speed classes three days in a row. Friday became “ladies’ day” when the Prix Conseil General de Loire Atlantique was swept by the US riders, all aboard mares, with Kraut on Milonk (10, KWPN mare owned by Happy Hill Farm and Peter Wetherill) grabbing first place; rookie Bloomberg in second on her reliable Nadia (10, DWB mare owned by Gotham Enterprises); and veteran Kursinski third on Roxana 112 (11, Hessen mare owned by Scott Hakim). As it turned out the U.S was just warming up for the big prize as that afternoon the team then captured the important first leg of the Samsung Super League in a stellar performance that did not even require the last rider, Kraut, to complete her final round for the U.S win. Double clear rounds, one of only two for the day, by Schuyler Riley on her trusty Ilian (15, KWPN gelding, owned by Wolfstone Stables) had already assured the victory.

Anne Kursinski then blistered the competition on Saturday grabbing the Prix Cap Atlantique on Lorenzo (12, KWPN gelding, owned by Market Street, Inc.) and on Sunday teammate Bloomberg won the Prix PMU on Nadia, with Beezie Madden 4th on DeSilvio (10, KWPN stallion owned by Abigail Wexner) and Kursinski 5th on Lorenzo.

It was a dominating performance by the United States led by Chef d’Equipe George Morris. “This is a very competitive team on very competitive horses,” observed Morris. “They (the riders) were outstanding and this was a great group of horses, very careful. You have to have the right string of horses to be competitive in Europe.” Morris also noted that the technical abilities of these riders made the difference, especially in the speed classes.

The next Super League competition is May 26th- 29th in Rome Italy where this group of riders will defend their lead in the United States’ bid to become the 2005 Samsung Super League Champions.